Author: Madatian Greg

Turkish Press
May 12 2006

Where Is “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”?
Published: 5/12/2006

BY TUFAN TURENC

HURRIYET- Years ago when I was studying at a French high school in
Istanbul, Turkish-French relations were so different than today.
There were no problems but rather trust and warmth between the two
countries. To visit France, whose language and culture we were trying
to learn, was our greatest dream.

Back then the French language and culture were popular in Turkey, but
over time, American culture replaced it. Our society began to rapidly
adopt the American lifestyle. Today, there are deep rifts between
Turkey and France.

Hatred against Turks in France has risen over the last 10-15 years.
One of the greatest architects of that was former President Giscard
d’Estaing.

During current President Jacques Chirac’s first years in office,
relations began to improve, but he couldn’t insulate them from
political pressures and began to take a harmful course of action.

On the other hand, Nicholas Sarkozy, who is a clear enemy of Turks,
is the strongest contender for the presidential elections to be held
this time next year.

If he is elected, it is certain that our relations suffer a blow.

When I see this scene, I feel that I’m being betrayed, as a person
who made such great efforts to learn this country’s language and
culture. I no longer want to travel to France.

Then why did this happen?

First, it should be made clear that Turkey has no responsibility for
the current situation.

France is no longer Europe’s powerhouse. It has many problems, both
economic and social. Recent movements of both immigrants and students
shook the country sharply.

Al these negative developments are dragging the French people into
depression.

They have serious problems with 5 million Muslims living in their
country, and they don’t know how to deal with the issue.

The anger and hatred accumulated in their hearts against Muslims
living in France has been transferred to Turks, even if they know
little about Turkey.

Currently the country is experiencing a dramatic paradox, and France,
a European champion of democracy, secularism, and freedom of thought
and expression, is moving far from wisdom and logic.

France is in such a miserable situation, and has so lost its control
and identity of `liberty, equality, and fraternity’ that they intend
to put people behind bars it they deny that an Armenian genocide took
place.’

A1+

RECORD BOXES NOT FOUND YET

[12:57 pm] 12 May, 2006

Today special telemetric investigation of the bottom
of the sea in the place of the crash of the Armenian
plane A-320 will be carried out with special
equipment. The specialists hope that this way they can
find the exact place of the record boxes. Let us
remind you that yesterday the French specialists joint
the search works.

By now the coordinates of the two voice signals have
been established. According to the specialists the
signals most probably belong to the boxes. But the
specialists do not rush in quick conclusions as
according to them the parts of the boxes sending the
signals could have been broken from the boxes during
the crash which means that the signals may be coming
not from the boxes, `Vesti’ reports.

TURKEY CAN’T HIDE FROM ITS PAST
Harry Sterling, Citizen Special

Ottawa Citizen
May 11, 2006 Thursday
Final Edition

‘The Armenian claims are a direct attack on our identity, on Turkey’s
history.”

With these words Turkish embassy counsellor Yonet Tezel explained his
government’s decision to recall its ambassador to Canada, Aydemir
Erman, for “consultations.” The move followed recent remarks by
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper associating his government with
Canadian parliamentary resolutions describing the deaths of 1.5 million
Armenians in Turkey during the First World War as an act of genocide.

Turkey has made a similar move against the French government for
contemplating a proposed law making denial of the Armenian genocide
a crime.

As a further indication of its displeasure, Turkey has announced
it is cancelling participation of Turkish fighter aircraft in an
international military air exercise May 17 to June 24 in Cold Lake,
Alta.

Despite its actions directed at Ottawa and Paris, Turkish authorities
stressed the recalls were only “… for a short time for consultations
over the latest developments about the baseless allegations of
Armenian genocide.”

While the statement by the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan was essentially pro-forma, for many it was indicative of
Turkey’s inability to confront an issue that is never going to go
away until the Turks come to terms with it.

Turkish governments have always maintained that the large-scale
deaths of Armenians during the First World War and after occurred
when the then-Ottoman government was trying to put down Armenian
nationalists aligned with invading Russian forces and was not an act
of premeditated genocide. They also insist the figure of 1.5 million
deaths is inflated and that during that turbulent period hundreds of
thousands of Turks in eastern Turkey also died.

While these explanations are widely shared by the Turkish population,
some Turks have called for a more open-minded approach to the issue,
including Turkey’s internationally recognized author Orhan Pamuk.

He was subjected to widespread criticism and physical threats for
commenting during an interview about the Armenian genocide and
repression of the country’s Kurdish minority, both considered taboo
subjects, especially by Turkish nationalists. He was charged with
denigrating the nation and faced a stiff prison sentence. However,
as a result of international pressure, particularly from the European
Union — which Turkey wants to join — the government dropped the
charges on technical grounds.

A number of Turkish academics have also voiced support for examining
the genocide issue with more of an open mind. One way to do this would
be to open up Ottoman-era archives and other documentary sources,
including Russian military reports that might shed light on what took
place during fighting in the region.

Investigations carried out by German and U.S. analysts concerning the
deaths concluded that the catastrophic defeat of Turkish troops engaged
against Russian forces during the early stages of the First World
War, and the Turkish army’s claim it had been stabbed in the back by
Armenian nationalists, resulted in the Turkish military disarming and
executing countless Armenian men as traitors, regardless of whether
they were engaged in an anti-Turkish insurgency.

The Turkish army purportedly then rounded up Armenian women and
children, ordering their deportation via the Syrian Desert, resulting
in massive deaths.

Turkish authorities dispute such findings, maintaining there was
no official policy to exterminate Armenians and that most deaths
were caused during the deportation to Syria due to lack of adequate
provisions at a chaotic time in eastern Anatolia.

Notwithstanding contradictory views on what transpired nine decades
ago, what is incomprehensible to many outside Turkey is why current-day
Turks are unable to look back on those horrific developments in a
more balanced fashion, instead of insisting Armenian claims have
absolutely no foundation in truth.

One reason that has been cited concerns the Turkish military, seen as
the true power in Turkey. The modern-day Turkish military founded by
Kemal Ataturk has always seen itself as the defender not just of the
country’s independence, but also of its national honour and dignity.

The Turkish officer caste takes its role in society extremely
seriously, even executing a prime minister for allegedly endangering
the stability of the state. Anything that could raise doubts or
undermine the military’s ability to present itself as guardian of
Turkey’s national honour and territorial integrity, or which portrays
Turks behaving in a barbaric fashion, is unacceptable.

This, some claim, is why it’s near impossible to confront the realities
behind the tragic fate of Turkey’s Armenian population 90 years ago
— or Turkey’s treatment of its Kurdish population — since it could
undermine Turkey’s own idealized perception of itself as a modern,
liberal society.

But like Germany, Turkey must confront the realities of the past if
it expects to be accepted as a nation capable of dealing open-mindedly
with its own history, however disagreeable that might be.

Harry Sterling, a former diplomat, is an Ottawa-based commentator. He
served in Turkey.

A-320 FLIGHT RECORDERS TO BE LIFTED FROM BLACK SEA BOTTOM SOON

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.05.2006 15:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Fragments and flight recorders of A-320 Armenian
airplane will be lifted from the Black Sea bottom soon, Russian
Minister of Transport Igor Levitin reported to Russian Premier
Mikhail Fradkov.

“The commission hopes to get exact information on the location
of flight recorders and start lifting airplane fragments,” Levitin
said. Besides, he reported that all necessary assistance was provided
to victims’ relatives, who arrived in Sochi. Search for flight
recorders and fragments of the crashed plane continued in the Black
Sea today, Interfax reports.

ARMENIA NOT GOING TO INTERFERE WITH TURKISH-FRENCH RELATIONS

Yerkir
11.05.2006 17:27

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Armenia is not going and does not have the right
to interfere with relations between France and Turkey, acting MFA
Spokesperson Vladimir Karapetyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In
his words, the recall of the Ambassador from Paris for consultations
is Turkey’s domestic affair.

“We do not have the right to interfere either with the policy of a
country, which recalls its Ambassador, or the position of a third
country over that decision.

Turkey’s statements on inadmissibility of “politicization” of the
Armenian Genocide issue are old news for Armenia. However, Armenia
hails the bill providing for penalty for denial of the Armenian
Genocide,” Vladimir Karapetyan believes.

We note that on May 18 the National Assembly of France will consider
the bill on declaring denial of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey
a crime.

ORINATS ERKIR PARTY IN FAVOR OF ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN’S RESIGNING FROM POST OF RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER

Noyan Tapan
May 11 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The whole Orinats Erkir party is in favor
of the party chairman Artur Baghdasarian’s resigning from the post of
the Speaker of the RA National Assembly and the party’s leaving the
coalition. Secretary of the NA Orinats Erkir faction Heghine Bisharian
made this statement during a press conference on May 11. The deputy
noted that personally, she takes this view and thinks that Artur
Baghdasarian also shares her opinion. “Some political forces exceed
the time permitted for a move that the NA Speaker has clear positions
and views, that he is an honest and straightforward man and really
wants to change something in the country,” H. Bisharian noted. In
her words, “large-scale attacks” have recently been made against the
Orinats Erkir Party”: “Just like in the world of the French fashion,
it has become a fashion to make attacks against Artur Baghdasarian and
the OEP.” Nevertheless, according to her, the mood of the party is a
bellicose one. As regards the fact that some deputies – businessmen
withdrew from the party, the faction secretary said that it was
an unexpected thing to her, because their relations with the party
chairman and the other deputies of the faction were very close and
recently became even closer. Stating that these deputies are carrying
out someone’s will, Hegine Beshirian noted she could not say whose
will it is and she advised to ask this question to the deputies who
left the party. In her words, such things would not have happened,
if businessmen had not been dependent on politics: “I don’t think
that we are the first and last ones – such a thing can happen to
any political force and businessman.” She did not give the exact
number of the deputies leaving the party and their names, adding
that the party will issue a statement soon. The OEP secretary said
that the fact that these deputies have left the party is not a great
misfortune for the OEP, and regrdless of the number of deputies who
will remain in the faction, it will continue functioning effectively
and will maintain its political role: “We are on the right path and
we state clearly what we have to say, regardless of whether we are
in the faction or outside it. We will continue doing so: if someone
likes or dislikes the policy of the Orinats Erkir Party, it is their
business.” Heghine Bisharian also assured that “the deputies who
left were not those solving the party’s financial problems, so the
party will not suffer financially.” As for the upcoming elections,
according to her, the OEP has set itself the task to prepare seriously
and make every effort so that these elections will be transparent.

‘CHRISTIAN TURKEY WOULD BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY BY EU’

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
May 10 2006

(Murat Sogangoz/JTW/Ankara) According to Zaman, Mario Soares, 82,
having long served in Portuguese politics as the country’s prime
minister and president, claimed if Turkey were a Christian country,
it would have experienced a different process for its European Union
membership process.

He added that Turkey has some internal problems, but it may be a
member of the EU if it fulfils the EU norms and standards. Soares
also expressed its view that he favored Turkey’s accession to the EU
as soon as possible.

This latest statement of Soares seems to bolster the evidences about
religion based objections against Turkey’s EU membership. Some policy
quarters in Europe give support to these religion based objections.

But experts say that Turkey’s accession to the EU will add much more
to Europe than the costs of it. As an economic giant, the EU is not
able to exert political influence parallel with its economic might.

The latest energy crises with Russia also illustrated the vitality
of Turkey for Europe.

European politicians are expected see benefits of Turkey’s membership
and to prepare their societies for future membership of Turkey. By
trying to use the Cyprus and Armenian issues as leverage against
Turkey during its accession process, Europe will only strengthen the
ultra-nationalist camp in Turkey. It is also interesting that some
European figures complain from the rise nationalism in Turkey.

While Turkey has the responsibility of bringing its politics and
economy in line with EU standards, the EU leaders also have the
responsibility of preparing their peoples to the future membership
of Turkey which includes cutting supports to so-called Armenian
genocide laws.

“NEW TIMES” DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE PROSECUTOR

A1+
[08:11 pm] 10 May, 2006

The Party “New Times” has made a statement today confirming their
desire to find out the real reasons of the A-320 crash.

“The facts we have come to prove that neither the weather, nor the
actions of the dispatchers, nor the versions about the problems in
the VIP hall of the airport “Armenia” do not correspond to the reality
and could be reason of the crash.

By now the RA Prosecutor’s Office has spread information that they
exclude the versions of terrorist act and lack of fuel. This is a
violation of the preliminary investigation as the investigation is not
over until the record boxes containing trustworthy information have
been found. It is noteworthy that the above mentioned two hypotheses
do not proceed from the interests of the authorities and harm their
functions; that’s why the Prosecutor hurries to refute them.

The Party “New Times” has decided to carry out independent
investigation after the end of which the society will be aware of
its results”, the statement says.

ARMENIA NEEDS SMALL AVIATION

Lragir.am
09 May 06

Dmitri Atbashyan, who formerly led the Civil Aviation of Armenia,
states that a political situation has occurred in Armenia when all the
rules of management are violated. `It is impossible to entitle the
same agent to three functions: planning, management, control.’
Atbashyan says it has been a long time that the aviation of Armenia
was not upgraded. `Whereas, formerly,600 new specialists used to enter
Armenia annually. Only 300 natives of Armenia used to study at the
aviation colleges of Kiev.’ Atbashyan says currently training a pilot
costs 300 thousand dollars in Russia, one million dollars in the
United States. `I would not think that the owner of Armavia would give
so much money to train specialists,’ announces Dmitri Atbashyan and
suggests ways out.

If the way out is to train amateur pilots, training an amateur pilot
costs 3000 dollars. `But an amateur pilot may become a professional
after 1500 hours of flight.’ And before becoming a professional pilot
an amateur pilot could fly on small helicopters inside Armenia. There
is demand for flights inside Armenia, especially among
businesspersons, assures Dmitri Atbashyan. The National Aviation
Society he heads has two small helicopters. `There have been cases
when a person needed to get to the north of Armenia, Tashir, then the
south of Armenia, Meghri, as soon as possible. He was ready to pay,’
Atbashyan gives another reason for developing small aviation in
Armenia, and announces without specifying names that a public official
once vowed that he would not allow Atbashyan’s plans to come into
being.

H.D.S. Greenway: The ethnic card

The Boston Globe
TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2006

BOSTON When professors John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago
and Stephen Walt of Harvard wrote their now-famous paper, “The Israel
Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy,” they knew there would be
controversy. Accusations of anti-Semitism came hard, fast and
unfairly.

Virtually no one who follows these matters denies that the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee has considerable influence. Some say
Aipac is Washington’s most powerful foreign policy lobby. Others, such
as Marvin Schick, president of New York’s Rabbi Jacob Joseph Yeshiva,
writing in The Jerusalem Post, call Aipac an overrated “bunch of
shvitzers [showoffs].”

The irony is, as Schick points out, “Aipac wants everyone to believe
that it is a powerhouse … [yet] we kvetch when others get the
message that is intentionally sent.”

Some lobbies are resource-driven. Think of the Saudis and oil. But
there is also a kin-country syndrome, in which nationals of one
country care deeply about the affairs of another because of ties of
blood, language or religion. Consider Russia’s pro-Serbian sentiments
when Yugoslavia fell apart, or the early recognition of Catholic
Croatia and Slovenia by Germany and Austria.

In America, diaspora politics has long played a role, and it’s not
just about Israel.

Lawrence Eagleburger, a longtime American diplomat who briefly served
as the first President Bush’s secretary of state, once told me that
“American foreign policy – more often than I think should be the case
– is affected … by ethnic politics. Some of the things we ended up
doing or not doing in Cyprus, for example, were purely and simply
because of the Greek lobby.”

Eagleburger said that there was no question that America ended up with
a Cyprus policy quite different from what Henry Kissinger wanted.
Cyprus had been an island divided between hostile Greek and Turkish
communities when a Greek faction overthrew the government of Greek
patriarch Archbishop Mikarios, setting off a chain of events that led
to a Turkish invasion and occupation of the northern part of Cyprus in
1974.

“The Greeks created the mess, not the Turks,” Eagleburger told me, and
in Kissinger’s view U.S. policy should have reflected that. But a
strong pro- Greek effort led by prominent Greek- Americans, some of
them big-time contributors to the Republican Party and Richard Nixon,
closed ranks and put up enough resistance to tilt U.S. policy toward
the Greeks. “If we were able to have been more neutral,” Eagleburger
said, “we might have been able to keep the Turks from being as
intransigent as they later became,” and the island might not have
remained divided as it is today. But “the Turks could never believe we
could have a balanced position … so the whole situation got locked
in cement.”

Northern Ireland is another example in which ethnic politics plays a
role. “Money and arms were flowing” from Irish-Americans to the Irish
Republican Army terrorists, Eagleburger said. “There is no question
that for a very long time Irish-Americans were able to keep the
U.S. from being effective in stopping weapons,” Eagleburger
said. “Legislation could have clamped down on this, but the
legislation never came.”

At the same time, however, once Britain and Ireland brought the
factions together to make peace, Irish- Americans were in the
forefront of helping to facilitate an agreement. The British
government recognizes this, and today having served in the Dublin
embassy has become almost a sine qua non for British consuls assigned
to Boston, among the most Irish cities in America.

The civil war in Sudan had resonance in the United States both among
African-Americans, who saw their kinsmen in the south being oppressed
by the Arab north, and among militant Christians who saw their
co-religionists being persecuted by Muslims.

According to Eagleburger, Armenian-Americans were very influential in
tilting American policy toward the newly independent Armenia in its
struggle against Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh in the ’90s.

Eagleburger is not alone in ranking Aipac, however, as the most
effective kin-country lobby in America. Some call it the National
Rifle Association of foreign policy. “Aipac works 24 hours a day, all
year,” says Eagleburger. He said that sometime he and his colleagues
at the State Department would go to Aipac for help on issues that had
nothing to do with Israel, simply because Aipac had such power in the
American Congress. Strong support for Israel is not limited to the
Jewish community.

In forming foreign policy, “you ignore ethnic politics at your peril,”
according to Eagleburger. And as Professor Mearsheimer says, that’s
“as American as apple pie.”

(H.D.S. Greenway’s column appears regularly in The Boston Globe.)