Author: Nargizian David

EU: EUROPEAN OUTLOOK FOR BALKANS AND TURKEY NOT QUESTIONED

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.06.2008 13:58 GMT+04:00

European Union foreign ministers quarreled over the fate of the bloc’s
new governing treaty after a veto in Ireland slammed the brakes on
moves toward a more politically united Europe, reports say.

Several ministers questioned whether the Irish could be hauled back
to the polls again, partly because the EU didn’t force reruns in
France and the Netherlands after their voters torpedoed the proposed
EU constitution in 2005.

The failure of the treaty doesn’t undermine the process of the EU
enlargement, according to Krisztina Nagy, a spokesperson for EU
Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. "European outlook for Balkans
and Turkey is not questioned," she said.

However her statement conflicts with the opinion of Mr Hans-Gert
Pottering, President of the European Parliament, who said that EU’s
further enlargement is impossible unless the Lisbon Treaty takes
effect.

The new treaty, signed in Lisbon in December, was meant to point the
way out of the impasse triggered by the failure of the constitution. It
includes many of the constitution’s innovations, such as the 2 1/2-year
presidency post.

Known as the Lisbon Treaty, the latest update to the EU’s founding
Treaty of Rome of 1957, it would also strengthen the foreign-policy
chief, give more power to the democratically elected European
Parliament and national parliaments, and shrink the European
Commission, the EU’s executive agency.

The treaty can only take effect once all 27 EU countries endorse it,
giving the 862,000 Irish who voted "no" a veto over political life
in a group of 495 million people. So far, 18 countries have ratified
it through parliament.

NKR FM GEORGY PETROSSIAN’S COMMENTARY ON THE RECENT STATEMENTS BY AZERBAIJAN’S FM E. MAMEDYAROV

KarabakhOpen
16-06-2008 17:30:01

Question: How would you comment on Azerbaijani Foreign Minister’s
statement on Â"some nuancesÂ" in Armenia’s new leadership’s stance?

I am not aware of any changes in Armenia’s stance on
Azerbaijani-Karabahki conflict. As my Armenian counterpart already
stated Armenia’s stance on Nagorno Karabakh has not changed.

NKR’s stance on the possible agreement has not changed either. Without
NKR people’s agreement no document on conflict settlement with
Azerbaijan can be signed and all the more realized.

Question: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister stated that the conflict’s
peaceful settlement is already a compromise by Azerbaijan. Would you
comment it?

Azerbaijani side’s position that peaceful settlement of the conflict is
a compromise from their side is a badly-hidden political and diplomatic
blackmail directed to mediators and Armenia. The official Baku has
initially counted on the Azerbaijani-Karabakhi conflict settlement by
means of force, threats and blackmail. Such a policy by Azerbaijan
which aims at imposing their own scenario of conflict settlement
not only threatens the negotiation process but also undermines the
regional security and stability.

Question: The Azerbaijani side has once again raised the question of
determination of Nagorno Karabakh’s final status bringing as a sample
the model of Tatarstan. What is your viewpoint on the given issue?

Speaking about Tatarstan’s model as a possible model of autonomy
for Nagorno Karabakh Azerbaijan’s representatives do not take into
consideration the fact that Tatarstan is a subject of a federative
state. If Azerbaijan intends to become a federative state and grant
the national minorities – Lezghins, Talyshs, Awarians, Udins, etc. –
the status of federation subject it is the right of people of the
Azerbaijani Republic. The given initiative can only be welcomed;
however, we do not see us in this formation. We have made our
choice. Our independence cannot be a subject of bargaining.

–Boundary_(ID_+F93dpN+7DIjZOCQ8nd9oA )–

"DO NOT BELIEVE THE JUNTA’S LIES" ARMENIAN OPPOSITION URGES PACE RAPPORTEURS

AZG Armenian Daily
17/06/2008

Local

The opposition organized a protest demonstration on the occasion
of arrival of Jon Prescott and George Colombier, PACE Rapporteurs
from the PACE Monitoring Commission, in Armenia. The oppositions
slogans were the following, "Do not defend the Murderers of March 1",
"Free the Political Detainees", "Europe’s Hands Are also in Blood",
written in Armenian and English.

The demonstrators came from the Northern Avenue and stopped near the
Armenia-Marriott Hotel, where the Rapporteurs are staying.

According to information retrieved from Noyyan Tapan news agency,
the demonstrators were shouting out the "Free Independent Armenia",
"Serjhik Mardaspan (Murderer Serge)", "Liberty", "Levon President"
and "Fightng, Fightning ’till the End" slogans for almost two hours
and then left the area.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
June 15 2008

Newspapers forced to self-censor on Ergenekon coverage

by E. BARIÅ? ALTINTAÅ? – Ä°STANBUL

Journalists and newspaper editors who want to cover in depth the
course of an investigation into Ergenekon, a shady gang whose members
allegedly perpetrated a number of attacks and bombings to create chaos
that would eventually lead to the overthrowing of the Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) government, are increasingly hesitant
about being bold in sharing details with their readers as prosecutors
have immediately been launching investigations into virtually all news
stories on the topic.

So far the Justice Ministry has opened 472 investigations into media
outlets in the past three months over alleged violations of the
confidentiality of the Ergenekon case, Justice Minister Mehmet Ali
Å?ahin announced late last month in response to a parliamentary
inquiry raised by Democratic Left Party (DSP) deputy Süleyman
YaÄ?ız. A court ordered a ban on the case earlier this
year.

The justice minister said publicizing documents from testimony given
as part of the Ergenekon case violated the Code on Criminal Procedure
(CMK) due to the case’s confidential nature, adding that despite this,
some media outlets had publicized the details of the case in a way
that violated its confidentiality and could affect the investigation.

The minister said in his statement that state prosecutors had the
authority to launch probes into these instances and had done so,
adding: `We have issued an internal memo to the Ä°stanbul Police
Department and ordered them to pursue any violations by media organs
of the confidentiality of the Ergenekon case and refer them to the
offices of the state prosecutors. As part of this, 472 probes were
launched in the first three months of 2008.’

However, the prosecutors might just be too sensitive about the
confidentiality of this case. Å?amil Tayyar, the Ankara bureau
chief of the Star daily, facing dozens of Ergenekon coverage-related
probes, said: `Turkey is not a state of law, but a state of
rules. They know how to use the legal system as it fits them,’ he
said, offering an explanation as to why state prosecutors can appear
to be more sensitive about certain cases, than others.

Ali OdabaÅ?ı, the editor legally responsible for printed
material in the Zaman daily, also agreed that the prosecutors were
more active on the Ergenekon case. He said, `Although it is usually
natural for cases where a court has made a confidentiality ruling to
have many investigations, since the police scans press material and
then informs the prosecutors, in the Ergenekon case, some of the
investigations have been really unnecessary.’

He said Zaman was facing similar probes for nearly 30 stories, but
only three or four of these were potentially in violation of the
confidentiality order. `The minute they see the word Ergenekon, they
launch a probe without paying attention to whether the content is
really in violation of confidentiality. The majority of our stories
are simply reprints of information that has appeared elsewhere, so
there is no need to launch an investigation into those,’ he said.

Star’s Tayyar said he had no doubt that Oktay EkÅ?i, the chief
columnist of a daily owned by the DoÄ?an Media Group and
president of the Press Council, an umbrella organization for
journalists, played a major role in the increased sensitivity the
prosecutors have shown.

`After other newspapers published news stories about the details of
Ergenekon, EkÅ?i called all prosecutors to do their duty,’
Tayyar said, sharing his opinion that the DoÄ?an Media Group’s
coverage of the details of the Ergenekon case was
restricted. `EkÅ?i asked why no one has done anything to stop
the publication of news on Ergenekon and put psychological pressure on
the prosecutors. The number of investigations involving Ergenekon
stories spiked after that particular statement.’

He said the press investigations had effectively worked to suppress
media interest in Ergenekon. The number of investigations, he said,
forced most editorial teams to impose a sort of self-censorship on
themselves to avoid trouble.

OdabaÅ?ı agreed. `First, the reporters themselves are
hesitant. They don’t want to write. Instead of, say, three reports on
Ergenekon, you get one.’

Confidentiality of process and the right to information

In late March, Soner ArıkanoÄ?lu, a correspondent for the
Taraf daily, was detained over a news story on the Ergenekon
investigation that was published in his newspaper.

Veteran legal correspondent ArıkanoÄ?lu had written
recent exclusive reports in Taraf under his byline concerning an
ongoing probe into the illegal neo-nationalist gang allegedly
preparing the atmosphere in Turkey for a military coup against the AK
Party government.

ArıkanoÄ?lu’s report covered the content of a compact
disc in the headquarters of the Workers’ Party (Ä°P) — whose
leader, DoÄ?u Perinçek, was earlier jailed over alleged
links to Ergenekon. The CD included maps and documents on detailed
plans of the gang to stage an attack on the Supreme Court of
Appeals. The report appeared in Taraf in March with
ArıkanoÄ?lu’s byline.

ArıkanoÄ?lu was taken into custody by the police based on
the testimony of Perinçek’s wife, Å?ule Perinçek,
who claimed that no such CD was ever found in the Ä°P
office. She accused ArıkanoÄ?lu of having sent the
contents of the CD to the police. Taraf’s editorial on the story said
the newspaper was utterly confused as to how the police — which knows
perfectly well that the CD was found during an operation — could take
Å?ule Perinçek’s allegations seriously.

Detaining a journalist based on the testimony of a spouse of one of
the suspects most certainly raised questions on the state of freedom
of the press in Turkey and readers’ rights to information.

In a statement released on the detention, the G-9 Journalists Platform
said that ArıkanoÄ?lu’s detention has `made freedom of
the press open to question once again.’ The group said: `Such methods
of arrests and raids against media institutions are being perceived as
efforts to pressure journalists and at the same time hurt the
reputation of our country. We want our colleague, who was only doing
his job as a journalist, to be brought before a judge.’

Strange connections

The Ergenekon investigation began as the continuation of an
investigation into a house used as an ammunitions depot in June of
last year. Revelations emanating from the investigation thus far have
shown that many of the attacks attributed to separatist or Islamist
groups or seen as hate crimes against minorities were actually `inside
jobs’ by people connected to Ergenekon.

People such as the lawyer of Yasin Aydın, one of the suspects
charged in the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, have
appeared before courts as suspects in the Ergenekon operation.

The investigation into the gang has exposed links between an attack on
the Council of State in 2006, threats and attacks against people
accused of being unpatriotic and a 1996 car crash known as the
Susurluk incident, which revealed links between a police chief, a
convicted ultranationalist fugitive and a member of Parliament as well
as links to the plans of some groups in Turkey’s powerful military to
overthrow the government.

Some of the nearly 50 suspects under arrest and awaiting trial so far
include Veli Küçük, a retired major general who
is also the alleged founder of an illegal intelligence unit in the
gendarmerie, the existence of which is denied by officials; Ä°P
leader Perinçek; controversial ultranationalist lawyer Kemal
Kerinçsiz, who filed countless suits against Turkish writers
and intellectuals at odds with Turkey’s official policies; Fikret
KaradaÄ?, a retired army colonel; Sevgi Erenerol, the press
spokesperson for a shady group called the Turkish Orthodox
Patriarchate; and Sami HoÅ?tan, a key figure in the Susurluk
investigation. Ali Yasak, a well-known gangster linked to the figures
in the Susurluk incident, was also detained in the operation.

ELNUR HUSEYNOV AND SAMIR JAVADZADEH: "WE WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN EUROVISION SONG CONTEST ANY MORE"

Azeri Press Agency
June 13 2008
Azerbaijan

Let Azerbaijanis not believe in rumours on us

Baku. Ulkar Gasimova-APA. Azerbaijani singers Elnur Huseynov and Samir
Javadzadeh, who represented Azerbaijan in Eurovision 2008 Song Contest,
gave an interview to APA exclusively

-Is 8th place successful for Azerbaijan, which participated in the
contest for the first time?

Elnur Huseynov: Of course, it is not only our success, but whole
Azerbaijan. We think that we will be among first trio.

Samir Javadzadeh: 8th place is not bad for the first time. Azerbaijan
has been represented for the first time within 53 years. Our music
is at high level, because Azerbaijan takes the 8th place for the
first time.

Azerbaijanis living in other countries supported us very much. All
Europe believed in that we would take the place among first
five. Everybody knows that this is political contest.

-How were you met in Azerbaijan? Have you been awarded any prize?

Samir Javadzadeh: We had 5-moth trainings for the contest. We expressed
our gratitude to Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Youth and Sport Ministry. As
prize, we have not been awarded yet.

Do you expect honorary title?

Elnur Huseynov: We have been promised to give honorary title, when
we left for the contest. We are expecting it as well.

-They say that Eurovision attaches more importance to show ….

Elnur Huseynov: Everything is important in this contest. There should
be the best performance and show.

Samir Javadzadeh: We had performance among 43 countries. Everybody
remembers our performance.

Which country you thought to be your rival?

Elnur Huseynov: Ukrainian singer Ani Lorak was our rival. Though
Greece, Armenia and Ukraine made same performances, Ani Lorak was
superior in voice, appearance and experience. We think to invite
Moldovan singer Geta Burlacu and give a concert with her.

-Were you satisfied with support of Azerbaijanis?

Samir Javadzadeh: We were satisfied very much. We were informed that
all Azerbaijanis celebrated it, when we gained license to final. It was
not difficult for Azerbaijani singer, who will represent Azerbaijan
in the contest. We were responsible for all difficulties. Govhar
Hasanzadeh supported us very much there.

-Did breaking of evil’s throne in the first training of semi-final
influence on your main performance?

Samir Javadzadeh: The throne had to be broken after mugham. We included
breaking of throne in the performance. We break the throne to see the
result. There were rumours after it. But it was not so. I fell before
semi-final very badly. But it was not occurred during the breaking
of throne. I could not sleep at night because of my pain.

-They say that the wings of angel were broken …..

Elnur Huseynov: Wings of angel was 15kg. I pray to Allah let me not
fall whilst acting with these wings. I think about good performance
in semi-final and final. I was anxiety about the wings. My wings
were broken in semi final and they were bent in final. I have waist
pain since 12 year-old. The wings should be opened at the end of the
performance. But we were afraid of causing problem.

-You have more anxiety in semi final …. Your voices were trembling
….

Samir Javadzadeh: Of course, we were anxious, because of final.

-How was the position of Armenian singer on you?

Elnur Huseynov: We think about our work. We attached no importance
to them. We did not think to stay in hotel with Armenians. But they
laughed at us, sang songs while passing by us. Our flag was hung in
hotel. They hung their flag after seeing our flag in hotel. They took
their flag. But our flag was stayed there till the next week.

-How do you think that Azerbaijan moved back 4 stages from Armenia?

Elnur Huseynov: We were shaken by it. Representatives of all countries
considered our performance stronger than their ones. Armenia has
participateds in the contest for three times. Azerbaijan will not face
such problem next year. Our country has collected enough information
about the contest.

Samir Javadzadeh: This fact saddened us very much. I am from Karabakh
and the fact saddened me very much.

They are our enemies even it is the contest. We couldn’t abate until
the morning after the finals. Govhar Hasanzadeh, Yashar Bakhish,
Elnur and me – we all were crying. It is true, Armenia didn’t hit
even top tens during its first performance in the contest. From this
perspective we are higher than them. They perfectly understood that
we left them behind.

-Armenian web-sites published materials about you and introduce you
as sexual minorities…

Elnur Huseynov: We were informed about it in Belgrade. It is their
nationalist character because they are Armenians. They have to
show their discourtesy. They don’t leave us in peace even in their
countries.

Samir Javadzadeh: The main goal of Armenian was to irritate and
to tackle us. Armenians teased our guys during a dinner, but the
silenced later.

-It is interesting that these talks are going on in Azerbaijan now…

Samir Javadzadeh: We were informed that these gossips were published in
one of the local newspapers. They don’t think that we are Azerbaijanis
and our families live in Azerbaijan. Armenians can write that, but how
the Azerbaijani newspaper can publish it? We perfectly understood that
we would represent Azerbaijan in Belgrade. Armenians had to do that,
because they irritated when they saw us. They saw that our performance
was better and therefore they sought ways to blow us.

Elnur Huseynov: If they spread such gossips about the two sons of
Azerbaijan, how they will talk about the woman singer going to the
next contest? Sirusho was asked at the press-conference that "they say
she lives with the son of one well-known person". She couldn’t answer
the question. We ask them but who is your representative, do you know
her? No European countries except our enemy country, sabotaged us.

Samir Javadzadeh: These rumors have also spread our country and
it disturbs us. We ask to give up spreading these rumors. We had
much trouble within half a month. We worked for Azerbaijan, not
for ourselves.

Sometimes we could not sleep because of these rumors.

-Why did you miss the press conference held after the first semifinal
of Eurovision?

Elnur Huseynov: Only two men from each delegation were allowed to
participate in the press conference. As Samir and I do not know English
well, we needed a translator. That’s why head of the delegation Adil
Karimli and Govhar Hasanzadeh participated in the press conference.

-Is it true that you behaved badly in Belgrade? They even say you
were punished for this…

Elnur Huseynov: A lot of parties of different states were held in
Belgrade. We could not participate in all these parties, as we needed
to be calm. If we had gone to the parties we would have suffered from
insomnia. The reports that our access to media was prohibited and we
were punished are not true. As you see we give interview to you.

Samir Javadzadeh: It is impossible to be loved by everybody. Maybe
there is someone who spreads these rumors. We were not banned from
anything. We were simply tired and nervous and did not speak for
a time.

-Why did you get angry?

Samir Javadzadeh: During the promo-tours we were taken to the places,
where it was impossible to be quiet. We were made to sing even when
we were ill. It was terrible.

Elnur Huseynov: We did not want to sing in the places, which did
not suit the level of Azerbaijan. Ukrainians took us to the bar to
sing. We told them that they had no right to present Azerbaijani
music in the bar, in the place people drink and entertain. We did
not behave badly there.

Doesn’t the person who says this think that how we could behave badly
if we represented Azerbaijan? Which singer can sing Azerbaijani mugham,
music in a bar? Which Azeri singer can bear this? The Ukrainians phoned
the head of our delegation and said we did not want to perform. But
we did not want the name of Azerbaijan to be mentioned in such places.

Samir Javadzadeh: The presentation was not right. Ukrainians saw that
they were weak and that’s’ why criticized us. Seventy percent of the
performance was our idea. No one wants to write or speak about it.

Elnur Huseynov: We gave concerts in about 13 countries. Why our
performance was in the form of concert only in four of these
countries? There were stages where it was impossible for two men
to stand on it, but we six men demonstrated show. Even our dresses
were not normal by the time we left for Belgrade. We were terrified
when we saw our clothes. They were sown wrongly and their size was
larger. Along with the delegation we began to seek for fabric there. We
bought 40-size shoes in stead of 42-size shoes. We are obliged to say
all this, because of the rumors. We tolerated all this for the sake
of Azerbaijan, and now we hear rumors about ourselves in our country.

-Why did you avoid from media during this period?

Samir Javadzadeh: We felt ashamed, because we were behind Armenia. We
just needed time. We said we would rest for a week and then speak.

-Where were you during the voting in the final? We saw the
representatives of all countries except you.

-Samir Javadzadeh: They even say that we went to the hotel after our
performance. This is not true. When we were given 12 points for the
first time we had gone out to smoke together with soloist of Mor ve
otesi group Harun Tekin. We were back after two minutes and saw that
our delegation had already been shown. When we were given 12 points
for the second time we were there. The members of our delegation had
flag in their hands and therefore we were not seen. Should we push
aside our flag or members of our delegation? We were applauding at
that time. It was filmed.

Elnur Husyenov: We were thinking why we did not have a stylist or a
hairdresser while there were so many of them in Azerbaijan. I made
first my hairstyle and then Samir’s hairstyle in all rehearsals and
semifinal. You see, Day after day was arranged in Ukraine, US and
Great Britain, but the best version belonged to Yashar Bakhish and
we performed Yashar Bakhish’s version in Eurovision. There are a lot
of professionals in our country, why other country is commissioned
to do it.

-We heard you were at odds with Dima Bilan…

Samir Javadzadeh: There may only be resentment. We could not go Dima
Bilan’s party. It does not mean that we do not like Dima Bilan. We
could not go to the party of Turkey, because the press conference
finished late. Then we thought that we should not go the party of
Russia, as we had missed the party of Turkey. It would have caused
much greater resentment. We did not speak that some did not come to
our party.

-How was your attitude towards the participants?

Samir Javadzadeh: We became friends with some of the participants. We
have known Ani Lorak since March. We participated in the same
concert. But she did not greet us even once. We did not know why she
did so. We respected her as a woman and greeted her. But then we did
not greet her either.

-Is it true that if you were winners you would sponsor an orphan?

Elnur Huseynov: I said it. I thought that if we would win we can
improve our financial conditions and I can sponsor one child.

Samir Javadzadeh: I thought that if everything would be OK, I would
construct an orphanage, but they expounded our intentions differently.

-What do you wish Azerbaijan’s representative in Eurovision-2009?

Elnur Huseynov: First of all, patience.

Samir Javadzadeh: Don’t believe anyone except God. Believe in
yourself and your talent. Don’t believe everyone because those, whom
you believe and you are sincere, can move against you tomorrow. If
something happens, cast down head and say "OK" and then close the
door not to see anyone. We thought that everybody was our friend,
but only 8 per cent of 100 were our friends. Do you know who are
they? They are those, who misinform the people.

-What do you think the different countries vote for your performance
or for the political influence of Azerbaijan?

-Certainly if they didn’t like our performance, they didn’t vote even
for the politics too. Our performance was really strong one and they
thought that it deserved their votes even from the political point
of view.

-Who can represent Azerbaijan in Eurovision-2009?

Samir Javadzadeh: There is no age limitation in this contest. There
are many talents in Azerbaijan, who can represent the country in
Eurovision-2009 in the high level.

-Do you think to reject wedding performances?

-Believe me. The peoples invite us to their weddings and banquets
to show Day After Day composition and ballet program. We received
invitations even from Russia. It is not a wedding performance and
therefore we can sing it in the weddings, but we will not reject the
wed invitations. We just make some break and currently we don’t go
to the wedding parties and show-programs.

-Will you raise wedding honoraries?

Elnur Huseynov: Of course, there are some people we show disinterested
performance in their parties. It is blameworthiness not to be in the
parties, where they want to see their popular singers.

-Does the number of your foes increase after the Eurovision contest?

Samir Javadzadeh: Yes, it does, but I think it encourages us.

Elnur Huseynov: Our foes didn’t change. Indeed it is OK that they are,
we don’t want to lose them.

-Are there peoples among your counterparts, who don’t communicate
and congratulate you yet?

Samir Javadzadeh: Roya, Zulfiyya Khanbabayeva, Samira, Faig
Agayev, Elnur Mammadov, even Ella, who lives in Germany called
and congratulated us. No one except them congratulate us. Probably
they want to say that they don’t love us. Now we know our friends
and lovers.

-What difference did you see on the Eurovision’s stage?

Elnur Huseynov: First of all, we saw levels, standards. All things were
different there. If there were some problem during the performance,
we could solve them pressing the button.

-Do you think to go to other country?

Elnur Huseynov: We will never change our homeland. We will not
do that despite all restrictions. We can do all necessary moves in
Azerbaijan. We missed Azerbaijan and our national dishes in Europe. We
didn’t find their dishes delicious.

Samir Javadzadeh: Filip Kirkorov came and embraced us after the
performance and said "guys, you were the best".

-What are your future plans?

Samir Javadzadeh: We have new projects with Govhar Hasanzadeh and
Rashad Hashimov. We are preparing several new compositions. We intend
to show mini-musicals. There are no modern musicals in Azerbaijan. We
will perform both solo and duet programs.

-How will you accept second invitation to Eurovision?

Samir Javadzadeh: We will never agree with that. Even they will promise
us the first place like Dima Bilan. Journalists asked Dima Bilan after
he took the first place that "what will you sing in the next time?" We
don’t’ want to hear this question. If Dima Bilan was not sure in his
victory, he would never come to the contest for the second time.

Elnur Huseynov: We are not egoists. Our other singers have to test
themselves. Dima Bilan is egoist, indeed Sergei Lazarev had to
participate this year.

Samir Javadzadeh:There are some people who seek moments to trample
us, but they cannot do that. Those, who spread gossips about us,
cannot do that till the end. They will silence at last.

-Your last word…

Samir Javadzadeh: Today all over the Europe say good things
about the Azerbaijani singers. Let someone spread gossips about
us, but Azerbaijani People, who support us will never believe
them. Scandalmongers aim to blow us.

Elnur Huseynov: These talks would never concern us if we will be 40,
but we are young and we have future. My girlfriend left me because
of these gossips. I ask my people not to believe these talks.

GENOCIDE CLASS A HOT TOPIC FOR TDSB
RETT CLARKSON

Toronto Sun, Canada
June 12 2008

It promises to be a school board meeting brimming with tension,
and most likely, heated argument.

When the Toronto District School Board meets tonight to vote on what
atrocities should be included in its proposed Grade 11 genocide course,
sparks will fly — if the last meeting on the topic is any indication.

"It could be very controversial," said former longtime board trustee
Alex Chumak, now a member of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

At a meeting on June 2 at the board’s Yonge St. and Sheppard
Ave. headquarters, shouting matches erupted outside between Turkish
and Armenian Canadians, while several angry Ukrainians, some in tears,
yelled down from the spectator’s gallery.

At that packed meeting, a three-member committee of trustees had just
voted in favour of director of education Gerry Connelly’s proposal
to base the course around three examples: The 1915 Armenian genocide,
the Holocaust, and the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

At tonight’s meeting, the board, which has the final say, will have
a full vote.

A/2008/06/12/5849446-sun.html

ALEXANDER SKAKOV: FINAL RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT IMPOSSIBLE YET

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.06.2008 15:35

There is no difference where the process of Karabakh settlement is
imitated – in the UN, CIS or the OSCE Minsk Group, said Alexander
Skakov, head of the CIS department at Russian Institute of Strategic
Studies.

"Final settlement of the Karabakh conflict is impossible yet. Only
particular problems, such as creation of atmosphere of trust and
resolution of some humanitarian issues, can be addressed. The NKR
leadership should be a party to talks but this initiative faces fierce
resistance on Azerbaijan’s part. Moreover, positions of Armenia and
NKR may differ on some issues," he said during Yerevan-Moscow-Baku
television space bridge.

"It’s presumptuous to hope that in 20 years Azerbaijan’s economy will
be strong enough to dictate demands. Times works for all sides but
it’s necessary take action immediately," Dr Skakov said.

Israel Threatens War on Gaza and Iran

Published on Saturday, June 7, 2008 by The Telegraph/UK

Israel Braced Itself for Conflict on Two Fronts Against Militants in
Gaza and an Iranian Government Persisting with Its Nuclear Programme.

by Tim Butcher

Ehud Olmert, the prime minister, said the `pendulum is closer’ to a
large scale military operation in Gaza after another Israeli civilian
was killed by a mortar fired from Gaza on Thursday.

Amnon Roseberg was the 8th Israeli civilian to be killed by weapons
fired from Gaza since Israel withdrew its settlers from the Gaza Strip
two years ago.

While the number of Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza by Israel in
retaliatory strikes dwarfs Israeli casualties, Mr Olmert’s government
takes every Israeli civilian death very seriously.

When asked by reporters as he flew back to Israel after a three day
visit to Washington about the chance of a negotiated ceasefire with
Gaza’s militants, Mr Olmert said he thought military action more likely
than a ceasefire.

`We are always checking between the various possibilities of reaching
complete quiet that will bring security to the residents of southern
Israel without having to get into a violent and serious clash against
the terror organizations in Gaza, and the impossibility of reaching
such an arrangement, which is likely to bring us closer to an operation
that would be a lot more serious and resolute against the terror
organisations,’ he said.

`Based on the data as I see it now, this pendulum is closer to a
decision for a serious operation.’

Israel has tried large-scale military action in Gaza several times
before to silence the rockets and mortars. While it sometimes creates a
short-term lull, the inevitable loss of Palestinian civilian lives
sparks yet more militant attacks.

But while the precedent is not encouraging, Mr Olmert cannot be seen by
the Israeli people as doing nothing.

On the Iranian front, Mr Olmert privately pronounced himself happy
after his visit to the White House that Israel and America are of one
mind over the possibility of military intervention against Tehran’s
nuclear programme.

In President George W Bush, Israel has a firm ally who shares its
belief that Iran must be stopped at all costs from becoming a nuclear
power.

One of Mr Olmert’s party deputies, Shaul Mofaz, kept up the pressure on
Iran saying an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites looked
`inevitable’ given the apparent failure of diplomatic and economic
sanctions on Tehran.

`If Iran continues with its programme for developing nuclear weapons,
we will attack it,’ he said.

`The sanctions are ineffective. Attacking Iran, in order to stop its
nuclear plans, will be unavoidable.’

It was the most explicit threat yet against Iran from a member of the
Olmert government, which, like the Bush administration, has preferred
to hint at force as a last resort should UN Security Council sanctions
be deemed to have failed.

Israel has twice acted by itself to stop its regional enemies
developing a nuclear capability, in Syria last year and Iraq in the
1980s.

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
June 6 2008

Azerbaijan and Armenian Foreign Ministers Assess First Meeting of
Ilham Aliyev and Serj Sarkisyan Positive and Constructive 06.06.08
15:09

The Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan stated on 6 June in
St Petersburg that the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
Presidents was `positive and constructive’, Mediamaks reported.

`The Presidents got familiar with each other’s approaches and
instructed the respective foreign ministers to continue talks with the
help of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen,’ the foreign minister of
Armenia said.

The Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov stated that the
Presidents had expressed their wish that the mediators should continue
their work. `The co- chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group will probably
visit the region by the end of June,’ the Azerbaijani foreign minister
said.

The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia noted that the talks
will be continued within the Prague process and proposals made by the
co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group in Madrid at the end of 2007,
taking into consideration the comments of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

`We will put all our efforts to make our positions closer and also to
find a common ground,’ Mammadyarov said.

The Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan stated, `We are not
beginning talks from the very start, but we will try to make the
positions of parties closer’.

The US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza said that the
familiarization meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents was
a success and it means that `the important work within the OSCE Minks
Group can be continued’.

`Our task is to improve the proposals on the table of talks taking
into consideration the situation of both parties,’ Mattew Bryza said.

TURKISH FM ADDRESSES US THINK TANK IN WASHINGTON

Today’s Zaman
June 4 2008
Turkey

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan delivered a speech on Tuesday at the
Atlantic Council, a US think tank.

Responding to a question on a lawsuit seeking to close the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Babacan said the court’s
decision would be final.

"The Constitutional Court is assessing the case. But when dealing
with this issue, principles such as the separation of powers and the
independence of the judiciary should be preserved. Whatever the court
says, whether we like it or not, it would be the final decision and
needs to be complied with," Babacan said.

"When speaking about the nature of the Republic of Turkey, I describe
it as a democratic, secular and social country governed by the rule
of law. Turkey is a country that embraces all these values," he said.

Babacan also said the Turkish government had always acted on a strong
ground of legal and international legitimacy.

Speaking on Turkey’s relations with its neighbors, Babacan said his
government followed a policy of "zero problems," meaning reducing
disputes with neighboring countries to zero.

"Turkey has had bad relations with Syria for decades but instead of
isolating Syria, Turkey chose to develop a policy of dialogue. We
have been able to make Syria a part of the solution by talking more,"
Babacan said. "Syria has more confidence in Turkey."

Babacan also noted that Turkey had been exerting efforts to normalize
its relations with Armenia as well.