Author: Madatian Greg

Armenia no longer demands Turkey recognize the genocide of its people?

-turkey-recognize-genocide.html
Published 10 December, 2009, 11:45

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said Yerevan is ready to establish
diplomatic ties with Turkey without any preconditions, `particularly
without the precondition that Turkey should recognize the Armenian
genocide.’

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Propeller The protocols which are meant to be ratified by the
countries’ parliaments and which were signed in October in Zurich,
Switzerland, mean two things: the opening of the border between the
states and the establishment of diplomatic ties (`the creation of an
intergovernmental bilateral commission with sub-commissions dealing
with every possible area of cooperation between the two countries,’
the protocol says).

While Yerevan is putting the tragic past aside for the sake of a
friendly neighborhood and new trade opportunities, the Armenian
community worldwide is split over the move.

The feud stems from an alleged genocide committed by the Ottoman
Empire against Armenians at the beginning of the 20th century.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered, more than
half of Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire at the time.
The Turks claim the figure is exaggerated and refuse to call it
genocide. `We will never accept blame for such a thing,’ says Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey refers to the massacre in 1915 as `mass deportation’ and stands
firm on the position that those deaths were war casualties. The
Ottoman Empire took part in the First World War (1914-1918) on
Germany’s side. The Turkish Empire fell apart in 1923 and was
succeeded by the Republic of Turkey.

Twenty-one countries, including Russia, France, Italy, Canada, and the
US, have adopted resolutions acknowledging the Armenian genocide as a
historical event. In France you risk being sentenced to a year in
prison for denying the Armenian genocide. But in order to enjoy
diplomatic and wider economic ties with Turkey, Ankara insists Armenia
should drop its policy aimed at international recognition of the
Armenian genocide.

Normalization of relations between Yerevan and Ankara is one of the
conditions of Turkey’s joining the EU – something Ankara is yearning
for.

`Wounds and scars will be overcome – first we need to establish
diplomatic relations,’ says Suat Kiniklioglu, a member of the Turkish
Parliament and Deputy Chair of External Affairs.

While the Turks are trying to hush the past, millions of Armenians
scattered around the globe as a result of the genocide wonder if it is
too big a concession to make for the sake of a more open neighborhood.
The Armenian leadership has its own reasoning behind the move, where
the economy plays a considerable part.

World leaders generally welcome the warming of relations between
Ankara and Yerevan, which could end the century-old Cold War between
Turkey and Armenia.

`We are generally glad that relations between Armenia and Turkey have
been warming, that [the two nations] are trying to overcome those
problems that [concerned them in the 20th century], are showing mutual
restraint and are searching for a compromise,’ says Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev.

Medvedev also noted that it is important that other nations do not
think that this process comes at any other nation’s expense.

Anti hail stations set up in Armenia’s Armavir region with
VivaCell-MTS support
10.12.2009 15:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 6 anti hail Zenit systems developed in Armenia were
set up in the Armavir region with VivaCell-MTS support. Last year hail
caused huge losses in Aygeshat, Berkashat and Shenavan: more than half
of the cereal harvest was lost.

Anti hail Zenit systems destroy hail clouds by its vertical powerful
shock waves, preventing the possibility of further formation of hail.
Last year, VivaCell-MTS has funded installation of 3 Zenit systems in
Aragatsotn region.

Zenit does not require service personnel, use solar energy and 3G
mobile communications and GPRS/EDGE, provided by VivaCell-MTS ", press
service of the company reported.

MARIOS GAROYIAN SURVIVES MINI CRISIS

Gibrahayer
07/12/09
Nicosia – Cyprus

Offsite and other combined sources – Cyprus Parliament Speaker and
leader of the centrist DIKO party Marios Garoyian survived an internal
crisis that has been dragging on for the last few weeks. Garoyian
expressed his satisfaction yesterday by saying that "It was a crisis,
and it does not help anyone by hiding it under the carpet". Answering
questions to journalists whether assurances were given by DIKO
officials that they will abide to DIKO Central Executive decisions,
Garoyian said that it was agreed that everything said in the last few
days "with the way they were expressed and how they were expressed
are behind us".

Garoyian had been receiving internal criticism by a group of party
officials, predominantly on decisions and practices related to the
coalition with communist AKEL and on the prospects of the solution
to the Cyprus problem.

THREE QUESTIONS FOR ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER EDWARD NALBANDIAN

Tert.am
11:17 ~U 09.12.09

Yesterday, foreign ministers from the EU and the six countries involved
in the Eastern Partnership met, reports the official website of the
Swedish Presidency of the European Union. This is the first meeting
of foreign ministers since the partnership was launched in May. Ahead
of yesterday’s meeting, se2009.eu put three questions to Armenia’s
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

What are your expectations of the meeting? What are the most important
issues for Armenia?

Armenia attaches great importance to cooperation with the European
Union and its Member States. The Eastern Partnership initiative
provides a new framework for this relationship through enhanced
political dialogue, increased trade opportunities and people-to-people
contacts. Another added value of the Eastern Partnership is that
it supports cooperation among the partner states, which is can be
critical to the overall success of the initiative. At this first
ministerial meeting we will take stock of the progress achieved and
I look forward to productive discussions with my colleagues on the
perspectives of our future cooperation.

Armenia’s relations with the European Union are regulated by the
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. The latter was signed in 1996
and entered into force in 1999. Since then the political landscape of
Europe has changed significantly, new challenges and opportunities
have come into being. The Eastern Partnership not only reflects the
progress achieved in relations between Armenia and the EU in the last
decade, but also offers the perspective of an Association Agreement,
which will adapt our cooperation to the new realities and will take
into consideration the aspirations of each partner state and the
European Union.

What are your hopes for the Eastern Partnership in the short run and
the long run?

I think in the short term the Eastern Partnership should develop
appropriate mechanisms of cooperation and establish the atmosphere
of mutual understanding that will be conducive to accomplishing
the goals of the initiatives. The thematic platforms, have made a
certain progress this year, and I hope that their working plans
will be successfully implemented. It is also important that the
partner countries build their capacities so that they can absorb
the implications that derive from the intensive contacts within the
Eastern Partnership and can serve the goals of cooperation such as
an Association Agreement and a deep and comprehensive Free Trade
Agreement.

How do you think the EU can benefit from the partnership? How can
Armenia benefit?

Partnership means a common set of values, interests, trade and
human contacts. The ultimate beneficiaries of this process will be
the peoples of Armenia and the European Union, who are united in
their diversity, as each of them has different traditions, history
and language, but they share the same vision of a Europe based on
cooperation, peace and prosperity. They want to trade with each other
and enrich knowledge of each other’s culture. To this end, one of
our common priorities is facilitating visa arrangements in order
to gradually remove obstacles to people-to-people contact between
our societies.

ARAZ AZIMOV: WE BELIEVE THAT TURKISH PRIME MINISTER WILL WANT WASHINGTON TO TAKE SERIOUS STEPS FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT

APA
07 Dec 2009 11:32

Baku. Viktoria Dementieva – APA. "We believe that during his visit to
the US Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will want Washington
to take serious steps for the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
the main problem of the region," Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister
Araz Azimov said, APA reports.

According to Azimov, Turkey has been playing one of the main roles
in the region since 1991.

"Turkey is trying to use new resources to continue its policy. But
Azerbaijan’s position has strengthened due to the happenings within
the recent 18-20 years. Azerbaijan is developing as a leading country
in the region and Turkey’s close partner. We want Washington to take
into account the achievements gained as a result of the partnership
with Turkey and hope that Turkish Prime Minister will exactly inform
Washington about it. We consider that Recep Tayyip Erdogan will take
into account both Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s national interests in
America," he said.

Deputy Foreign Minister said other security issues on the regional
level might also be discussed during the Turkish Prime Minister’s
visit.

Solidarity with the Victims of All Genocides
c/o The Temple of Peace, Cardiff, Wales
00 44 7718982732
[email protected]

Jews and Armenians unite to combat Holocaust and Genocide denial

Every year in the UK parliament, there is a motion on the importance
of Holocaust Memnorial Day. This year, following our representations,
the motion condemns denial of the 1915 Genocide of Armenians and
Assyrians as well, and calls on parliamentarians to respect the day to
ensure that the Holocaust and the 1915 Genocide are never forgotten.
There is a real p[rospect of increasing the number of Members of
Parliament who have recognised the Genocide substantially , from the 195
MPs who have done so in previous years (mostly in 2007). This will be
acheived by a cooperation between Armenian, Jewish, Assyrian and Kurdish
lobbyists as well as Human Rights and Anti-racism activists.
Our friends will hopefuly e-mail their MPs asking them to sign this
important motion (below)

Early Day Motion 287 HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 30.11.2009 by Dr Bob Spink
That this House notes that 27 January marks Holocaust Memorial Day, the
day on which Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and death camp was
liberated; recognises the significance of this day and the importance of
remembering and learning from the past especially when there are those
who seek to denigrate and deny its significance; further notes that the
theme for January 2010 Legacy of Hope, is inspired by the testimony of
holocaust and genocide survivors and teaches the lessons of hope for a
safer, inclusive society; condemns denial and denigration of the memory
of the Holocaust, as well as of the 1915 Genocide of Armenians and
Assyrians in Turkey, and the politics of hatred and division which led
to these events; commends the Holocaust Educational Trust for its work
in educating on the horrors of the past, reaching thousands of students
across the country; and calls on hon. Members to respect Holocaust
Memorial Day and to ensure that the Holocaust, the 1915 Genocide and
modern atrocities such as the 1988 Anfal Genocide are never forgotten.

news.am, Armenia
Dec 5 2009

Armenian clarifies information about RA citizens

17:09 / 12/05/2009Armenian Embassy in RF is currently clarifying
information whether there were RA citizens among Perm nightclub
accident, RA Embassy press secretary Gevorg Minasyan informed NEWS.am.

According to him, the situation is tensed, the wounded are
hospitalized in various cities, including Moscow.

Minasyan underlined that the victims’ list available on the Emergency
Situations Ministry website names Eduard Ghazaryan and at the moment
embassy is clarifying his citizenship.

December 4, 2009 at 11:30 p.m. Moscow time the explosion in the
nightclub in Perm, Russia killed 103 people. The health state of 130
people wounded in Perm nightclub (Russia) is esteemed as grave.

"WE APOLOGIZE TO AZERBAIJANI TURKS" CAMPAIGN IN ISTANBUL COLLECTS OVER 70,000 SIGNATURES

Today
Dec 4 2009
Azerbaijan

The campaign "No to Armenian opening! We apologize to Azerbaijani
Turks" launched by Nationalist Movement Party (NMP) Fatih organization
in Istanbul on Oct. 22 has ended.

Over 70,000 signatures have been collected as a result of the campaign
in Fatih settlement of Istanbul.

Chairman of NMP Fatih organization Ali Dincer Colak and party members
handed over the signature sheets and documents to Azerbaijani Consulate
General in Istanbul.

According to the organizers, they have reached their goal as they
have collected over 70,000 signatures in Fatih, the population of
which is 50,000.

Dincer Colak said not only NMP members, but also all Fatih residents
participated in the campaign.

The copies of the signature sheets will be sent to Turkish Foreign
Ministry and media outlets.

MEDVEDEV’S KARABAKH DILEMMA: AFRAID OF NOT PLEASING BOTH PARTNERS, RUSSIA CEDES INTERMEDIARY MISSION IN CAUCASUS TO THE UNITED STATES

Nezavisimaya Gazeta
Dec 1 2009
Russia

The population of Nagorno-Karabakh [Nagornyy-Karabakh] continues to
maintain its position of independence.

Aleksandr Valeryevich Karavayev is deputy general director of
the MGU [Moscow State University] Information Analysis Centre.
[translated from Russian]

Over the last few days the topic of Karabakh has not left the agenda
of international or regional international events. In particular,
it may be being discussed within the context of the meeting of
OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] foreign
ministers in Athens being held today and tomorrow. Previously it had
been assumed that immediately before and perhaps during the ministers’
get-together the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Edvard
Nalbandian and Elmar Mammadyarov, would meet and discuss the Karabakh
situation. Nor are Russian politicians giving this topic a wide berth.

One of the advances issued to the Medvedev-Putin tandem at the dawn
of their administration was the expectation of more complex foreign
policy mechanisms for Russia. Giving it a new resource of effectiveness
thanks to the appearance in the arena of two influential figures
of the first magnitude seems logical. While in domestic policy
we are observing their characteristic differences and alarming
ambivalences regarding the essence of "conservative modernization",
notable in foreign policy is their synchronicity and, where necessary,
a unique dividing up of foreign policy traffic "for two". Thanks to
the duumvirate, there is hope that a sufficiently effective system
will take shape that employs various strategies for untangling the
problem knots in post-Soviet Eurasia.

A true indicator of the effectiveness and maturity of this policy
may be Russia’s activity with respect to settling the first of the
ethno-territorial conflicts following the breakup of the Soviet Union:
Karabakh. This conflict always had many dimensions that went beyond the
boundaries of the Caucasus. Today as never before it is close to moving
from discussion to implementation of specific actions. Turkey has begun
gradually to lift the blockade on its Armenia policy, which was frozen
16 years ago. However, the chief intrigue lies in the difference in
the positioning strategies of the United States and Russia.

The Americans are actively pressuring Turkey on rapprochement with
Armenia. Understandably, they have serious geopolitical motives with
respect to Turkey and the Caucasus. But after all, on the substantive
and historical level Russia’s interests in this region are no fewer.
Washington, though, unconcerned about accusations of pressure,
has stated its position distinctly, and through its participation
in the fate of this historical conflict is pointing as well to the
depth of its interests in Turkey and Armenia. Whereas on our side
of this knot, in the post-Soviet Caucasus, we are not making direct
statements linking the Armenian-Turkish and Karabakh processes;
we are shy about trying to influence Armenia, as if rapprochement
between Armenia and Azerbaijan were not to our advantage. The logic of
this braking is understandable. Why should Russia hurry? The Caucasus
are complicated, and any open position might further complicate the
situation. This self-removal, however, bears serious limitations for
Russia’s future presence in this region. Turkey was not afraid to
shift its position towards compromise, knowing the insult to Baku,
but also understanding that on the long-term strategic level the
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement is to Azerbaijan’s benefit and the
geostrategic connection between Turkey and Azerbaijan will remain
constant no matter what the lay of the land. Moscow froze in the
face of the dilemma. On the one hand, blocking an Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement would look doubly strange given Russia’s economic
interests in Armenia and its major investments in transport and
the necessity of extensive trade traffic developing joint business
projects, including with companies of the Armenian diaspora. On
the other hand, the stereotype looms; if you support Azerbaijan,
then you lose influence on Armenia. But let us ask this question:
Where is Armenia going to defect? In spite of all their friction
over Karabakh and the gas trade, Turkish-Azerbaijani connections
are not being annihilated. Such is the nature of Armenian-Russian
relations, too. Russia’s presence in Armenia cannot be cut back in
connection with a more precise position with regard to the Karabakh
issue. The conflict will gradually begin to resolve itself in the
foreseeable future. The general agreement among the United States,
Russia, and the EU [European Union] with regard to a settlement
plan is notable. However, the intermediary who first establishes the
necessity of beginning practical steps in the occupied areas around
Karabakh will play a leading role, for example, in the process of
forming peacekeeping and police units.

Multiplying Russia’s foreign policy vertical by two has yet to
yield any achievements. Putin’s vertical and the government are
excelling increasingly in the development of behind-the-scenes forms
of diplomacy, and this is especially visible in natural gas issues.
Characteristic feature of Medvedev’s diplomacy are his modernization
enthusiasm and pretty liberal theses. The latest blatant example
of this is the reception for Ilkham Aliyev in Ulyanovsk. The Baku
guests were shown Russia’s technological capabilities – a miracle
bridge. At the same time, in mentioning Geydar Aliyev, correct
symbolic codes were selected to demonstrate both respect for their
shared nomenklatura roots and the national authority of the Azerbaijani
president’s family. All this is wonderful in an Oriental way. But what
does this have to do with Moscow’s position regarding the Karabakh
conflict? As before, Moscow is trying to distance itself from a clear
public position, indicating that the decision must be found by the
problem’s participants themselves. The most likely result of this
self-withdrawal is that bold Atlantic outsiders will come to the fore
and compel the sides to take the first step.

A STRATEGIC PROGRAM WILL DEVELOPED TO PRESERVE KARMIR BLUR AND GIVE IT ATTRACTIVENESS

7/
Wednesday, 2 December 2009

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan visited the ancient site of Karmir
Blur to get a first-hand view of those problems associated with the
maintenance and preservation of the monument. Earlier this year,
the government’s control service established that 40 hectares of the
territory was covered by construction waste, while 1.5 hectares were
occupied by the nearest graveyard.

Erebuni historical-archeological museum director Dr Gagik Gurdjian
briefed the Prime Minister on the problems encountered and the
current state of Karmir Blur by stressing that while excavations are
at standstill due to the current state of affairs, the site continues
to be of great interest to archeologists as the Teishebaini castle,
built in the VI century B.C., has reached us intact.

What will the site’s future day be like and what has to be done in
order to revive the site? To find a response to these questions,
the Prime Minister called a first consultative meeting on the spot
involving the Mayor of Yerevan, the Minister of Culture and other
public stakeholders. During the meeting, cemetery and museum boundaries
were reported to have been delimited already.

At the end of his working visit, Tigran Sargsyan informed the news
reporters that a strategic program will be out over the few months
to come enabling the preservation of historical heritage and making
it more attractive for tourists." The Prime Minister added that in
cooperation with the Asian Bank, a motor-road will be built along
the border of the ancient settlement to enhance its attractiveness
in the eyes of travelers.