Author: Maghakian Mike

Armenia economic forum to solve long-term tasks of country development
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Oct 13 2004
YEREVAN, October 12 (Itar-Tass) — The international Armenian
economic forum is designed to help resolve long-term strategic tasks
of Armenia’s development, president of the World Armenian Congress and
the Union of Russian Armenians Ara Abramyan told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
At the forum that will open on Wednesday concrete business projects
will be worked out and implemented in order to promote the social
and economic development of Armenia and use the existing political
and economic potential of the diaspora more effectively, Abramyan
emphasized. He is confident that “serious successes can not be achieved
in the solution of national tasks, the just solution of the Karabakh
problem cannot also be achieved, if the Armenian people does not
manage to pool its efforts and provide conditions for the effective
social and economic development of the country.”
According to Abramyan, on one hand, for this it is necessary to
consolidate efforts of business circles of the diaspora and Armenia,
strengthen involvement of businessmen of the diaspora in the republic’s
economy. On another hand, there is a persistent need to involve the
Armenian economy and businessmen in international business structures.
“Armenian economy and business should find its place in the
international economic community,” Abramyan pointed out. According
to him, the goal of the World Armenian Congress is to try to raise
Armenian business to a new level of foreign economic relations that
corresponds more to the current stage of globalization.

The Jewish Journal, CA
Oct 8 2004
Yom Kippur in Chad: Fasting a Way of Life
by Rabbi Lee Bycel

Sudanese refugees at a refugee camp in Tschad, Chad.

I am sitting in Adam’s living room – a carpet on a dirt patio. On one
side is a small tent for his five children, as well as two nephews
and a niece who have been orphaned. On the other side is a small tent
for Adam, his wife and all they could carry out of Darfur.
Around us, the Kounoungo refugee camp is filled with a shattering
sound – silence. It is the sound of despair. It is the sound of
genocide coming closer and the world turning away.
This year, I observed Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish
calendar, in a Sudanese refugee camp in Chad. It is the day when Jews
throughout the world abstain from food and drink to assess their
lives and seek forgiveness for their wrongdoings. In this tragic
moment, I could think of nowhere more fitting to keep the Yom Kippur
fast than among people who have fasted for days on end – only not as
a ritual but as an agonizing condition of life.
Adam is the only refugee I met who spoke English. He belongs to the
Fur tribe and provides me with his analysis of the Sudanese genocide.
He speaks calmly and rationally. He tells of how his village was set
on fire by the Janjaweed and of other villages that met the same
fate.
In his view, the problem is quite simple: The fundamentalist Arab
Muslim government in Khartoum intends to eviscerate the African
Muslim and tribal people. Listening to him, I think of the Holocaust,
the Armenian genocide and other atrocities of the 20th century, where
the conflict also boiled down to the ambition of one ethnic group to
eradicate another.
Adam appreciates the noble humanitarian effort in the refugee camps
but wonders why the international community is not doing more to stop
this unfolding catastrophe.
I was in Kounoungo because of Adam – a human being I did not know
existed, suffering a fate to which I cannot be indifferent. His
condition as a human being is real, not reality television.
The enormity of the suffering – between 50,000 and 100,000 killed,
nearly a million left homeless, over 200,000 refugees in Chad,
hundreds of thousand more remaining in Darfur – tends to make us more
numb than horrified. I find it hard to comprehend the numbers, but I
do relate to Adam.
His desperate situation reminds me of the human capacity for cruelty.
But his gentle humanity reminds me that kindness and decency are also
possible.
Confronted by the misery of Kounoungo, I worry that I do not feel the
shame, the embarrassment and even the disgust that I should. Many of
us rationalize our indifference and inaction with the false notion
that we cannot possibly make a difference. Overwhelmed by the
complexity of human affairs, we forget about the human beings
involved.
Yet I cannot forget the faces of the people I saw. As haggard and
desperate as they are, they are no different than we – just
immeasurably less fortunate. To turn away from them is to forget that
we are one of them, all of us descended from the very first Adam.
In the Book of Genesis, God searches for Adam in the garden of Eden,
asking, `Where are you?’ In the Jewish tradition, this has always
been understood as a moral question: Where is your conscience? Why
are you hiding? Where do you stand?
The question hasn’t changed. What will be our answer?
Rabbi Lee Bycel is a board member of MAZON: A Jewish response to
hunger and traveled to Chad under the auspices of the International
Medical Corps. For more information, visit mazon.org or
imcworldwide.org.

Russian, Armenian speakers discuss joint fight against terrorism
Arminfo
1 Oct 04

YEREVAN
Armenian-Russian cooperation and the fight against international
terrorism were discussed today at a meeting between Armenian Speaker
Artur Bagdasaryan and Russian Federation Council Speaker Sergey
Mironov who is on an official visit to Yerevan.
Speaking about tightened security measures on the Russian-Georgian
border in the wake of the terrorist act in Beslan, as a result of
which cargo transportation to Armenia has been halted and the country
has in fact found itself in a blockade, the sides stressed the need
for the speedy opening of a road to transport cargo to Armenia.
For his part, noting the anti-terror campaign against foreigners in
Russia, the deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament and the chairman
of the Armenian-Russian interparliamentary commission on cooperation,
Vaan Ovanesyan, underlined the need for granting Armenians of Russia
temporary status to ensure their security.
At the end of the meeting, Mironov and Bagdasaryan signed a joint
statement offering condolences to the families of the victims of the
terrorist acts in Russia and expressing the readiness to fight
international terrorism hand in hand.
The statement also called on the deputies of the CIS countries to
consolidate their efforts in the fight against terrorism.

Armenian MPs’ visit to Baku will not do any harm – Azeri minister
ANS Radio, Baku
30 Sep 04
[Presenter] It is still not known if Armenian MPs Vaan Ovanesyan and
Gagik Lazarian, who are going to attend the Rose-Roth seminar of
the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO in Azerbaijan on 26-28 November,
have been given visas. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
has said that the issue will be tackled in the near future.
[Elmar Mammadyarov] In general, we protested against NATO’s Cooperative
Best Effort exercises in order to prevent Armenian officers from
coming to Azerbaijan. We thought that such a visit to Azerbaijan by
Armenian officers could be more damaging than helpful.
However, we think that Azerbaijan has made certain commitments
to NATO. From this viewpoint, we should continue NATO-Azerbaijani
relations. In general, I think that the Armenian MPs’ presence at
NATO’s Rose-Roth seminar in Azerbaijan will not do any harm and this
is not a problem.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Tehran-Damascus train gives travelers an appreciation of the real world
It may not be fast, but the 3-day trip offers plenty to see
By Paul Cochrane
Special to The Daily Star
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
DAMASCUS: Some train trips have a legendary aura about them.
The Trans-Siberian is famous for being the longest train trip on earth,
connecting Moscow with Vladivostok, over 9,000 kilometers away. It
is possibly the ultimate train ride, taking seven days and covering
seven different time zones.
The Orient Express has a reputation as one of the most luxurious train
rides, connecting Istanbul with London, and is also the setting for
a famous Agatha Christie murder mystery novel “Murder on the Orient
Express.”
By comparison, a lightweight contender with no prior history or fame
is the Tehran to Damascus train trip.
Established two years ago after lengthy bureaucratic discussions
between the Iranian, Turkish and Syrian governments, the direct route
began with little public fanfare.
The modern era, after all, is one of speed and convenience – the
era of the airplane. Traveling 2,500 kilometers over 70 hours when
a three-hour plane ride would suffice might seem a waste of time to
some. But unlike air travel, the train gives an appreciation of the
actual size of the world, and of the changing landscapes and peoples
seen through the window of a train carriage. Unless you travel the
length of Russia by land, for example, it is hard to truly conceive
of that nation’s vastness – the train keeps going for days on end. The
same can be said of Turkey and Iran, both huge landmasses.
The length of the Azerbaijan route (Western Iran is known as
Eastern Azerbaijan) from Tehran to the border at Razi, is 958
kilometers. Turkey requires a further 1,000 kilometers of train track,
as well as six hours to cross Lake Van by ferry. The remaining
500 kilometers from Northern Syria to Damascus seem relatively
inconsequential. In terms of the monotonous, flat desert scenery of
Syria, and after three nights on the train, it is the final lap of
the trip, and one you want to see end as rapidly as possible.
Starting in the south of the bustling and polluted Iranian capital,
a city almost devoid architecturally and physically of any sense of
Iran’s past other than that reflected in Tehran’s numerous museums,
the train begins to roll past fields and mountains.
It is completely full – mostly Iranians going to Damascus on holiday,
in search of work or on pilgrimage to the Shiite Muslim shrine of
Zeinab. The remaining handful are Syrians and one Afghan. One carriage
consisted of 32 Iranian teenage schoolgirls all dressed in their black
chadors going on pilgrimage. Such trips are not available for young
men as after the age of 16 males cannot leave the country until they
have completed the year long military service.
Tickets, costing between $55 and $70, are booked a month in advance
for the bi-weekly trip. Everyone started in first class sleepers of
four bunks to a compartment, the price difference only noticeable
when switching from the Iranian to Syria train – where the extra cost
ensured a double sleeper compartment rather than a reclining seat.
As the 20-year-old East German-manufactured train chugs through the
countryside past mud houses made from wattle and daub, and winds
through valleys of weathered red sandstone, the scenery resembles
a miniature version of the Canyonlands National Park in Utah, USA –
an arid landscape, but not without diversity, color or beauty.
Dinner is taken in the dining car as the sun goes down, and consists
of the staple fare for Iranians when dining out – soup, yogurt,
buttered rice and chicken or meat kebab.
After the evening meal, the train stops at the city of Zanjan for 20
minutes so passengers can use the station mosque to pray or wander
along the platform for a stretch of the legs. Others sit in their
compartments drinking tea, reading, talking or sleeping as sheets,
blankets and pillows are brought by attendants.
The next morning at 9 a.m., the train pulls into Salmas station, where
a three-hour wait begins for passports to be processed. Around 400
passengers pile off the train to sit in waiting rooms, take breakfast
on the grass outside the station, or walk to local shops. Conversations
start with strangers, and tea becomes a highly sought after beverage.
Once all the documents are processed, an Iranian official comes out
with huge stacks of passports and is immediately accosted by men,
women and children waiting for their name to be called out. This
waiting game was repeated three more times, taking around 15 hours
of the total trip, at the borders into and out of Turkey and on
entering Syria. Without such lengthy waits – late at night in the
case of Turkey and Syria – the trip would certainly flow faster and
have been more enjoyable for all concerned.
The Tehran to Damascus train ride however is not really geared
towards enjoyment. It is instead a cheap people carrier between the
two capitals, but more comfortable than three days on a bus – those
with cash obviously take the plane.
Still, the trip down to Van goes through ancient Armenian areas
of Eastern Turkey, and past picturesque, fertile plains of grass,
sunflowers and tilled fields awaiting seeding. The border between
Iran and Turkey is not just a line dividing the two politically as
the difference in landscape is striking. From barren, dusty terrain
in Iran to rolling hills of rich agricultural land, lakes and olive
trees in Turkey.
At Lake Van, the largest body of inland water in Turkey, the Iranian
train draws to a halt at the harbor where the goods carriage is shunted
onto a ship, and all passengers carry their belongings aboard. There,
travelers lie on carpets brought to sell in Damascus on the top deck
of the single smokestack ferry, dozing or killing time looking out over
the watery expanse lit by the moon. If you have ever wondered where the
stains on your Persian carpet came from, it is probable they came from
the steel deck of a ship rather than tea spilled in a nomad’s tent.
Docking in Tatvan, the Syrian train waits alongside Tehran-bound
passengers leaning on their baggage. Two nights follow, spent on
the Syrian train in comfortable sleeper compartments complete with
duvets and washbasins. Unlike the Iranian train, meals are included,
although they resemble more a school packed lunch than the culinary
delights of the Orient Express.
A full day passes as the train rambles through the cities of Mus,
Elazig, and Malatya until Gaziantep, where the train cuts down to wind
along the Syrian border. After the now-expected wait for visa stamps,
the diesel-powered vehicle passes through Aleppo overnight to arrive
in Damascus at 1 p.m. – only 18 hours longer than the official 52
hours initially cited in Tehran.
For some, Damascus is the end of train travel for a while. For others,
the Syrian capital serves merely as a brief respite before taking
the train all the way back.

AGBU PRESS OFFICE
55 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone (212) 319-6383
Fax (212) 319-6507
Email [email protected]
Webpage
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
AGBU GENERATION NEXT CONCLUDES THEIR YEAR WITH TWO AUGUST EVENTS
Los Angeles-Last month, AGBU Generation Next Mentorship Program
concluded yearlong series of events with two very special days to
wind down and reflect on a busy year: a discussion with guest Tony
Lore and the annual graduation celebration.
On August 1, 2004, AGBU Generation Next gathered at the Los Angeles
County Arboretum for an event with guest speaker Tony Lore who
addressed issues of closure, an issue relevant for many of the mentees
ending their participation in the program this year. For students and
mentors continuing their work together next year, this was a chance to
reflect and set goals for the future. Those who will not be continuing
were given the opportunity to say thank you to each other and to the
program, remembering all the things they learned along the way.
On August 29, 2004, the AGBU Generation Next graduation took place at
the AGBU Pasadena Center. Master of Ceremonies Mike Patatian opened
with words of welcome and invited Chairperson Susanna Sahakian to
the stage to say a few words.
Ms. Sahakian spoke about the growth each member experienced through
the program and highlighted a very insightful essay written by one
of the mentees during a December group activity on Inner Beauty. She
used the essay to discuss the achievements of the program and gave
those in attendance some words for thought to reflect on their own
lives and their work with AGBU Generation Next.
After Ms. Sahakian, mentors and mentees were invited to approach
the microphone and express themselves, which many did by thanking
their mentors or mentees for a wonderful year of commitment and
support. Program Coordinator Nora Ayvazian recognized Chairperson
Ms. Sahakian for her hard work and dedication to the program. She also
acknowledged the presence of a special guest, Psychologist/Counselor
and Project G.R.A.C.E. Program Manager, Arlette DerHovanessian, who
attended the ceremony. The event concluded with the presentation of
the Commitment Awards to all AGBU Generation Next participants that
have demonstrated a commitment to others and the larger community.
Administrators of the program have already begun preparations for next
session’s program slated to begin October 2004. The AGBU Generation
Next Mentorship Program is currently seeking dedicated, qualified
young adults to mentor the Armenian youth of Southern California.
AGBU Generation Next is a mentorship program whose mission is to serve
the Armenian youth of Southern California by providing guidance. Adult
volunteers from the Generation Next Mentorship Program act as positive
role models and provide friendship and guidance to Armenian youth. This
mentoring relationship introduces young Armenians to new experiences
and alternatives, enabling them to become responsible, self-sufficient,
and independent adults.
To receive more information about the program or to request an
application to become a mentor, please call 626-794-7942 or email
[email protected].
++++
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
GenNextArboretumw.jpg: Program members enjoy a moment of relaxation
at lunch before entering the gates of the Los Angeles County Arboretum.

China, Armenia to promote bilateral ties
Xinhua, China
Sept 27 2004
BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhuanet) — China and Armenia are willing to
expand exchanges in various fields to promote comprehensive development
of cooperation, according to the Sino-Armenian joint statement issued
here Monday.
The statement, signed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and visiting
Armenian President Robert Sedrakovich Kocharyan, says both sides
speak highly of the fruitful cooperation between the two countries
in political, economic, trade, scientific, technological, cultural
and other areas since the forging of diplomatic ties in 1992.
Both sides are satisfied with the smooth development of relations, and
will continue to carry out high-level exchanges, says the statement.
The two sides encourage and support cooperation between their
businesses to enhance the dimensions of their economic and trade
cooperation, it says.
The two sides agree that the challenges for developing countries
created by economic globalization should arouse people’sattention,
and international society should take active measures to direct the
development of economic globalization towards commonprosperity.
Armenia recognizes China’s full market economy status, which
isconducive to enhancing economic and trade ties between China
and Armenia, and both sides attach great importance on developing
inter-parliamentary friendly ties between the two countries, it says.
Both sides share great potential in exchanges and cooperation in
such fields as science, technology, culture, education, agriculture,
journalism and sports, and will encourage regional and civil institutes
to make direct exchanges, says the statement.
Armenia reaffirms that the People’s Republic of China is the sole
legitimate government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is
an inalienable part of China. Armenia will not establishany official
contact with Taiwan, and opposes “Taiwan Independence” in any form,
says the statement, which notes that China appreciates Armenia’s
stance.
China supports the efforts of the international community to settle
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue peacefully, and hopes that the conflict
can be settled in a just and reasonable way in line with relevant
international principles and norms, it says.
Both sides support the dialogue and cooperation made in international
human rights and oppose double standards on the human rights or the
politicalization of the issue, says the statement.
Both sides agree that the United Nations plays an important role in
safeguarding world peace and security, and the principles of the UN
Charter are still the basic rule for solving international affairs,
says the statement, noting that the two sides are willing to promote
cooperation in some major international affairs to safeguard the
common interests of developing countries.
The maintenance and development of friendly cooperation betweenChina
and Armenia is not directed against any third country, and will not
harm its interests, the statement says.
Kocharyan was here for a five-day state visit. Enditem
Photo:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Le Monde, France
24 septembre 2004
M. Erdogan met fin à la crise en promettant de réformer le code
pénal turc dès dimanche

Bruxelles, Istanbul de nos correspondants
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, le premier ministre turc, peut se réjouir. Au
terme d’une longue journée de rencontres et d’explications avec les
responsables européens à Bruxelles, jeudi 23 septembre, il a mis fin
à la crise qui, depuis deux semaines, menaçait de ruiner les espoirs
de la Turquie d’intégrer l’Union européenne. Le report inattendu de
l’adoption par le Parlement turc de la réforme du code pénal avait
mis le feu aux poudres. La visite de M. Erdogan a permis de relancer
les discussions sur des bases apaisées. Lors d’une rencontre avec le
commissaire à l’élargissement, Günter Verheugen, le premier ministre
turc s’est engagé à présenter cette réforme, dès dimanche, devant un
Parlement réuni en session extraordinaire.
La réforme devra être adoptée et ne prévoit pas, a-t-il insisté, la
pénalisation de l’adultère, mesure initialement voulue par une
fraction du parti musulman au pouvoir (l’AKP, le Parti de la justice
et du développement), et qui prévoyait des peines d’emprisonnement.
Enthousiaste, M. Verheugen a aussitôt annoncé son intention de
formuler une “recommandation très claire” sur l’ouverture de
négociations d’adhésion avec la Turquie. “Ma conclusion est qu’il n’y
a désormais plus d’obstacles sur la table. De mon point de vue, la
Turquie n’a pas de conditions additionnelles à remplir pour permettre
à la Commission de faire une recommandation”le 6 octobre, a même
indiqué le commissaire allemand. “Nous avons fait notre travail”, a
renchéri M. Erdogan. Selon lui, il n’y a désormais “pas de raison de
ne pas obtenir de réponse positive”.
Un peu plus tard, le chef du gouvernement turc est allé rendre visite
aux eurodéputés. Divisé par la perspective de l’adhésion turque, au
diapason des opinions publiques européennes, le Parlement n’a qu’un
rôle consultatif dans cette affaire, mais il espère peser sur la
décision des Etats membres, avant le conseil décisif du 17 décembre.
MINIMISER LE CONFLIT
Le premier ministre turc a cherché à minimiser le récent conflit. Il
a estimé qu’il y avait eu une “fausse information”à propos du projet
de pénalisation de l’adultère. “On parle de quelque chose qui ne
figure pas dans le code pénal, qui n’est jamais venu devant le
Parlement et qui n’a jamais été voté”, a-t-il affirmé.
Toutefois, devant la conférence des présidents du Parlement européen,
réunie à huis clos, un peu plus tôt, il a bien admis que des membres
de son parti avaient introduit cette “discussion” en commission.
Joost Lagendijk, président (Vert) de la commission parlementaire
mixte UE-Turquie, assure que M. Erdogan a même ajouté :
“Personnellement, je n’ai pas changé d’avis, je continue de penser
que ç’aurait été une bonne chose, afin de protéger la famille.”
Daniel Cohn-Bendit, le président des Verts, affirme au contraire que
le dirigeant turc s’est contenté d’un “Il faut protéger la famille”.
Certains élus, bien que partisans de l’entrée de la Turquie dans
l’Union européenne, ont demandé à M. Erdogan de nouveaux efforts,
lorsque celui-ci les a assurés que son pays “remplit entièrement les
critères de Copenhague” fixés pour ouvrir les négociations.
“Soyons honnêtes entre nous, a déclaré Joost Lagendijk, vous ne les
appliquez pas à 100 % !”. M. Cohn-Bendit lui a demandé de retirer du
code pénal “une disposition ambiguë qui autorise à punir
d’emprisonnement le fait de parler du génocide arménien ou de
l’occupation du nord de Chypre”. Le président du Parti populaire
européen, l’Allemand Hans-Gert Pöttering, a déclaré qu’il est “trop
tôt” pour ouvrir les négociations, alors que “la torture est encore
pratiquée, comme l’affirme un récent rapport de Human Rights Watch”.
M. Erdogan a assuré que la torture n’est “pas systématique”, comme “a
pu le constater un envoyé spécial de la Commission”.
A Ankara comme à Istanbul, cette visite du premier ministre à
Bruxelles a été suivie minute par minute, dans un climat de
soulagement, parfois d’euphorie. L’AKP a aussitôt déposé une
pétition, signée par 208 députés, auprès de la présidence de
l’Assemblée nationale, demandant une réunion extraordinaire du
Parlement le dimanche 26 septembre à 11 heures pour adopter cette
réforme du code pénal.
Le président de l’Assemblée nationale, Bülent Arinç, devait confirmer
vendredi, au cours d’une conférence de presse, que la requête a été
acceptée. La plupart des articles du code pénal ont déjà été
acceptés, mais l’hémicycle doit encore approuver deux articles liés à
son entrée en vigueur.
Nicole Pope, R. Rs et Philippe Ricard

Le Figaro, France
24 septembre 2004
Verheugen ouvre la porte à la Turquie;
UNION EUROPÉENNE Le commissaire à l’Élargissement souhaite que la
Commission donne une recommandation positive sur l’ouverture de
négociations d’adhésion
par Alexandrine BOUILHET
La visite du premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, jeudi à
Bruxelles, a permis de dégager la voie de la candidature d’Ankara à
l’Union européenne en rendant quasi certaine une recommandation
positive de la Commission européenne le 6 octobre sur l’ouverture de
négociations d’adhésion. La promesse d’une adoption, dès dimanche,
par le Parlement turc, d’un nouveau Code pénal ne comportant pas de
clause criminalisant l’adultère a suscité la satisfaction du
commissaire européen à l’Elargissement, Günter Verheugen. « Il n’y a
désormais plus d’obstacles sur la table (…) la Turquie n’a pas de
conditions additionnelles à remplir pour permettre à la Commission de
faire une recommandation », a déclaré le commissaire. Si les
recommandations de la Commission ne font plus de mystère, la décision
finale appartiendra aux chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement des
Vingt-Cinq, qui se prononceront à l’unanimité, le 17 décembre
prochain, à Bruxelles.
L’avenir de la Turquie en Europe a été scellé, hier matin, dans un
salon feutré de l’hôtel Conrad, l’un des plus luxueux de la capitale.
Adresse favorite de Jacques Chirac et de Gerhard Schröder, ce palace
bruxellois aura porté chance à Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Le premier
ministre turc y avait donné rendez-vous à Günter Verheugen, le
commissaire allemand à l’Elargissement. Entretien décisif pour la
Turquie, après une semaine de vive tension entre Bruxelles et Ankara,
qui s’était soldée par un ultimatum très sec de la Commission
européenne : « Si vous ne réformez pas le Code pénal, comme cela
était prévu, les négociations d’adhésion avec la Turquie ne pourront
commencer. » Le dirigeant turc était au pied du mur.
Mais face au commissaire, le premier ministre ne se laisse pas
intimider. « Je tiens d’abord à vous dire que nous n’avons pas du
tout apprécié vos injonctions par médias interposés », lance-t-il à
Verheugen. « La prochaine fois que vous aurez quelque chose
d’important à nous dire, ayez l’obligeance de nous le faire savoir
directement, cela évitera les problèmes. » Recep Tayyip Erdogan
insiste sur les quelque 343 articles du Code pénal déjà votés. Reste
une loi d’application à faire passer. « Nous avons déjà beaucoup
fait. L’adultère n’était qu’un projet d’amendement. Dommage qu’en
Europe, vous vous focalisiez uniquement là-dessus », lche-t-il. «
Mais vous savez bien que c’est un projet qui passe très mal dans
l’opinion publique européenne ! » rétorque le commissaire allemand. «
Et vos déclarations publiques à ce sujet n’ont pas aidé.
Erdogan : Bon, peut-être, mais nous, à Ankara, on a eu le sentiment
que, soudain, vous nous posiez des conditions supplémentaires (…)
Verheugen : Mais non ! Pourquoi ? C’est un malentendu ! Nous avons
juste rappelé, comme toujours d’ailleurs, que la réforme du Code
pénal était essentielle pour ouvrir les négociations.
C’est tout ?
C’est tout.
Alors si la loi d’application est votée, sans cet amendement sur
l’adultère, bien sûr, c’est bon pour vous ?
Mais oui ! »
Le premier ministre turc téléphone aussitôt au président de groupe de
son parti « Justice et développement », pour lui annoncer la
nouvelle. Puis il contacte le président du Parlement à Ankara. «
Quand pouvez-vous convoquer l’assemblée au plus vite ? Dimanche en
séance extraordinaire ? Parfait ! Et bien allez-y ! » ordonne-t-il.
Grce à l’appui de l’opposition, Erdogan assure à ses interlocuteurs
qu’il ne se fait aucun souci pour l’issu du vote. Les députés
voteront la réforme à une très large majorité. Verheugen semble
convaincu.
En sortant sur le perron de l’hôtel, le commissaire allemand triomphe
comme un jeune marié : « J’ai obtenu de mon ami, le premier ministre
Erdogan, des assurances qui me permettront de faire des
recommandations très claires ! »
Jamais Günter Verheugen n’avait été aussi explicite. Sous l’emprise
de l’excitation, le voilà qui dévoile, quinze jours à l’avance, le
feu vert de la Commission à l’ouverture des négociations. « Ma
conclusion est que désormais, il n’y a plus d’obstacles sur la table
», lche-t-il. « Nous avons été capables de trouver des solutions aux
problèmes qui restaient en suspens. De mon point de vue, la Turquie
n’a pas de conditions additionnelles à remplir pour permettre à la
Commission de faire une recommandation. » Et le commissaire de
féliciter publiquement son « ami » Erdogan pour son « fort esprit de
commande » dans l’accomplissement des réformes.
Déprimée depuis vendredi dernier, la Bourse d’Ankara a salué ces
commentaires par un bond historique. Critiqué à Bruxelles comme dans
les milieux d’affaires turcs, pour sa grave erreur politique, Erdogan
aura réussi à redresser la situation en sa faveur en moins d’une
heure. Ravi de ses effets, le premier ministre turc peut se rendre la
tête haute chez Romano Prodi et s’entretenir d’égal à égal avec lui
sur la situation au Sud Caucase, d’où revient le président de la
Commission. Recep Tayyip Erdogan s’inquiète pour la Géorgie. Au
passage, Romano Prodi tente de l’intéresser au problème arménien.
Sans succès. Le problème sera abordé plus tard. « Chaque chose en son
temps », tempère un conseiller du président.
L’heure tourne, le premier ministre est attendu au Parlement
européen. Une institution dominée par la droite allemande, hostile
depuis toujours à l’adhésion de la Turquie. A l’issue d’une rencontre
avec le président du Parlement européen et les chefs de groupes
politiques, Recep Tayyip Erdogan répète que le projet de loi visant à
criminaliser l’adultère a été retiré par le gouvernement et qu’il ne
passera pas. « Ce dossier n’a jamais figuré dans le projet de Code
pénal. Or aucun élément qui ne figure pas déjà dans le Code pénal ne
pourra être introduit », explique-t-il. Qu’adviendra-t-il si
l’amendement sur l’adultère revient sur la table dans les prochains
mois ? « Je ne peux pas dire ce que d’autres après moi feront »,
rétorque le dirigeant turc, épuisé par sa journée marathon.
Si cette étape au Parlement européen n’est pas décisive pour
l’ouverture des négociations entre Bruxelles et Ankara, elle a permis
au premier ministre de toucher du doigt le fossé qui existe entre les
dirigeants européens, majoritairement favorables à l’adhésion de la
Turquie, et les parlementaires, reflets des opinions publiques.
D’après un sondage réalisé avant les européennes à Bruxelles, dans
tous les pays de l’Union, les Européens sont en très grande majorité
opposés à l’entrée de la Turquie, un pays trop peuplé et trop
musulman à leurs yeux.
Le psychodrame autour du projet de loi sur l’adultère n’a sans doute
fait qu’accroître les suspicions. Il a démontré avec fracas l’emprise
des religieux conservateurs sur le régime actuel. « Sans l’ultimatum
très ferme de la Commission, Erdogan n’aurait jamais pu se sortir de
cette crise interne sur sa réforme du Code pénal », explique-t-on à
Bruxelles. « Il le sait très bien : quelque part, nous lui avons
rendu un sacré service ! »

National Day of Armenia celebrated at Le Royal hotel
By Daily Star Staff
Thursday, September 23, 2004
DBAYEH, Lebanon: To celebrate the National Day of the Republic of
Armenia, the Armenian ambassador in Lebanon, Areg Hovhannissian and
his wife held a lavish reception at the Le Royal Hotel in Dbayeh,
north of Beirut, Tuesday night.
The event was attended by numerous dignitaries and MPs including
Information Minister Michel Samaha, Youth Minister Sebouh Hovnanian,
and Beirut MP Hagop Kassardjian.
Lebanon has a large Armenian population and has always maintained
cordial relations with Armenia. The reception proved a great success.