Author: Madatian Greg

AAP NEWSFEED
January 21, 2005, Friday 2:24 AM Eastern Time

Spo: All in the family for the Sarkisians

By Billy Freeman

SYDNEY, Jan 21

Dinner table discussion at the Sarkisian household often focuses on
goals and how to achieve them.

Father Yuri and son David know exactly what they want, but the
problem is only one of them can achieve it.

Both Yuri and David want to win weightlifting gold at next year’s
Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in the men’s 69kg class and are
realistic about facing off against each other.

Yuri, 44, won three gold medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in
Manchester in the 62kg class, but has moved up a class in order to
compete against his son.

“We want the father and son to fight for the gold medal, which has
never happened before (in the) last 100 years,” said the senior
Sarkisian, who was born in Armenia and began representing Australia a
decade ago.

He said he would show his son no mercy if they both make the final in
Melbourne, saying his competitiveness would take over.

“This is the sport, it doesn’t matter,” he said.

“I know (we are) father and son, but you should fight until the
last.”

As you would expect from an 18-year old, David concedes nothing to
his father.

He wants to be the one standing atop the dais in Melbourne, teasing
his dad that it might be time to step aside.

“I’m not going to give him a chance to win anyway – he needs to
retire,” he said.

“In a couple of months I should be a lot stronger so I don’t think
he’ll have a chance anyway.”

David is currently competing at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival
(AYOF) in Sydney.

At the last AYOF in 2003 he won gold, adding to an already successful
career at such a young age.

He said he sometimes had to pinch himself that he was getting to
follow in his father’s footsteps.

“He’s like an idol, I used to always see him go off to competitions
and he would come back with medals,” he said.

“One day I just started to go down and train with him and now I’m
competing in international competitions.”

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Jan 20 2005

US finally tackles Garabagh conflict

US and Russian presidents George Bush and Vladimir Putin will discuss
the Upper Garabagh conflict in Bratislava, Slovakia in February,
along with other issues, says US Assistant Secretary for European and
Eurasian Affairs Elizabeth Jones.

The two presidents will call for stepping up activity in resolving
conflicts in the former Soviet Union countries, including the
Garabagh problem, she said.
Jones also said the Bush administration is concerned over the lack of
efforts being taken by Moscow in this area.
“Russia should be interested in maintaining stability in Upper
Garabagh, North Ossetia, Abkhazia and Dnestr, fighting corruption
there and driving ‘criminal elements’ out of power.”

A while ago political analysts voiced their hopes for the settlement
of the Upper Garabagh conflict, saying that this will depend on
whether or not Bush will make resolution of conflicts in CIS a
priority in US foreign policy.
The United States is obviously keeping in focus the existing
conflicts in the once-powerful former Soviet Union. Several days ago
Bush forwarded to the US Secretary of State a memorandum extending
the suspension of Section 907″ to the Freedom Support Act which bans
direct US assistance to Azerbaijan. The document says that the step
was taken considering Azerbaijan’s support in combating terrorism,
the interests of the coalition partners, the US extends the
suspension of Section 907.
The US president said that this will not impede the
Azerbaijan-Armenia peace talks and will not be directed against
Armenia.
Section 907 was passed in 1992 and suspended for the first time by
the US president in January 2002.

‘Unequivocally support’
US Secretary of State Colin Powell, in a reciprocal letter to Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, stated US support for Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity.
“The United States unequivocally supports Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity. The Upper Garabagh conflict must be fully resolved through
peace talks being held by the two sides, considering their
positions.”
Powell expressed his gratitude for Azerbaijan’s letter, which lays
out an initiative to discuss the situation in the occupied Azeri land
at the United Nations. He added that the US is pleased to be a part
of the fact-finding mission to visit occupied Azerbaijani territories
[to look into the illegal settlement of Armenians] and is looking
forward to getting estimates from experts.
Powell termed as reassuring ‘the important steps’ taken by the two
countries during the Prague meetings of Azeri and Armenian foreign
ministers and those between the two presidents in Warsaw and Astana.

Armenian TV fined for rebroadcasting French TV programmes

Arminfo
18 Jan 05

YEREVAN

A fine to the tune of 200 minimum salaries has been imposed on
Hayrenik TV under the decision of the National TV and Radio Commission
for violating Article 10 of the law on TV and radio.

The TV company has been rebroadcasting programmes of France’s Mezzo TV
since December last year without an appropriate agreement with the
French TV channel, the chairman of the commission, Grigoriy Amalyan,
has told journalists. In addition, the management of the TV channel
failed to duly inform the national commission about rebroadcasting
French TV, as stipulated by law.

Another grave violation of the national laws was that the channel
illegally showed several movies.

[Passage omitted: minor details]

US insurance company begins payment to heirs of Armenian “genocide” victims

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
17 Jan 05

[Presenter] The New York Life insurance company has started to pay the
heirs of Armenian genocide victims. The first 3m dollars has already
been transferred to American-Armenian charity organizations.

To recap, the applications of the genocide victims’ heirs who had an
insurance policy with the New York Life insurance company will be
accepted up till 28 February.

The working commission set up by the Armenian Justice Ministry said
that 540 people have already applied, but 2,300 names are still on the
lists of the New York Life insurance company.

[Passage omitted: the press secretary of the Armenian Justice Ministry
Ara Sagatelyan and employees of the Armenian State Archive explain
which documents the victims’ heirs need to get compensation]

[Correspondent] The New York Life insurance company which under a
court settlement has to pay 20m dollars, has paid the first 3m dollars
to American-Armenian charity organizations.

Anna Vartanyan, Karen Grigoryan, “Aylur”.

Daily Star, Lebanon
Jan 18 2005

Behind the lens in Sidon: 50 years and 50,000 images
A new book pays tribute to Hashem El Madani’s recording of social
history

By Kaelen Wilson-Goldie
Daily Star staff

BEIRUT: When Hashem El Madani was five years old, his cousins in
Palestine sent him a set of portraits to keep as souvenirs. Madani’s
father, a moderate sheikh who had settled in Lebanon from Saudi
Arabia, wanted to return the favor but these images gave him pause.
Were they haram (a sin)? Madani’s father decided no, they were not.
They were just like seeing one’s reflection in a pond. So he sent
Madani and his brother to a photography studio to have their pictures
taken. This was in the early 1930s in Sidon, and in all likelihood,
the novelty of sitting in a studio, watching a photographer work and
grabbing hold of a postcard-size print of oneself sparked Madani’s
lifelong fascination with portraiture. Seven decades later, Madani is
the oldest living studio photographer in Sidon. He has maintained a
business there for more than 50 years, building up an archive of some
50,000 images and posing close to 90 percent of the city’s
inhabitants in front of his camera. He recently turned his entire
collection over to the Beirut-based Arab Image Foundation (AIF), a
nonprofit organization that was established eight years ago to
locate, collect and preserve the region’s photographic heritage. This
past fall, the AIF (which is directed by Zeina Arida) assembled an
exhibition of Madani’s work for the Photographer’s Gallery in London.
Last month, the AIF (in collaboration with the Photographer’s Gallery
and the Beirut graphic design firm Mind the Gap) published a slim but
potent volume of Madani’s photographs. And given the sheer breadth of
Madani’s archive, more projects are in the works. “Hashem El Madani:
Studio Practices” is a tiny, black, cloth-bound book of just under
130 pages. It is densely packed with a surprising wealth of
information – both visual and textual – conveyed through essays,
interviews and over 150 reproductions of Madani’s pictures. All the
images have been reprinted under Madani’s supervision from 35
millimeter, 6-by-6 centimeter, 6-by-4.5 centimeter and 4-by-5 inch
negatives. Edited by Akram Zaatari and Lisa Le Feuvre, the book opens
with a forward that slips Madani’s work into the context of rising
(art world) interest in studio portraiture and its role in the
history and understanding of photography at large. The Paris-based
writer and theorist Stephen Wright offers a nuanced essay on the
meaning of Madani’s images – how pictures taken for commercial
purposes can be read for sociopolitical and philosophical content.
And Akram Zaatari assembles a lively, often acutely detailed and at
times hilariously revealing interview with the photographer, covering
the development of his business, the intricacies of his working
process and the silent societal observations that have registered in
his mind over the past half century. After falling in love with
photography at the age of five, Madani finished school and left
Lebanon for Palestine to find work. He hooked up with a Jewish
photographer in Haifa named Katz, who taught him the tools and tricks
of the trade. When Israel declared its statehood in 1948, Madani
traveled to Amman and then to Damascus before securing the necessary
paperwork to get back home. When he arrived in Sidon, he bought a
cheap box camera, picked up some chemicals from a photographer in
Beirut and set up shop in his parents’ living room. Madani developed
his business slowly. He bought equipment on credit, one piece at a
time, from a photo shop run by an Armenian in Bab Idriss (the old
downtown district of Beirut). As soon as he paid off one purchase,
he’d make another. He retired the box camera for a Kodak Retinet; he
shelled out for a 35 millimeter enlarger. He started selling 6-by-9
centimeter contact prints for just 25 cents. Business picked up, and
in 1953, Madani moved his studio into the first floor of the
Shehrazade building in Sidon. He bought himself a large desk, props
and a stool for his subjects to sit on, a podium for elevation when
necessary. He named his business Studio Shehrazade.

On average, 30 customers strode into Madani’s studio a day. During
the 1960s and ’70s, Studio Shehrazade was flooded with over 100
portrait-seekers a day. Part of what propelled Madani’s business was
a government decree requiring photographs on passports and ID cards.
The Lebanese Army insisted that all candidates for service submit
both frontal and profile portraits. But judging from the pictures in
this book, Madani’s customers had fun with having their pictures
taken too. They decked themselves out in cowboy costumes and aped the
gestures of film stars. They played with all manner of identity
markers. Two maids dolled themselves up as glamour girls. A
particularly effeminate man returned again and again to pose like a
screen siren. Civilians donned the guise of resistance fighters.
Pairs of women and pairs of men assumed opposing gender roles and
arranged themselves in intimate embraces and campy kisses.
Intriguingly, these couples were always of the same sex. Madani
remembers only one instance of a man and woman kissing for the
camera. They were not married. “Films inspired people a lot,” he
explains in the book. “They came to perform kissing in front of a
camera … People were willing to play the kiss between two people of
the same sex, but very rarely between a man and a woman.” In his
interview with Zaatari, Madani insists that his photography practice
has always been a profession. He never considered himself an artist.
He provided a service and accommodated the desires of his customers.
In addition to producing black and white prints, he taught himself
retouching and hand-coloring to make his subjects more beautiful. The
only quasi personal project he ever embarked on was an attempt to
take pictures of every resident in Sidon, simply because it was his
home. He remarks with admirable grumpiness that some of his customers
never bothered to pick up their prints. Still, Madani felt it
necessary to run his business up on the first rather than the ground
floor of his building. In Haifa, photographers could operate on
street level because the city was cosmopolitan and religiously
diverse. In Sidon, however, discretion was key as photography,
particularly for women, was still considered shameful. In the book,
Madani relates a tragic incident in which a local woman used to come
in for portraits, unbeknownst to her husband. When he found out about
the photo sessions, the husband crashed into Studio Shehrazade and
insisted that Madani destroy the negatives. Not wanting to wreck a
full roll of film, Madani scratched out her face as the husband
watched. Years later, the woman burned herself to death. The husband
returned to the studio, desperate to see if Madani had any
photographs of his dead wife to develop. Two images of her, the
surfaces deeply gouged, are reprinted in the book. Madani remembers
the time when Mir Shakib Arslan, then the defense minister, came in
and uttered brusquely, “Make me a good portrait.” He also recalls how
a supporter of Adel Osseiran, who would later be prime minister, paid
a visit to the studio during the election season of 1952, when
Osseiran was running as a deputy to the South. The supporter asked
Madani to take pictures of all the area’s voters who didn’t have
valid picture ID cards. Another time, representatives from the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency came in and asked Madani to take ID
pictures for all the students in their schools, both for their
records and for the students’ refugee cards. During the civil war of
1958, people began showing up at the studio to have their pictures
taken with guns. The same convention took root with the rise of the
Palestinian resistance in the late 1960s, and again, after the civil
war broke out in 1975 and a crew of Iraqi Baathists took over the
Shehrazade building. When Gamal Abdel Nasser died, members of the
militias loyal to him let their beards grow for 40 days and then came
in for a portrait at the end of the mourning period. “It was all show
off,” Madani recalls in one of the interview’s most brilliant little
interludes. “They came and acted sad faces. It was fashionable to be
sad when Nasser died.” In addition to the anecdotes and observations
on human behavior, “Hashem El Madani: Studio Practices” is
interesting as an attempt to frame what was essentially a
commercially driven trade in a broader and more inquisitive context.
The book’s texts are clear-sighted in detailing what these pictures
were and what the motivation for taking them was. They do not leap
across the line and consider these images as artworks proper (as has
been the case with photographers such as Malick Sadibe and Seydou
Keita, who maintained commercial studios in Bamako, Mali and were
then feted by the art scenes in New York and London). Stephen Wright
is particularly adept at navigating these nuances. “Inserting these
images into a narrative, thus giving them a use-value, is an act of
reconstruction,” he writes. “Though it was not their initial intent,
Hashem El Madani’s photographs offer one of the most extensive and
fascinating laboratories of how, for instance, Christians perform
Christianity, or patriots perform patriotism, and perhaps most
strikingly, how men perform masculinity and women perform femininity
… Understanding an image is not only to focus on its declared
meanings – that is, the explicit intentions underwritten and
authorized by its user – but above all to decipher the surplus
meaning which it betrays in its role in the symbolic complex of a
social class, a particular confession, or simply, to some extent, of
an individual.”

KurdishMedia, UK
Jan 17 2005

Master of Kurdish dengbêjs Karapetê Xaço passes away

17/01/2005 KurdishMedia.com – By Brusk Chiwir Reshvan

Ottawa – Canada (KurdishMedia.com) 17 January 2004: Kurdish people
lost their influential living Dengbêj Karapetê Xaço on January 15,
2005 in his village Yerevan, Armenia.

Karapetê Xaço was born in Bileyder (Beshiri) in the city of Batman
in northern Kurdistan [now part of Turkey], in 1902. He lost his
entire family in the Armenian Genocide in 1915 but was luckily
rescued and raised by a Kurdish family.

In 1929, after the Sheikh Said uprising, together with many Kurds who
were massacred by the Turks, Xaço fled to the city of Qamishlo in
Syrian Kurdistan which was then controlled by the French and
afterwards joined the French army and served there for 15 years and 3
months. After long years of service in the French army he retired and
was offered to be flown to France; however, he refused this offer.

In 1946 Xaço and his family moved to Armenia and settled in
Vozkihader village of Yerevan and lived there until his death. After
the opening of the Kurdish Service of Yerevan Radio, Xaço began to
sing on the radio programs in 1955.

In an interview, Xaço retells his experiences: `In Soviet era it was
forbidden to sing about aghas, feudal lords and God. Whenever I was
singing a `kilam’ they were interfering by saying this one is about
an agha, this is about a feudal and god is mentioned in this song!
And I always responded, well, what shall I sing about then?’

Karapetê Xaço worked for Yerevan radio for many years. During these
years his voice reached the hearts of each and every Kurd all over
Kurdistan. It is hard to imagine a single Kurd who hasn’t been
captivated by his `kilams’.

Very well-known Kurdish ballads Eyshana Elî, Evdalê Zeynikê,
Diyarbekir Peytext e, Edulê, Çume Cizîrê, Filîtê Quto, Zembîlfirosh,
Dewreshê Evdî, Meyrê and many other kilams were first sung by him.
`Lawikê Metinî’, a beautiful kilam about the love of an Ezidi Kurdish
man and a Moslem Kurdish girl, has been sung by many dengbêj and
singers but none of them as affective and soulful as Karapetê Xaço.
Each time one listens to this kilam, Ape Karapet’s voice, together
with the heart-rending mey (traditional flute) of Egidê Cimo, takes
you far away to Kurdistan…

`I began singing when I was 8 years old in Kurdistan and I sang all
my kilams in Kurdish. You can not find even one kilam in other
languages including Armenian. I am Kurdish and I sing all my kilams
in Kurdish. I never sang for money, in dengbêj tradition it is a
shame to sing for money. I can sing for a whole month, day and night
without a break’.

Karapetê Xaço befriended the prominent Kurdish writer and poet
Cegerxwîn and famous dengbêj Mihemed Arifê Cizirî and Seyîdê Cizirî
when he was in Qamishlo. Xaço not only served the Kurdish dengbêj
tradition and oral literature by singing hundreds of kilams and
passing on them to new generations but also educated many dengbêjs in
Armenia among the Ezidi Kurds and inspired countless new dengbêjs and
singers to sing and serve the Kurdish music.

Karapetê Xaço was 103 years old when he passed away. He has 1 son
and 4 daughters as well as 15 grand children. He was buried on
Saturday with the participation of thousands of people including
Keremê Seyyad of Kurdish Service of Yerevan Radio, Emerîkê Serdar and
Karlenê Çaçan of Kurdish Newspaper Rîya Teze, Çerkezê Resh of
Kurdistan Committee of Armenia, Egîdê Cimo, Feyzoyê Rizo, prominent
Kurdish musicians and many others. In his funeral, his son Seyrosh
Karapet said `although my father was of Armenian origin, he felt
closer to the Kurds, and for this reason he served Kurdish music as a
dengbêj. He always felt deeply the grief and sorrow of the Kurdish
people who have long suffered at least as much as the Armenian people
and wanted to express this pain with Kurdish kilams’.

Çerkezê Resh of the Kurdistan Committee of Armenia, in his speech
said, `Karapetê Xaço has made priceless contributions to Kurdish
dengbêj tradition and music and he was buried in to the heart of
Kurdistan. When I was in Amed, for the Kurdish Language and
Literature Conference, everyone was asking about Karapetê Xaço’s
situation with great interest and I myself forwarded those special
wishes from the hearth of Kurdistan, Amed to him. He was very happy
to hear that Kurds had never forgotten him. Karapetê Xaço was not
only a great dengbêj but also a bridge of brotherhood between the
Kurdish and Armenia peoples. We will never forget him’.

Ape Karapet has always had a very speacial place for me. Each time I
listen to his voice, I get lost in thoughts and begin to a trip from
Mount Ararat to Cizira Botan, from Lawikê Metînî to Dewreshê Evdî,
from to Filitê Quto to Eyshana Elî, from Xezal to Edule, from Evdalê
Zeynike to Zembilfrosh. When I first heard he passed away, I
immediately called Keremê Seyyad of Radio Yerevan, Kurdish Service
with the hope of hearing that the news was untrue. Unfortunately it
was true and Keremê Seyyad was very sad but he was trying to give me
consolation. Each time I was calling Yerevan, I was asking Apê
Karapet’s situation and each time Keremê Seyyad was assuring me that
he was fine. What a pity that the last time I called him it was
different because Karapetê Xaço had decided to go and leave behind
the kilams as orphans…

Thank you very much for all your service to Kurdish music and oral
literature. Thank you very much for your friendship. Thank you very
much the master of Dengbêjs. May God Bless You, Apê Karapet.

Lawike Metini

Lê lê dayîkê heyranê de tu rabe
Xwe ke bi Xwedê ke roja shemîyê
Serê min bisho û xemla min li min ke
Bisk û temerîka min li ber enîka min de çêke
Hey lê lê………… hey delalê

Heval û hogirê me çune Mexrub û Shêxa
Tev alîka di gelîkî kur da
Keçik digot, lê lê dayik heyranê
Bishîne pey Lawikê Metînê delalê malê
Bira beyê nava sing û berê min keçikê
Herke tê min dixwaze bila gelo bê, min bixwaze
Herke tê min direvîne bila bê, min birevîne
Herke min narevîne sibê dê min birê kin
Hey lê lê…………. hey delalê

Ax feleka me xayîn e welle me dixapîne
Min re nayê hey domê

Dengbêj: Kurdish musicians who have very special talents to sing
kilams which are special kinds of ballads mixture of a song and story
which is generally telling a historical story or event as well as the
life of a Kurdish hero or heroine, which were passed out from mouth
to mouth for hundreds of years.

Apê Karapet: Means Uncle Karapet. Kurds were calling Karapetê Xaço as
Apê Karapet which symbolizes love and respect.

Uxir be Apê Karapet,
Riya te vekiri be Xorte Kurmancan,
Mirê Dengbêjan…

To listen to voice of Karapet, see bottom of webpage

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Jan 13 2005

Military mood escalates in Azerbaijan

The fact that Armenia has not withdrawn its armed forces from the
occupied Azerbaijani lands and fails to take a constructive position
in peace talks has generated public opinions in Azerbaijan that
liberation of territories is possible only through military action.
Director of the Center for Political Innovations and Technologies
Mubariz Ahmadoglu says liberation of Upper Garabagh through military
action is possible.

Commenting on the course of peace talks and President Ilham Aliyev’s
recent statement calling 2005 “the year of Garabagh”, Ahmadoglu said:
“If no diplomatic success is achieved in 2005 at settling the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh, Azerbaijan will
choose the military action alternative”.

“Aliyev is a pragmatic politician and due to his efforts, very
important processes in the conflict settlement came to the forefront
last year. Thus, Azerbaijan considerably stepped up its diplomacy in
2004 and launched an offensive”.

Although early last year Armenia rejected the “from a scratch” and
“stage-by-stage” options of conflict resolution, as the year drew to
an end this country started to favor the latter alternative. It is
not by mere chance that Armenian expert on “stage-by-stage” conflict
settlement Baiburdyan, who earlier headed a department in this
country’s Foreign Ministry, was appointed deputy foreign minister
late in 2004. This proves that in light of pressure from the
international community and Azerbaijan’s active diplomacy, Armenia is
making changes to its position.

Ahmadoglu stated that the Azerbaijani President is considering not
only negotiations but also other ways of resolving the problem. In
2004, Azerbaijan had made major efforts to build its army and the
2005 state budget designates $250 million for the country’s armed
forces, he said.

The political analyst continued that by taking this step, “the
President aims to bring the army to such a level that Armenia will
have to reckon with it. Considering that Armenia’s economic situation
will not allow it to bring the level of its armed forces to that of
Azerbaijan, this country is likely to make concessions in peace
talks”.

If the negotiating process slows down, Azerbaijan is capable of
applying military technologies and, if this does not bring the
aggressor to reason, will choose the option of open military action.

Call for military action

The Garabagh Liberation Organization (GLO) has developed a Common
Platform on liberating Azerbaijan’s lands through military operations
and presented it to the authorities, political parties and public
organizations. Member of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party political
council Aydin Mirzazada says that the Azerbaijani government is
taking the necessary steps to free the occupied lands.

“The GLO calls on the authorities to abandon peace talks with
Armenia. This may lead to Azerbaijan’s isolation from the
international arena. Today, the world is built on other principles
and I believe the Azeri government is on the right path.”

Deputy chairman of opposition Musavat Party Gabil Huseynli says his
party backs a military-political alternative of the conflict
resolution. “Musavat believes that the potential for peace talks has
not been exhausted yet and hostilities should be resumed only if it
is impossible to achieve a peaceful settlement,” he said.

MP, deputy chairman of pro-government Ana Vatan Party Zahid Oruj said
that the GLO proposals to resolve the Garabagh conflict through war
should be appreciated from the viewpoint of consolidating
Azerbaijan’s positions.

“At this point the Azerbaijani government is keeping these processes
under control. But the protracted conflict compels the Azerbaijani
people to avail of all means. Therefore, some acquire weapons in
different ways and see a solution in launching a guerilla movement.
The fact that the GLO gives priority to military operations is
natural, as this organization is not a political party and its
activity is related to the Upper Garabagh conflict alone.”

Military men back war

Former defense minister, retired General Zaur Rzayev supported the
GLO’s proposal on military action and sees this as the only way to
resolve the Garabagh problem.

“Although Akif Naghi [GLO chairman] did not fight in Garabagh, the
organization he leads has good ideas on settling the conflict.”

Ex-deputy defense minister, retired Colonel Telman Mehdiyev also said
that Azerbaijan’s lands can be liberated only by means of military
action, as Azerbaijani citizens have grown tired of the peace talks
that have gone on for many years, he said.

“The GLO is a part of the Azerbaijani society and just like everyone,
its members are fed up with the negotiations that have been fruitless
so far. We must fight the enemy.”
Mehdiyev also said that Azerbaijani army is capable of liberating the
territories and will defeat the enemy if military action resumes.

“The Azerbaijani army showed its power to Armenia by liberating a
part of the occupied lands in 1994.”

Possible outcome
Azerbaijanis have always had a high spirit of fighting for their
native lands and liberating occupied territories. The Azerbaijani
people believe that the war has not come to an end yet and that for
certain reasons they have lost the battle, but not the war, which was
waged with Russia but not with Armenia…

Armenia, which is behind Azerbaijan in terms of its population,
fighting capability and financial resources, would not have won the
war without Russia’s military and technical assistance and direct
involvement of this country’s military forces. Military experts say
the Armenian army has 61,000 servicemen, 15,000 of whom used to live
in Azerbaijani lands currently under Armenian occupation. Presently,
the number of officers in the Azerbaijani army totals 155,000, which
is 2.5 times more than that in the Armenian army.

Being supplied with large quantities of Russian weapons, the Armenian
military was stronger than the Azerbaijan Army 7-8 years ago. But
today, Azerbaijan has created a balance of armament in the army, with
a strong aviation. Military experts claim that Azerbaijan possesses
100 warplanes and 50 helicopters.

Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian acknowledged earlier that
if a war is launched, Armenia will face considerable losses and the
country’s present-day economic situation will not allow it to wage
long-term battles.

According to experts’ estimates, besides human casualties, a day of
military action will result in financial loss worth $20-25 million
for each country. Thus, the figure will exceed $600 million within a
month.

When comparing the budgets of the two countries, it will clear that
Armenia can wage a war for a month and a half at the most using all
of its resources. Azerbaijan’s state budget in 2005 makes up over $2
billion, while the figure in Armenia is $800 million. Moreover, when
comparing the two countries’ human resources, which are a decisive
factor in a war, it becomes clear which side will be victorious (the
population of Azerbaijan is over 8 million, while that of Armenia
some 2 million). It should also be taken into consideration that
unlike Armenians, Azerbaijani soldiers would be fighting for their
native lands.

Hellenic Resources Network
Thursday, 13 January 2005

Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-01-12

Erdogan is holding contacts in Moscow

Ankara Anatolia news agency (11/01/05) reported from Moscow that the Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that a political will exists
in Turkey and Russia to make mutual investments. ”Such investments could
not have been imagined 10-15 years ago,” said Erdogan.
In a meeting with Erdogan, President Putin remarked that Russia supports the
UN Secretary-General Annan’s plan on Cyprus. ”We do not think that the
economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriots is fair,” said Putin.

Erdogan and Putin got together with Turkish businessmen in Moscow.

In a speech delivered at the meeting, President Putin stated that the trade
volume between Turkey and Russia will increase. ”Our trade volume could
easily reach 15 billion U.S. dollars and is expected to reach 25 billion
U.S. dollars in 2007. Joint projects should also be encouraged,” said
Putin.

Putin stressed that the cooperation agreement he signed with the Turkish
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on December 6, 2004, makes an important
reference to the good relations between Turkey and Russia.

”We pay high attention to Turkey’s relations with the European Union. Half
of our trade volume is with the EU states. With Turkey’s integration into
the EU, we are eager to make our relations better,” said Putin. ”In this
framework, many obstacles could be eliminated. Obstacles could be removed
with Russia’s entrance into the World Trade Organization. We are pleased
with Turkey’s positive approach in this regard.

We will soon celebrate the 60th anniversary of the victory against fascism.
We would be happy to see Erdogan at the celebrations on May 9. Erdogan’s
visit will be a turning point in our relations. The year 2005 also marks the
85th anniversary of the foundation of Turkish-Russian relations,” said
Putin.

Speaking after President Putin, Mr Erdogan said that the good relations
between Turkish and Russian businessmen will not only help the two countries
but the whole region. ”Turkey will strongly support Russian membership to
the World Trade Organization. This question will be discussed in Davos on
January 24, 2005,” said Erdogan.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Cypriot Trade and Industry Chamber Chairman Salih
Tunar stated that, despite the Turkish Cypriots’ approval of the Annan Plan,
the Turks still face blockade. ”We want the isolation of Turkish Cypriots
to end and wish to contribute to world peace.”

Erdogan has reminded media members that a ”Russian Year” will be
celebrated in Turkey and a ”Turkish Year” will be celebrated in Russia in
the near future.

Putin added that he discussed the re-construction of Iraq with Erdogan.
”What is happening in Iraq is a matter of concern for the Russians. We will
work together with Turkey on Iraq and with the aim to solve (its)
problems,” remarked Putin.

According to Putin, Turkish and Russian delegations also discussed the
Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, railways and means to make better use of the Black
Sea region.

In response to a Turkish journalist’s question on Cyprus, Putin explained
that Russia supports the Annan plan. ”We will vote in the Security Council
according to the document presented to the Council,” said Putin.

Asked about what he thinks on the Karabagh issue, Putin said that
neighbourly relations between Russia-Armenia, Turkey-Armenia and
Azerbaijan-Armenia should be developed. ”We are all aware about the
historical problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Russia will contribute
to the peace process,” he indicated.

Erdogan also expressed the view that Armenia must be positive in its
approach to find a solution. ”Turkey’s policy is based on finding a lasting
solution. If Armenia claims that it does not recognize the Kars Agreement,
this would be a negative approach. The Ataturk Airport in Istanbul has been
made available for Armenian passenger flights. We do not want negative
relations with any of our neighbours, including Armenia. We will open our
border with Armenia for trade once we witness a positive approach from
Armenia,” stressed Erdogan.

Azeri defence minister, outgoing Greek envoy discuss ties

MPA news agency, Baku
12 Jan 05

Baku, 12 January: “Greece intends to cooperate with Azerbaijan in the
defence sphere,” the Greek ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mercurios
Karafotias, has told Azerbaijani Defence Minister, Col-Gen Safar
Abiyev, at a meeting held on completion of his mission to Azerbaijan.

Abiyev pointed to the development of Azerbaijani-Greek relations
during this period. Greece wants to cooperate with Azerbaijan in all
areas, including in the sphere of defence, Karafotias said.

The ambassador said that his country supports the efforts of the
Azerbaijani president and the OSCE to settle the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict. He said Greece wants this problem to be resolved within the
framework of international law and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

Bulgarian Education Minister Visits Armenia

Bulgaria in Brief

Sofia News Agency (Bulgaria)
8 January 2005, Saturday

Bulgaria’s Education and Science Minister Igor Damyanov is scheduled to
pay a visit to Armenia on January 10 and 11 at the invitation of his
Armenian counterpart Sergo Yeritzyan. The two officials will discuss
issues related to the bilateral programme for cooperation in science and
education in 2003-2006.