Author: Khoyetsian Rose

Armenia “torpedoes” Karabakh talks – Azeri official
Turan news agency
10 Nov 04
Baku, 10 November: The inclusion of the issue of Azerbaijan’s occupied
territories into the agenda of the 59th session of the UN General
Assembly seriously worries the Armenian leadership, Matin Mirza, press
secretary of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, said commenting on
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan’s statement about Yerevan’s
readiness to resume the Prague negotiations. He pointed out that
Armenia has not officially informed Azerbaijan about its readiness
to resume the negotiations and Baku has learnt it from the mass media.
Mirza said it is inadmissible to link the resumption of the Prague
negotiations to the forthcoming UN discussions. Oskanyan’s remarks
that Azerbaijan should not hope that the Prague negotiations can
be conducted at the same time as the UN discussions are aimed at
“torpedoing” the negotiating process. The Armenian side resorts to
such “destructive” tricks every time there are favourable conditions
for making progress in the negotiations, Mirza said.
As for the Armenian side’s aspiration to achieve direct negotiations
between Azerbaijan and the Karabakh separatists, according to the
mandate of the Minsk Conference and the OSCE Minsk Group of 1992,
the sides to the conflict are Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani
and Armenian communities of Nagornyy Karabakh are interested sides.
Mirza stressed that under no circumstances will Azerbaijan withdraw its
proposal to discuss the situation in the occupied territories at the
UN. He said that Azerbaijan’s initiative is dictated by its anxiety
about Armenia artificially resettling the occupied territories with
the aim of changing the demographic situation.

Turkish Press
Nov 7 2004
News Analysis by Ugur Akinci, Ph.D.
Turkish Fears and Emerging Processes at EU’s Threshold
Ugur Akinci: 11/6/2004
Turkey is about to start full-membership talks with the European
Union (EU). But there is a “minor problem.” To become a part of EU
requires a shift in national identity and a nuanced approach to
sensitive concepts like “minority” and “sovereignty.”
The Turkish establishment interprets these terms by taking the
Lausanne Treaty of 1923 as its sole reference while EU insists on its
current definitions and implementations as reflected in the famous
“Copenhagen Criteria” of 1993, which Turkey has endorsed.
Since Turkey is the one who wants to join the EU, and not the other
way around, Turkey`s insistence on its own definition of such
politically-loaded concepts as “sovereignty” and “minority” is
interpreted by some observers as an attempt (to use an Americanism)
to have one`s cake and eat it too.
But this is a static approach and the dynamic reality is more nuanced
than that.
******** The static picture
According to the static approach, Turkey needs to choose either the
EU`s or its own definitions of “sovereignty” and “minority.”
The differences are glaring indeed.
For Turkey, a “minority group” is one of the specific non-Muslim
minorities defined by the Lausanne Treaty. That is why the Jewish,
Greek-Orthodox and Armenian-Orthodox communities are today recognized
as minorities with distinct rights and privileges protected by the
Turkish Constitution — but the Alawis, Kurds or, let`s say, Women,
are not.
In EU, any group with sufficient numbers, self-identification (and
political clout, one must add) counts as a “minority,” whether they
are defined by any international treaty or not. This does not to mean
that their “rights” are always “granted,” or if granted, “observed”
and “enforced.” Just ask the Turks living in Germany and other EU
countries. However, at least there is no deep-seated collective fear
in EU to recognize a self-identified group as a minority.
Turkey interprets all such attempts to label self-identified groups
as minorities as a sinister move to split Turkey — and for
understandable historic reasons. Certain European powers have spent
well-documented amounts of cash to mobilize religious and ethnic
minorities against the Kemalist movement right after the First World
War, and through the `20s. That`s why the Turks do have a valid
historic reason to get paranoid every time the Europeans start
talking about the “minority rights.” In that sense, the First World
War is still not over for a lot of Turks.
However, if Turkey is to join the EU, then she also has to decide
whether she is joining a group of enemies or friends. She has to
decide which historic memory she is going to emphasize as a main
reference in configuring her relationships in the 21st century.
Desperately trying to join the EU while treating it as a source of
threat to one`s national unity is like stepping on the gas and the
break pedals simultaneously. It is political schizophrenia.
The same is valid for “sovereignty” as well. Joining the EU, by
definition, means relinquishing the exclusive “national right” to
decide on which policies to follow in favor of the collective
policies of the EU. However, I must also add that in matters of
foreign policy, for example, member countries will retain the right
to ratify or veto the EU decisions.
As an EU member, Turkey will not be able to fend off inquiries on
sensitive political issues on the grounds that “foreigners cannot
interfere with our internal affairs” simply because, A) the fellow
family-members will not count as “foreigners” anymore and, B) what
was once an “internal” affair will now be a permissible topic of
discussion for all the twenty five European countries. There is no
way getting around that hard fact.
Just to give an example, Turkey will have to recognize the
“Greek-Cypriot Administration” as the only legitimate Government of
Cyprus, like the rest of the EU.
Another example: Turkey will not be able to spend the monies she
wants on the projects she wants without first getting the approval of
the other 25.
There will be a lot of “interruptions,” frequent “interferences,” and
a very different meaning of “national sovereignty” on the table.
Thus more Turkish “fears and loathing” should be expected in the days
ahead.
******** The dynamic reality
What I have portrayed above is a static picture of irreconcilable and
clashing interests. If that was all to this story, we might have to
reach a “take it or leave it” type of harsh conclusion as far as
Turkey`s EU membership is concerned. But, since the famous “Law of
Unintended Consequences” is at work 24 hours a day, we are witnessing
surprising “third alternative” solutions emerging without tipping the
cart.
The Turkish state is totally committed to EU membership and, at this
point, it will not and cannot change its mind. However, in the main,
the Turkish establishment is equally committed to its traditional
definitions of politically sensitive concepts such as “sovereignty”
and “minority.”
So, I see a new process emerging right before our own eyes:
Turkey is delivering the CONTENT of EU conditions without admitting
the European FORMS that traditionally accompanied such content.
Turkey is delivering the same wine in new bottles, so to speak, to
keep the guests and the host still sitting at the table. I think,
whether it is intentionally implemented that way or not, we are
looking at a very nuanced and creative policy process at work here.
>>> Example 1:
Turkey has not surrendered its national sovereignty in jurisprudence
to anyone. She still has her own independent courts. However, in May
2004, as a part of the Constitutional reform package regarding human
rights, Turkey has admitted the supremacy of international agreements
over domestic courts in matters concerning “human rights and
fundamental freedoms.”
Since October 2003, for example, the European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR) delivered 161 judgments on Turkey. In 132 of these court cases
Turkey was found “in violation” of Turkey`s international treaty
commitments. In 23 cases a “friendly settlement” was reached, and in
2 cases Turkey was not found in violation.
Some readers might also remember the case of of Ms. Louzidou, a
Greek-Cypriot woman who sued Turkey in ECHR for losing her property
and won a handsome monetary settlement from Ankara.
Thus Turkey has already surrendered the ultimate legal arbitration
authority in human rights cases to EU without creating much fuss at
home about “national sovereignty.”
>>> Example 2:
Another dynamic policy development in which Turkey has proven that
she can indeed “eat her cake and have it too” took place in
broadcasting in “minority languages.”
In June 2004, the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT), the Turkish
state-owned broadcasting company, has quietly started to broadcast
programs in the following non-Turkish languages: Bosnian, Arabic,
Circasian, and in two Kurdish dialects (Kirmanci and Zaza).
Other ethnic groups living in Turkey may conceivably demand similar
non-Turkish broadcasts and these may be followed by similar
non-Turkish broadcasts by private radio and TV stations as well. All
may become a reality in due time.
This has all happened without changing a single letter of the classic
definition of a “minority group” in Turkey. In that regard, the
Lausanne Treaty of 1923 is still the only reference. However, as long
as “minority languages” are freely spoken, printed, and broadcast,
how can EU complain about “violations of cultural rights and
fundamental freedoms”?
I think the Turkish establishment is showing some flexibility and
creativity in meeting the EU requirements without opening the cans of
worms that have been sealed shut since 1923.
If and when Turkey joins the European Parliament it will be one of
the largest voting blocks to determine the common policies of the
Union.
And that`s why some EU observers are as worried about losing their
“sovereignty” as some of their Turkish counterparts.
But static fears are not the end of the road. The dynamic mid-path
solutions developed by Ankara are creative policy alternatives worthy
of emulation.

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2004
Contact: Sarkis Kotanjian
818.243.6222
[email protected]
Telethon 2004 Streetlight Banners Line Brand Blvd in Glendale, CA
Glendale, CA (November 5) – Armenia Fund, Inc. (AFI) is proud to announce
the placement of the Telethon 2004 Make It Happen streetlight banners on
Brand Boulevard in Glendale, California.
Spanning over seven city blocks and crossing eight
intersections, the 82 banners will line Brand Blvd. between Doran and
Colorado from Thursday, October 28, 2004 through Friday, November 26, 2004.
Sponsored by Pacific BMW, the banners feature the Telethon 2004 Make It
Happen logo/theme as well as local viewing information – the Telethon can be
viewed on KSCI Channel 18. “AFI extends its gratitude to Pacific BMW and the
Glendale City Council for providing the means and opportunity to truly make
Telethon 2004 a community-wide event,” said Maria Mehranian, chairperson,
AFI.
Scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, November 25 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
(PST), Telethon 2004, airing live from Glendale, California, is a 12-hour
event that will be broadcast throughout the United States, Europe, South
America, the Middle East, the CIS and Armenia. The broadcast will feature
live entertainment, interviews with numerous celebrities and political
leaders, development and construction footage from Armenia and Karabakh and
stories of individuals impacted by AFI projects.
Telethon 2004 will also be available in full-motion web-cast on
Internet users will be able to view and make secure
contributions online.
For more information about Telethon 2004, call 818.243.6222 or visit
Armenia Fund, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation, is the US
West coast affiliate of the “Hayastan” All-Armenia Fund (HAAF). Established
in 1994 to facilitate humanitarian assistance to Armenia and Karabakh, HAAF
has administered over $100 million in humanitarian, rehabilitation and
construction aid through the united efforts of Armenian communities
internationally.

NATO chief says upcoming seminar in Azerbaijan to go ahead despite concerns
AP Worldstream
Nov 05, 2004
AIDA SULTANOVA

NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Friday that he hoped an upcoming
NATO seminar in Azerbaijan would go ahead as planned, despite local
concerns over the participation of rival Armenia.
NATO had to cancel military exercises in Azerbaijan in September after
authorities here objected to the participation of Armenian
officers. Neither nation is a member of NATO, but both participate in
the military alliance’s Partnership for Peace program.
“It was an unfortunate decision,” NATO’s Secretary General Scheffer
said as he wrapped up a quick visit to this Caspian Sea nation.
A NATO Parliamentary Assembly seminar called the Rose Route is planned
for later this month in Baku. “I sincerely hope that everybody wanting
to participate in the Rose Route can participate, and I’m confident
that this will be possible,” Scheffer said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan are at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave,
which ethnic Armenian forces seized from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s
in a war that killed 30,000 people and left about 1 million
homeless. A 1994 cease-fire has largely held, but no final peace
agreement has been reached.
On Thursday, Azerbaijani police detained six activists for holding an
unauthorized demonstration outside Azerbaijan’s parliament to protest
the expected presence of Armenian officers at the upcoming NATO
seminar.
Scheffer said NATO and Azerbaijan were developing a plan of
cooperation that would outline NATO’s expectations in a number of
spheres from military reform to human rights in the country.

US envoy says strategic partnership with Azerbaijan to continue after polls
MPA news agency
3 Nov 04
BAKU
“Strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the USA will continue
irrespective of who will become the new US president,” the head of the
US diplomatic mission, Reno Harnish, told a news conference today. He
said that Bush and Kerry had stated their recognition of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity and their intention to continue cooperation in
the delivery of Azerbaijan’s energy resources to world markets. The
interests of Washington and Baku coincide in many aspects, in
particular in the implementation of energy projects and antiterror
fight, Harnish noted.
Mr Harnish stressed that even if George Bush was re-elected for a
second term, some changes would be made to the US foreign
policy. However, both candidates state that they will continue to
fight terrorism persistently. Azerbaijan plays a significant role in
this process and therefore, it remains an important partner of the
USA.
Commenting on the possibility of the repeal of Section 907 [of the
Freedom Support Act banning direct US aid to the Azerbaijani
government], the US ambassador said that its suspension in 2001 had
played a fundamental role in the development of US-Azerbaijani
relations. But it is up to the Congress to repeal the section.
Speaking about the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the ambassador said
that the USA wanted the peace talks to continue and to succeed and
promised that the USA would join the process in a new format.

Star, Turkey
Nov. 1, 2004
CHP DEPUTY CHAIRMAN: `THE GOVT FAILED TO READ CAREFULLY THE EU
COMMISSION REPORT ON TURKEY’
Onur Oymen, deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican People’s
Party (CHP) as well as Turkey’s ambassador to NATO, over the weekend
charged that the government had signed the EU Commission’s recent
report on Turkey without reading it carefully enough. `Joining the EU
without the report being corrected would be a mistake,’ he said.
`Open-ended negotiations cannot be accepted. Moreover, the report
recommends permanently restricting Turkish workers’ right to free
movement. The commission’s recommendation is full of traps. The right
to free movement is one of the Union’s basic principles, so this
condition is unacceptable. Besides, the EU Commission also recommended
that Turkey re-open trade with Armenia. In signing the report, the
government neglected these important points.’ /Star/

ARS Eastern USA
617.926.3801
[email protected]
The ARS Eastern United States proudly announces its
ARS SUMMER STUDIES INSTITUTE
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
June 5 – June 25, 2005
University of Connecticut-Storrs
The Summer Studies Institute Features:
* A three-credit Survey of Armenian History course through the
University of Connecticut. Graduate level credits are also available.
* Classes in Armenian Language, Literature, Music, Art, Film, and
More.
* Subjects taught by University or College faculty who are experts in
their field of study and research.
* Supplementary lectures, workshops, and performances.
* Weekend field trips to New York City and Boston.
The ARS Eastern USA provides free room, board, and meals, books, and
weekend field trips to New York City and Boston. Students who register
after December 31, 2004 pay a higher registration fee. Applications
will be accepted on a rolling basis. All students pay UConn tuition
fees associated with the three-credit Survey of Armenian History
course.
Scholarships are available from the ARS Eastern USA and local ARS
chapters.
Download an application from the ARS Eastern USA website at

EU making efforts for release of jailed Azeri opposition leaders – envoy
Yeni Musavat, Baku
29 Oct 04
Musavat on 29 October headlined “The EU is making efforts to release
leaders” and subheaded “Heikki Talvitie, who arrived in Baku yesterday,
said this at a meeting with party leaders”
The EU special representative in the South Caucasus, Heikki Talvitie,
arrived in Baku yesterday [28 October]. On the first day of his visit,
Talvitie met leaders of political parties: the chairman of the Musavat
Party, Isa Qambar; the chairman of the People’s Front of Azerbaijan
Party (“reformers”), Ali Karimli; the chairman of the Azarbaycan Milli
Istiqlal Party, Etibar Mammadov; and the acting secretary-general of
the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, Akif Sahbazov. Leaders of the
Social Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, the Justice Party and
the Islamic Party also attended the meeting held at the French embassy.
We have learnt that the meeting discussed the current situation
in the country. The sides exchanged views on the Karabakh problem,
the situation with democracy, freedom of the press, human rights,
election prisoners [opposition members arrested in post-election riots
in October 2003], political prisoners, as well as preparations for the
municipal elections [on 17 December 2004] and EU-Azerbaijan relations.
Commenting on the election prisoners, including seven opposition
leaders sentenced to prison terms a few days ago, Mr Talvitie spoke
about their [EU] efforts to settle this issue in the near future.

Agence France Presse — English
October 26, 2004 Tuesday 3:15 PM GMT
List of the 30-member Lebanese government
BEIRUT Oct 26
Here is the line-up of the new 30-member Lebanese cabinet formed
Tuesday by prime minister-designate Omar Karameh, which still has to be
approved by parliament.
– Prime Minister: Omar Karameh (Sunni Muslim, new)
– Deputy Prime Minister: Issam Fares (Greek Orthodox, unchanged)
– Foreign Minister: Mahmud Hammud (Shiite, change of portfolio)
– Interior Minister: Sleiman Frangieh (Maronite, change of portfolio)
– Defense Minister: Abdel Rahim Mrad (Sunni, minister of state in
previous government)
– Justice Minister: Adnan Addum (Sunni, new)
– Telecommunications Minister: Jean-Louis Qordahi (Maronite, unchanged)
– Finance Minister: Elias Saba (Greek-Orthodox, new)
– Information Minister: Elie Firzli (Greek Orthodox, new)
– Tourism Minister: Farid el-Khazen (Maronite, new)
– Energy Minister: Maurice Sehnawi (Greek Catholic, new)
– Industry Minister: Layla Solh (Sunni, new)
– Economy and Trade Minister: Adnan Kassar (Sunni, new)
– Culture Minister: Nagi Bustani (Maronite, new)
– Displaced Persons Minister: Talal Arslan (Druze, minister of state in
previous government)
– Education Minister: Sami Minkara (Sunni, new)
– Health Minister: Mohammad Khalifeh (Shiite, new)
– Environment Minister: Wi’am Wahhab (Druze, new)
– Agriculture Minister: Elias Skaff (Greek Catholic, changes portfolio)
– Labour Minister: Assem Qanso (Shiite, minister of state in previous
government).
– Public Works: Yassin Jaber (Shiite, new)
– Social Affairs: Ghazi Zaayter (Shiite, new)
– Youth and Sports Minister: Sebuh Hovnanian (Armenian, unchanged)
– State minister for administrative reforms: Ibrahim Daher (Maronite,
new)
– State Minister: Karam Karam (Greek Orthodox, unchanged)
– State Minister: Albert Mansur (Greek Catholic, new)
– State Minister: Mahmud Abdel Khaleq (Druze, new)
– State Minister: Yussef Salameh (Maronite, new)
– State Minister: Wafaa Hamza (Shiite, new)
– State Minister: Alain Taburian (Armenian, new)

Karabakh minister, US mediator discuss Karabakh in Washington
Mediamax news agency
26 Oct 04
Yerevan, 26 October: The foreign minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic (NKR), Ashot Gulyan, has met the US co-chairman of the OSCE
Minsk Group, Steven Mann, in Washington.
The NKR Foreign Ministry has reported that the meeting, which took
place on 25 October, discussed prospects for the Karabakh settlement
in the context of the latest developments.
The meeting focused on the factors hindering a peaceful settlement
to the problem. “In particular, they discussed Azerbaijan’s bellicose
statements, this country’s official propaganda inciting hatred towards
the Armenians,” the Foreign Ministry reported.
Ashot Gulyan noted the importance of using the potential of societies
involved in the conflict, which he said was not being used today due
to the non-constructive position of the Azerbaijani side.
In turn, Steven Mann stressed that the political will of the sides and
a favourable public opinion were a necessary condition for establishing
a lasting peace.