Author: Nalbandian Eduard

CAHIR: CONDEMNING TURKEY ISN’T A WISE IDEA
Bill Cahir

Penn Live
ex.ssf?/base/columns-0/1193115532106480.xml&co ll=2
Oct 23 2007

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent ranks among House officials questioning the
judgment of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who said she
was going to allow the full House to vote on a resolution condemning
the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turks between 1915
and 1923.

But blaming Pelosi may be a bit too coy.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this month approved the
genocide resolution, 27-21. The measure would urge President Bush to
ensure U.S. foreign policy acknowledges the ethnic cleansing campaign
that claimed the lives of roughly 1.5 million Armenians and resulted
in the deportation of 500,000 more.

Locally, Dent and U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach in Pennsylvania, along with
U.S. Reps. Mike Ferguson and Rush Holt in New Jersey, have signed on
as co-sponsors of the House measure, H. Res. 106.

With Turkish troops and Kurdish rebels nearing a state of war, Dent
says he does not want to see the bipartisan measure brought to the
House floor.

"I support the intent of the resolution on Armenia, because I think
it’s important to recognize that there were terrible atrocities
committed against the Armenian people," Dent said. "But Speaker
Pelosi’s timing on this legislation is simply terrible, and for a
few reasons.

"First, Turkey is a major ally in the war against violent extremism,"
Dent said. "Second, Turkey has provided tremendous logistical support
for U.S. operations in the Middle East. And third, Turkey has a problem
with P.K.K. incursions in northern Iraq, and we do not want the Turks
invading the region and creating instability."

The Kurdistan Workers Party, or P.K.K., has killed 40 Turkish
soldiers in recent weeks. The P.K.K. has killed several thousand
Turkish security personnel and civilians in a conflict dating back
more than 20 years.

Kurdish terrorists took eight Turkish soldiers captive in a raid they
launched Sunday. Responding to public outrage, the Turkish Parliament
before Sunday’s provocation already had authorized military strikes
against Kurdish insurgents in Iraq.

"Political realities dictate that I have to be more concerned right
now with the events of 2007, as opposed to the horrible circumstances
that occurred in 1915," Dent said.

But House officials are a bit late coming to that discovery. The Oct.

10 vote in the Foreign Affairs Committee, along with the provocative
behavior of Kurdish militants, has thrown a series of sparks into a
powder-keg region rife with ethnic and religious tension.

Kurdish separatists who favor independence — who seek the creation
of a Kurdish state that would carve oil-rich Kirkuk from northeastern
Iraq and other lands from northwestern Iran and southeastern Turkey —
have their own reasons for favoring a broad regional war.

Members of the U.S. Congress have little or no justification
for promoting such a conflict, which would open up the bloodiest
front yet in the Iraq war and perpetuate the need for large-scale
U.S. deployments inside that country.

Turkey is a democratic ally in southwestern Asia and a member of
NATO. The United States is bound by treaty to defend Turkey if it
were attacked by a foreign power. Turkey is home to Incirlik Air Base,
the most important U.S. air installation in the region.

A sensible House might pass a resolution thanking Turkey for its
support in the war on terrorism. But is a sensible Congress what we
have today?

Bill Cahir covers New Jersey and Pennsylvania issues in Washington,
D.C., for The Express-Times.

BROWN, ERDOGAN SIGN JOINT STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.10.2007 18:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Britain Tuesday pledged its full support for Turkey
in efforts to "root out" terrorism by Kurdish PKK rebels as Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Iraq that a mandate for
a possible Turkish incursion into northern Iraq could be "exercised
at any time."

Erdogan, speaking after talks in London with British Prime Minister
Gordon Brown, stressed that any Turkish military action would be
"targeted only" at rebels of the Kurdish separatist group PKK.

The Turkish Prime Minister said his country "respected" Iraqi territory
and had "always supported the Iraqi people."

Asked at what point Turkish "patience" in seeking a solution to
the problem of PKK operations out of northern Iraq would run out,
Erdogan said: "We cannot wait forever, so we have to make decisions,
our own decisions."

He stressed that the Turkish parliament had authorized possible
military action into northern Iraq and added: "The Iraqi government
must know we can exercise this mandate we have received from the
Turkish parliament at any time."

Brown said Britain "unequivocally condemned" what the PKK had done,
and made clear that the Iraqi government had a role to play in curbing
PKK violence in the northern border region.

"As far as Iraq is concerned we will step up all the efforts that are
necessary so that terrorists cannot move from Iraq over the mountains,"
Brown said.

"We believe the actions we are prepared to take internationally
give some support to the Turkish government in these difficult
circumstances," added Brown.

Britain had declared the PKK a banned organization and would ensure
that the activities of all affiliated groups would also be proscribed.

PKK fighters were Monday reported to have taken eight Turkish soldiers
hostage following clashes with Turkish troops Sunday.

Brown and Erdogan announced that they had signed a joint strategic
partnership agreement, while Brown also pledged to continue to support
Turkey’s accession to the European Union, Digital Journal reports.

7TH "HISTORICAL-CULTURAL HERITAGE OF SHIRAK" SYMPOSIUM STARTED
By Gegham Mkrtchian, translated by L.H

AZG Armenian Daily #193
23/10/2007

Culture

On October 19, the 7th "Historical-cultural heritage of Shirak"
symposium started in Gyumri. It coincided with the 10th anniversary
of the foundation and activities of the RA Academy of Sciences’
Armenian Armenological Research Center of Shirak.

Being the first and the only Armenological Center in Armenia,
founded in 1997, the center has its own contribution to Armenological
researches.

At the opening of the symposium and the ceremony of the 10th
anniversary of the Center RA NAS president, academician Radik
Martirosian, academician secretary of the Department of the Humanities
of the Academy Vladimir Barkhudarian, Directors of NAS Institutes of
History, Archeology and Ethnography, Art, Geophysics and Engineering
Seismology Ashot Melkonian, Pavel Avetisian, Ararat Aghasian, Sevada
Hovhannisian and others delivered their welcome speeches.

The three-day scientific symposium, where 24 scientific, educational
and cultural institutions of the republic participated, gathered
a large auditorium of historians, archeologists, philologists,
ethnographers, artists and sociologists. More than 70 reports were
presented.

The Symposium aimed at discovering the present level of the
ethnography, folklore, archeology, engineering, the old and the new
history, the philological and ethno-sociological researches of Shirak.

The participants also visited archeological places,
historical-engineering monuments, and also museums and galleries of
Gyumri in the framework of the symposium.

PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD WINDS UP ARMENIA VISIT

Islamic Republic News Agency
Oct 23 2007
Iran

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wound up his two-day official visit to
Armenia and left here for Tehran on Tuesday.

During his two-day stay, the Iranian president reviewed further
expansion of Tehran-Yerevan relations as well as the latest regional
and international developments with his Armenian counterpart Robert
Kocharian.

Four letters of understanding on promotion of bilateral cooperation
were inked while a joint statement was issued by the two sides.

President Ahmadinejad delivered a speech at Yerevan University on
Monday where he received an honorary PhD and a medal.

Prior to his departure from the Armenian capital city, the Iranian
president addressed a large group of Iranians residing in Armenia
on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, senior presidential advisor
Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi and a number of other senior officials were
accompanying President Ahmadinejad in the visit.

AHMADINEJAD WRAPS UP ARMENIA VISIT

PRESS TV
Oct 23 2007
Iran

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has
wound up his official visit to neighboring Armenia and left for home.

The Iranian President paid his two-day visit to Yerevan upon the
invitation of his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian.

In a meeting between the two presidents, they stressed the importance
of consolidating relations in all fields.

Iran and Armenia signed four memoranda of understanding and issued
a joint statement.

Ahmadinejad delivered a speech at the Yerevan State University on
Monday. Rector of the University Aram Simonyan awarded an honorary
doctorate to the President.

The President hosted a gathering of Iranian nationals residing in
Armenia on Tuesday prior to his departure for Tehran.

Presidential Advisor Mojtaba Samareh-Hashemi, Foreign Minister
Manouchehr Mottaki, Caretaker of Oil Ministry Gholam-Hossein Nozari and
Head of Iran-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group Ahmad Nateq-Nouri
accompanied the President in his visit to Yerevan.

DEMOCRATS TALK TURKEY
Hunter Cates, Staff Writer

The Collegian online, OK
le=3481
Oct 23 2007

Will Rogers once famously said, "I don’t believe in organized
government. I’m a Democrat." I always thought he was kidding.

This Congress’ approval rating continues to hover around a feeble 20
percent and the public consensus is that this is the perfect example
of a "do nothing" Congress.

With only a symbolic minimum wage hike to show for their efforts,
Congress may have earned the label.

However the impending passage of a resolution labeling the Turkish
mass murdering of Armenians nearly 90 years ago a genocide, a purely
symbolic bill, may have detrimental consequences.

>From 1915 to 1923 the Turkish Ottoman Empire conducted what is
considered by many historians to be one of the first modern, systematic
genocides, wiping 1.5 million Armenians off the face of the Earth.

It was truly one of the darkest stains in world history. No one should
dare deny that fact.

Unfortunately the modern day Republic of Turkey doesn’t see it that
way, feeling instead the event was a calamity which occurred during the
chaos of war, not a methodical killing which would constitute genocide.

Surely the U.S. Congress is right calling for another nation to take
accountability for their actions.

It’s not that simple. There is a war going on in Iraq right now,
and about 70 percent of all of our military cargo going in and out
of that country goes through Turkey.

As soon as word of this resolution came forth, Turkey called their
ambassador home and has warned that passage of this resolution would
lead to their withdrawal of support.

Perhaps even more troubling is that this resolution coincides with
Turkey’s contemplation of invading Northern Iraq to combat Turkish
Kurd terrorists, known as the Kurdish Workers’ Party.

That wouldn’t sit well with the already unstable United States-backed
Iraqi government.

As Turkish Gen. Yasar Buyukanit warned "If this resolution (that)
passed in the committee passes the House as well, our military ties
with the U.S. will never be the same again."

This isn’t a different government that shouldn’t have to take account
for what its predecessors did, but until a mistake is acknowledged,
it is more likely to be repeated

The Armenians deserve an apology. But a forced apology is no apology
at all. And the fact that this resolution has taken 90 years to reach
the U.S. Congress is perplexing.

Because this is a symbolic bill, and isn’t technically any different
than the Congress’s recent condemnation of Rush Limbaugh, one has
to wonder what took so long. Why now, when we have so much to lose
because of it?

According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the bill must be passed now
"because many of the survivors are very old." This is not a very
convincing case for spitting in the face of one of our few allies in
the Middle East.

What is most worrisome is that the rationale for this measure has
motivations far more political then just bringing justice to the
elderly. If the United States can’t send in 70 percent of their cargo
into Iraq, then the Iraq war is over.

Since the Democrats gained control of Congress they have felt their
primary crusade is to end the war in Iraq. Much to the chagrin of
their base, they have largely failed.

In order to set a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq, they need 60
votes in the Senate, which they don’t have, to override an inevitable
Bush veto.

What they may have is enough votes in the House to pass this resolution
which could vicariously end the war.

Regardless of your stance on this war hopefully we can all agree that
this is the wrong way to go about withdrawing. If this is indeed the
incipient intention of this resolution, to force a troop withdrawal,
then that would be legislating defeat. And, again, it would be
dangerous for the troops.

Turkey needs to take accountability for the past, that much is
certain. But Congress must also make sure that this resolution
doesn’t pass.

ARMENIAN TRUCKS TO CARRY OUT TRANSIT CARGO TRANSPORTATION THROUGH TERRITORY OF IRAN

Noyan Tapan
Oct 23, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The Iranian side recently expressed
a willingness to promote transit transportation of Armenian goods
through its territory to the ports of Bendaraabbas and Enzeli, as well
as to other crossing points on the border of Iran. NT correspondent
was informed by the RA ministry of transport and communication that
this agreement was reached during the recent visit of the RA deputy
minister of transport and communication Hrant Beglarian to Iran when
a sitting of the joint commission on cooperation in the transport
sector between the RA ministry of transport and communication and
the Iranian ministry of roads and comminication was held.

According to the same source, both countries are members of the TIR
convention and the agreement on the North-South corridor so special
provisions will be used with respect to transit goods registered
under this agreement – as priority transportation goods.

RA PRIME MINISTER’S MEETINGS WITH IMF AND WOLD BANK LEADERS

armradio.am
22.10.2007 13:35

October 21 in Washington RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan met with
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the newly appointed Managing Director of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF). Congratulating Mr. Strauss-Kahn
on appointment, PM Serge Sargsyan wished him success in solving the
issues the Fund faces.

At the request of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Serge Sargsyan presented
the contemporary traits of economic development in Armenia, as well
as the perspectives of Armenia’s cooperation with IMF. In particular,
the Prime Minister underlined that ever since 1992 due to the joint
programs with the IMF, Armenia has managed to achieve macroeconomic
stability, restore the economy destabilized as a result of USSR
collapse, attaining high indices of economic growth.

Later that day Serge Sargsyan hosted the American Co-Chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group Matthew Bryza at the Armenian Embassy in the US. Issues
of bilateral importance were discussed during the meeting.

October 21 RA Prime Minister had meetings with the leadership of the
World Bank. During the meeting with WB Vice-President Shigeo Katsu
the Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the current level of
cooperation with the Bank and presented the priorities of the Armenian
Government that can become the most important directions of future
partnership with the World Bank. Mr. Katsu noted that the International
Development Association has recognized Armenia as a country that has
achieved highest results as regards the economic indices and the pace
of economic development. Very often the World Bank presents Armenia
as a "successful example" of effective implementation of reforms.

The Conservative Voice, NC
Oct 20 2007

Turkish Temper Tantrum
October 20, 2007 01:00 PM EST

by Craig Chamberlain

If the Armenian genocide of 1915 wasn’t a genocide then why are the
Turks so enraged whenever the subject comes up? Yes, it’s true that
the massacre happened during a time of war and that some Turks lost
their lives. But the campaign was nothing more than an attempt by the
failing Ottoman government to wipe out the Armenians. After all they
weren’t Turks and they weren’t Muslims so why have them around.

Not that the Armenians were the first victims of Turkish agression.
For over a century the Turks ruled and brutalized the Balkans, with
acts of violence and forcibly taking Christian children from their
homes and making them Janisarries in the Ottoman army. (Now all of
that is in the past, although if Erdogan has his way the old Turkey
might emerge again.)The Greeks who had been living in Asia minor
since the bronze age were forcibly expelled by the Turks after world
war one. The Kurds had every shred of the culture buried by the
Turks(the Turks went so far as to deny that they Kurds even existed,
referring to them as "mountain Turks).

In the old days the Turks targeted their victims for religious
reasons. Non Muslims were the victims of their violence. After the
rise of Ataturk Jihad was replaced by Turkish Chauvinism. Now Turkey
is trying to combine the two. Erdogan is trying to create a new
Islamism at home and nationalism abroad.

That being said Congress has better things to do. If they want to
deal with genocide why not deal with the situation in Darfur, which
is ongoing, instead of talking about something that happened in 1915?
The answer is that Congress likes grandstanding and chest thumping,
they just don’t like to take any action.

Instead all they do is agitate a very touchy country, a country that
already wants to invade Iraq so they can launch a new campaign
against the Kurds(if Erdogan has his way he’ll turn the hunt for a
few PKK rebels into a new genocide) though it seems after Erdogan has
gotten to rattle the saber he’s backing down. The situation in Iraq
is still dangerous, even after the success of the surge, and we
couldn’t have allowed the Turks to invade the Kurdish region which
happens to be the most stable part of Iraq.

As allies the Turks are valuable, but not irreplaceable. Under
Erdogan relations have gotten worse from cool to downright frozen.
Still it would be in the interests of the United States to keep the
Turks on our side. Congress should abandon the resolution, there’s
nothing that can be done about it. If they want to stop violence let
them stop something that’s still ongoing. The Turks are going to be
Turks no matter how Congress votes.

e/28748.html

Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia
Oct 19 2007

THESE ELECTIONS TO BE EASIER FOR THE VOTER

In response to our questions, Head of Armenian Sociological
Association Gevorg Poghosyan comments on the results of October 2 – 7
poll.

`Your recent survey coincided with the livening of Armenian Pan
National Movement. Does the 3,8% that Levon Ter-Petrosyan obtained,
prove that society is, mildly speaking, far not enthusiastic about
the attack of the former ones?’
‘By the way it was conditioned by the livening of Armenian Pan
National Movement that we decided to conduct the survey at that very
period of time. It is very important for us to know, how can the
appearance of the new player in the political arena change the social
opinion. It came clear that nothing has changed. It seemed Levon
Ter-Petrosyan’s livening created certain enthusiasm – the political
arena became tensed, all the Mass Media started to discuss this fact,
but society, in essence, remained quite indifferent to it.
A question arises – why? Because our society is divided into
layers, not only from the social point of view but also political
activeness. We have 5-7% narrow layer of rich people, more or less
well to do ones, poor people, and those who are beyond poverty line.
This differentiation is strongly emphasized in Armenia. The same is
in politics.
Layers exist here as well. There is a small class here, in the
person of authorities, parties, leaders and Mass Media, who are in
full swing, very much interested in political processes, they are
provided with corresponding information, they know lots of things,
they can see and analyze lots of things and finally exchange
information.
Conventionally, it is a class of rich people in political and
informational terms, with a huge layer of poor people near them (in
informational terms), those who are quite indifferent to everything.
It’s one thing that you are in the middle of the events and it’s
quite a different thing that you are sitting somewhere in the village
and you suddenly hear that Levon Ter-Petrosyan has delivered a speech
somewhere and has made certain announcements. And by the way the
thing is not only about Levon Ter-Petrosyan.’
‘Can the situation essentially change before the elections? Can a
sudden storm change the logic of the pre-election developments?’
‘It can. I must repeat we have measured the starting opportunities
of the political powers. But in any case, the opposition has
resources that they haven’t used by now. It is their unification –
something that we have been hearing for a long time, but we haven’t
seen yet. It is the choice of the leader of the `only candidate’,
who, why not, can definitely influence the election process. If there
is polarization in opposition camp we can expect serious rivalry and
interesting developments during the presidential elections.’
` It is noteworthy that the rating of the leaders essentially
exceeds the rating of their parties, not only in case of `National
Unity’, `Orinats Yerkir’, `Heritage’ but even the Republican
parties.’
‘It is not a new phenomenon. If we refer to Dashnaktsutyun party,
in their case the party gives more to the leader than the leader to
the party. In other cases the contrary logic prevails. For example if
Artashes Geghamyan leaves `National Unity’ the party won’t exist any
more.
As for the Republican Party, it is not a secret that the party’s
rating is mainly conditioned by the organized and coordinated
activity of the Prime Minister and his political team.’
`If we take into considerations the fact that in case of ARFD
party’s rating is much higher than that of the leader, do you think
the fact that Dashnaktsutyun has made a decision to nominate its own
candidate for presidency will work?’
‘Dashnaktsutyun can really face problems in this respect.
Especially because by standing for the elections with their own
candidate Dashnaktsutyun can deprive itself of the authority’s
support and partially lose their rating. Not only because they have
adopted an independent policy. The authority stands for the elections
in the person of coalition and Dashnaktsutyun as if stands aside.
The worst example is `Orinats Yerkir’ party, that was driven out
of the coalition and was not accepted by the opposition, as a result,
they lost a big part of their supporters. By refusing to join the
coalition Dashnaktsutyun can also be deprived of certain levers, with
all the circumstances deriving from it. On the other hand it is
worthy of respect, that knowing that they will lose something,
Dashnaktsutyun anyway made a decision to conduct an independent
policy.
Anyhow this time it will be easier for the voter, because they
have to choose not between 20 parties but 6-7 specific individuals.
And the most important thing is that people know all the candidates
and are familiar with their biography.

LILIT POGHOSYAN