Author: Nahapetian Samvel

THEY WANTED TO KILL ERDOGAN RIGHT THERE IN PARLIAMENT

Tert.am
11:15 * 24.03.10

An attempted murder was allegedly committed against Turkey’s Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reports Turkish news agency Cihan
yesterday, citing official sources.

On March 23, Erdogan delivered a speech during the ruling Justice and
Development Party’s session in the parliament. In the meantime, his
bodyguard and Turkish law enforcement bodies were taking extraordinary
measures to ensure the prime minister’s security. The session hall
was full of police officers and security guards. Some people, who had
come to have meetings with Erdogan, were not allowed even to enter
the parliament building.

According to Cihan, the attempted murder against Erdogan was planned
to be committed right in the session hall of Turkey’s Grand National
Assembly. No other details are reported.

Citing local governmental anonymous sources, Turkish daily Milliyet
reports that from time to time the security service receives alarms
in relation to possible attempted murders against Erdogan.

DASHNAKTSUTYUN BRINGS COUNCIL OF EUROPE REFERENCE TO PROVE IT’S OPPOSITION?

Tert.am
13:22 ~U 24.03.10

Asked how he sees extraordinary elections in Armenia taking place,
given that governing authorities have no intention whatsoever to
hold extraordinary elections, Armenian National Congress (ANC)
representative Davit Shahnazaryan, at a press conference today,
said, "It doesn’t matter, they’ll be faced with it, with or without
intentions."

The ANC representative added that the authorities weren’t in the mood
for regular elections either and they too were catastrophic for them.

In his words, while preparing for extraordinary elections, the ANC will
be ready to cooperate with a lot of political powers except those who
bring a reference from the Council of Europe to prove that they are
an opposition party, hinting at the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun).

TURKEY PREPARING ALTERNATIVES IN RESPONSE TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.03.2010 18:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey is preparing alternatives in response to
passage of Armenian Genocide resolution in foreign parliaments.

According to Turkish Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Burak
Ozugergin, in future Turkey might resort to the standards of
international law. As he noted, parliament is not the right place to
discuss historic issues.

The resolution can have a negative effect on bilateral relations,
TRT-Russian cited the spokesman as saying.

On March 4, 2010, with a vote of 23 to 22, the House Foreign Relations
Committee successfully passed House Resolution 252 (H. Res. 252)
pushing the Resolution in Congress for a final vote yet to be
scheduled.

On March 11, 2010, the Swedish Parliament recognized the Armenian
Genocide in Ottoman Empire in 1915 by 131 votes in favor and 130
against,

Calling on to gift Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan, international
community acts illogically

2010-03-20 13:42:00

ArmInfo. We cannot eliminate the consequences of this conflict
without addressing its causes. And when speaking about the causes: we
talk about recognising the people of Nagorno Karabakh’s right of self
determination: the recognition of this right and its implementation,
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview with Euronews
TV channel.

"I think the international community does not have a different vision.
History is well- known: Nagorno Karabakh was not a part of independent
Azerbaijan. It was the Caucasus Bureau of the Communist Party of the
Soviet Union which attached Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Why did
the international community acclaim the collapse of the Soviet Union
and not consider Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan part and parcel of the Soviet Union? – still saying
Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan? It is not logical, is
it?", Armenian president said.

"The other problems will be solved rapidly after that. The Armenian
parts of this conflict, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, are profoundly
interested in a swift resolution of this conflict. But a sustainable
resolution that would allow for peace and security in the region, as
opposed to giving Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh, which would spell the
end of its existence", S. Sargsyan resumed.

Aysor, Armenia
March 20 2010

We can’t oblige our neighbors to think as we do, says Mr Sargsyan

`We cannot oblige our neighbors to think as we do,’ said Armenia’s
President Serzh Sargsyan in an interview with Euronews when asked why
the Yerevan State University awarded an honorary degree to the Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2007, while Iranian President denies
the Holocaust.

`One should not narrow things down to a single person. To bestow upon
the leader of a country an honorific reward signifies an expression of
gratitude and recognition towards the people of that country. The
Iranians have been our neighbors for centuries and they are very
important to us,’ said President Sargsyan.

Asked whether he would call the Yerevan State University’s decision
Armenian `realpolitik’, Mr. Sargsyan said: `I would consider it as a
particular approach by the State University of Yerevan towards a
particular issue, an approach quite current in Europe and in the
democratically developed countries of the world.’

ARMENIAN DEPORTATION REMARKS DRAW IRE LOCALLY AND ABROAD

Today’s Zaman
March 19 2010
Turkey

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks about the possible
deportation of undocumented Armenian workers from Turkey after US and
Swedish lawmakers passed resolutions branding the World War I-era
killings of Anatolian Armenians as genocide have sparked reactions
both in Yerevan and in Ankara.

"Look, there are 170,000 Armenians in my country — 70,000 of them are
my citizens, but we are [tolerating] 100,000 of them [illegally] in our
country. So, what will we do tomorrow? If it is necessary, I will tell
them, ‘Come on, back to your country.’ I will do it. Why? They are not
my citizens. I am not obliged to keep them in my country. I mean these
are [defenders of the Armenian claims of genocide]. Their attitude is
negatively affecting our sincere attitude, and they are not aware of
it," Erdogan told the BBC Turkish service in an interview on Tuesday.

Erdogan’s comments met with a stern reaction from Armenia. "This kind
of political statement does not help improve relations between the two
states," said Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarksyan. "I agree with
the assessment that when the Turkish prime minister allows himself
to make such statements, the events of 1915 immediately return to
our memory," he added.

Thousands of illegal Armenian immigrants, mostly women from the
impoverished countryside, work as cleaning ladies and in other
low-skilled jobs in Ä°stanbul, where many settled after an earthquake
in their homeland in 1988. The exact number of Armenian immigrants in
Turkey is unknown. But Turkish-Armenian groups say Turkish politicians
inflate the numbers of illegal workers and threaten expulsions whenever
tensions escalate between Ankara and Yerevan.

In Ankara, Deniz Baykal, the leader of the main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP), called Erdogan’s remarks "grave" and "against
human rights."

"Wanting to use people who came to Turkey for work as a trump card
in the resolution of a dispute is definitely unacceptable and
is against human rights. Various people may have some ideas, an
opposition party deputy may also say something [similar], but these
are not statements that have results — perhaps you can call them
inappropriate statements. But when a prime minister, a person who has
the authority to deport them, says such things, then it is very grave,"
Baykal told his party’s parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday.

Back in October 2006, upon the adoption of a French bill criminalizing
the denial of the alleged genocide of Armenians, CHP deputy Å~^ukru
Elekdag, a former Turkish ambassador to the US, had called for
sanctions on Armenia, which he said was working in cooperation with the
Armenian diaspora for international recognition of the alleged genocide
and said that some Armenian illegal workers should be deported.

In Ä°stanbul, the Young Civilians, a civil society group known for
its creative demonstrations in support of democracy, held a protest on
Ä°stiklal Street, in a show of protest against the prime minister. The
group digitally edited a photograph of Talat PaÅ~_a to include photos
of Erdogan and Canan Arıtman of the CHP, who also suggested deporting
Armenian workers in Turkey.

"Let’s send them via the Erzurum-Kars route, barefoot," text on the
photo read, in apparent reference to the 1915 forced emigration of
Anatolian Armenians. Armenians were forcefully expelled to the Syrian
desert in 1915 upon orders from Talat PaÅ~_a.

KARAPETIAN: WHAT DID ARMENIA GAIN IN ‘FOOTBALL DIPLOMACY’?

Aysor
March 18 2010
Armenia

"We’ve started a meaningless and a very complicated process," told
journalists leader of the Modern Times Party Aram Karapetian, keeping
in view the Armenia-Turkey reconciliation.

"This process will lead to more antagonistic relations with Turkey as
well as with Azerbaijan," he said, mentioning the recent statements
by Turkish parliamentarians and Prime Minister to deport illegally
living in Turkey Armenians.

When asked what Armenia gained in this process of reconciliation, Aram
Karapetian said that "the border is still closed, relations are still
at sword’s points, and Nagorno-Karabakh may face war." According to
politician, Armenia gained nothing; moreover, Armenia is more coming
to a full.

EXPERTS: TURKISH PM’S ON EVICTION OF ILLEGALLY LIVING ARMENIANS WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT ESTABLISHING OF ANKARA-YEREVAN RELATIONS

Today
4345.html
March 18 2010
Azerbaijan

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statements on eviction
of illegally Armenian migrants from the country will adversely
affect the process of normalization of the Ankara-Yerevan relations,
experts believe.

"The Armenian lobby will use Erdogan’s statement against Turkey," Johns
Hopkins University, Institute of Central Asia and Caucasus director,
Svante Cornell said. "This is will unambiguously negative impact on
the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and the overall
impact on Turkey’s current situation."

Erdogan warned of possible expulsion of 100,000 Armenians illegally
living in Turkey, if Armenia does not get rid of the Armenian
diaspora’s control, in an interview to the British BBC television
and radio company.

It was the minister’s response to the question asked about Ankara’s
reaction to adoption of a resolution recognizing the so-called
"Armenian genocide" by the several countries’ parliaments.

A week after the adoption of the resolution on "Armenian genocide"
by the U.S Congress’s committee March 4, the Swedish parliament by a
margin of one vote, approved the document that recognizes the so-called
"genocide."

Erdogan said nearly 170,000 Armenians live in Turkey currently.

"70,000 of these people are our citizens and others are living in
Turkey illegally," he said. "Tomorrow, if necessary, I will say that
100,000 to leave our country. I’ll do this because they are not our
citizens and I am not obliged to keep them in our country."

Observers believe Erdogan’s statement is a diplomatic message- warning
for Armenia. However, the world Armenian diaspora is unlikely to
respond to it.

Armenia should draw conclusion from Turkish Erdogan’s statement on
eviction of illegally living 100,000 Armenians from the country,
Erdogan’s Adviser on Eurasia Geybulla Ramazanoglu thinks.

With such a statement, Erdogan wants to show the world and the Armenian
lobby that Turkey has great capacity to deal with the Armenians.

"It is no secret that Armenia continues its pressure on Ankara over
its so-called" Armenian genocide "and many other means. Armenia should
understand that Turkey may also, as it, to resort to different levers
of pressure," Ramazanoglu said.

However, the Armenian lobby is unlikely to make concessions towards
Erdogan’s statement, experts said. "The Armenians’ welfare has never
been urgent for the Armenian lobby. The lobby has never worked in
the interests of Armenia", Prime Minister’s advisor said.

According to Azerbaijani political analyst Tofig Abbasov, a
100-strong army of illegal immigrants in the country with strict
immigration procedures, should be considered as created support
to normalize relations. It is programmed and will be held. Besides
illegal immigrants, there is also a numerous Armenian diaspora in
Turkey. It is also endowed with a conciliatory function. All these
forces together will rebuild the very foundation which is necessary
for the restoration of relations.

"I think Erdogan’s statement about the possible expulsion of illegal
Armenian immigrants from Turkey is the link in the chain of emotional
skirmishes that ensued between the parties after a failure in the
protocol of diplomacy," analytical group "Lider-TV" expert Abbasov
said.

However, according to experts, Erdogan’s statement will negatively
affect the process of the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement.

Ramazanoglu said that the ongoing negotiations "at an impasse" and
while Armenia does not back down from its current position with
regard to Turkey and Azerbaijan, there will not be any shift in
these negotiations.

According to Abbasov, it was naive to believe that reconciliation
will occur without a problem. The question is not simple. One can
say that it is painful for both Armenia and Turkey. But one should
cross the existing barriers, expert said. Washington insists on this
as the main initiator of the whole program, he said. "All this is
done because Armenia as a country has already resigned itself as a
migrant worker of a big geopolitical market. Because of incompetence
as a subject of international policy, Yerevan was forced to go on a
desperate action, by delegating its powers to take important decisions
to the superpowers," Abbasov said.

For this reason, Armenia will not be able to do anything significant
if Ankara takes extreme measures, he said.

According to Cornell, Erdogan must not have done such nationalist
statements in such a sensitive moment for the Armenian-Turkish
relations, when the protocols have not been ratified, and the Committee
on Foreign Affairs of the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a
resolution on "genocide", which only exacerbated the tensions between
the two countries.

"Such statements are sure to negatively affect the process of
establishing the relations between Ankara and Yerevan," Cornel said.

KOTI VILLAGE FIRED UPON BY AZERI ARMED FORCES

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.03.2010 15:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Ministry of Defense issued a message,
disproving yet another Azeri media-spread disinformation, claiming
that Armenian armed forces violated ceasefire in Tavush region by
centering fire on Azeri positions.

As the Ministry said, the village of Koti was fired upon by the Azeri
armed forces. No one was injured.

APOLOGIES TO ANKARA FOR GENOCIDE RESOLUTION COST MUCH TO SWEDISH PM

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.03.2010 20:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Social Democratic Party of Sweden has sued the
Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt for opposing the Armenian Genocide
resolution adopted by the Riksdag. During a telephone conversation
with his Turkish counterpart, Fredrik Reynfeldt said that adoption
of this resolution by the Swedish Parliament made him upset.

He assured the Turkish Prime Minister that the resolution does not
obligate the government of Sweden and has no legislative rule.

Social Democratic Party member Erik Ostberg subjected to criticism
Fredrik Reinfeldt’s statement . "The apology to Erdogan contradicts
to the adopted resolution and the laws of Sweden. Such behavior of the
Swedish Prime Minister shows that the government is acting against the
people’s will. That is why we filed a lawsuit against Mr. Reinfeldt,"
he said.

On March 11, Swedish Parliament with a vote 131-130 recognized the
Armenians, Assyrians/Syrians/Chaldeans and Pontic Greeks.