Author: nina hovnanian

DINK KILLER’S FATHER SAYS STATE OFFICIALS PRAISED HIS SON

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Nov 15 2011

Bahattin Hayal, the father of Yasin Hayal, said on Monday that he had
received congratulatory phone calls from state officials following
the murder of Dink. (Inset picture: Yasin Hayal is accused of having
solicited Dink’s hitman, Ogun Samast.)

The father of one of the prime suspects in the 2007 shooting of Hrant
Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist who was the editor-in-chief of
the Agos newspaper, has claimed that he received calls from “state
officials” who congratulated him on having raised a worthy son.

Bahattin Hayal, the father of Yasin Hayal, accused of having
solicited Dink’s shooter Ogun Samast to carry out the murder, spoke to
journalists following the latest session of the trial held on Monday.

Bahattin Hayal says at least two prosecutors from Trabzon, the hometown
of the suspects where the plan to assassinate Dink was hatched,
according to prosecutors, urged him to change his initial testimony,
which included information about phone calls from state officials.

Monday’s session was the 21st hearing being heard by the Ä°stanbul 14th
Heavy Criminal Court. The court ruled that Yasin Hayal was criminally
liable based on experts’ reports on his psychiatric condition filed
by the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK).

Bahattin Hayal said he wanted to speak in the courtroom, but the
panel of judges denied him the opportunity, after which he spoke to
reporters outside the courtroom.

He said he had reported the congratulatory phone calls in his
initial testimony, but two prosecutors from Trabzon told him his
statement could give him trouble. He said he had a meeting at the
local police department shortly after the Dink murder, where he was
told by officials that his son worked for the state and took care of
important business.

“These prosecutors told me that I could get in trouble if I didn’t
change my statement,” he said, noting that he was congratulated by a
“state official,” without giving any names. The official told him
that he had raised a “worthy son who had served his country.”

He did, however, name the person who revealed his son’s position as
a state agent during his meeting at the Trabzon Police Department’s
Counterterrorism Unit. Bahattin Hayal claimed that officer Yahya Ozturk
told him that the state needed people like Yasin, and assured him that
he would be out in no time. He said that Prosecutor Ali Can had called
him five or six months after the meeting and recommended he retract his
statement, but he refused. “He threatened me,” Bahattin Hayal noted.

He also said that his son had no idea who Dink was. “Yasin didn’t know
who Hrant Dink was. Erhan [Tuncel, another suspect in the murder]
showed him a picture on the computer, telling him, ‘This is the
Ataturk of the Armenians’.”

Prosecutor Hikmet Usta reiterated his earlier view that the gang that
assassinated Dink was the Trabzon branch of Ergenekon, a clandestine
network whose suspected members are currently charged with plotting to
overthrow the government. More than 100 suspects, including retired
army generals, are on trial. There are also several related trials
where the suspects are accused of carrying out different plans laid
out by Ergenekon.

“We have to trust our state. We can’t declare the state an enemy. Dark
points will be illuminated. The truth will prevail,” Usta said.

Bahri Belen, a lawyer for the co-plaintiffs, noted that he and other
lawyers had walked out of the courtroom in the previous session and
clarified that the walk-out was not meant to be in protest of the
prosecutor. “The state is not an abstract formation that came down
from the sky. The state can only be a state governed by the rule of
law to the extent it protects the right to a fair trial and the freedom
of expression. A state that fails to ensure these has no legitimacy,”
he stated.

Dink family lawyer Fethiye Cetin responded to Usta’s proclamation
that the truth will prevail, saying: “The judiciary, this court is
the organ that will bring out the truth. The prosecutor’s office is
the organ that will start the probe. It is certainly sad that we are
still being told to ‘wait, for the truth will eventually prevail’.”

Eda Salman, a lawyer for Yasin Hayal, noted that a ruling made in
the 41st session of the main Ergenekon trial referred to Ergenekon as
“the alleged Ergenekon organization.” She said the prosecutor needs
to retract his statement as the existence of the organization is still
in dispute. The next hearing in the Dink trial is scheduled for Dec. 5.

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT’S OFFICE: ANY WAY CONTRIBUTING TO RESOLUTION OF NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM ACCEPTABLE

Trend, Azerbaijan
Nov 15 2011

Official Baku thinks it is acceptable to arrange a meeting between
the Azerbaijani and Armenian communes of Nagorno Karabakh.

“Any way, which may help contribute to resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh problem, including a meeting between the Azerbaijani and
Armenian communes of Nagorno Karabakh is acceptable and must receive
backing. We should welcome any activity that leads to settlement of
the Nagorno Karabakh problem and creates conditions for its negotiated
solution,” Ali Hasanov, Head of the Public and Political Department
of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, told Trend on Tuesday.

A meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian communes of Nagorno
Karabakh is scheduled to take place in Berlin, Germany on November 28,
MP Rovshan Rzayev, member of public association “Azerbaijani Commune
of Nagorno Karabakh”, reported last week.

Ali Hasanov said discussions between the two communes are popular
diplomacy.

“A meeting of two communes or intelligentsia representatives of the
two countries is one of the means of a negotiated solution of the
Nagorno Karabakh problem. Any action that may induce for a negotiated
solution of the conflict should be welcomed,” Hasanov noted.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

AZERBAIJANI TOURISM MINISTRY EXPRESSES ATTITUDE TO BULGARIAN JOURNALIST’S KARABAKH FILM

Trend, Azerbaijan
Nov 15 2011

15 November 2011, 13:28 (GMT+04:00) Azerbaijan, Baku, Nov. 15 /
Trend , I.Isabalayeva /

The Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Ministry expressed its displeasure
towards the film ‘Karabakh wounds’ by Bulgarian journalist Tsvetana
Paskaleva, who has defended the position of the Armenians.

“In fact, this movie is taken from previously documented materials.

Now, they have combined these into a series. Ms Paskaleva is a vile
person who works only freelance. She was even awarded the rank of
colonel of the ‘Karabakh army’, Director of the Ministry’s Film
Propaganda and Registration Department Yusuf Sheikhov told Trend.

Ms Paskaleva, the film’s director and screenwriter, shoots materials
that protect the position of the Armenians since 1990. She shoots a
three and a half hour film about the Karabakh conflict, which has been
put into a series of seven episodes and translated into six languages.

The film ‘Karabakh wounds’ was filmed using the most advanced U.S.

technology.

Ms Paskaleva believes that young Armenians watching this movie must
see what the price of liberating Artsakh was and appreciate it.

“The Culture and Tourism Ministry has no authority to prevent the
display of films around the world, but in response to this we can
remove the new films about the Karabakh conflict,” Mr Sheikhov said.

He said the propaganda machine of Azerbaijan works as much as the
Armenian one.

“So far Azerbaijan has shot a series of films about the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, the Ministry is not able to make
films directly reflecting the realities of Karabakh, because they
must be set there,” Mr Sheikhov said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

BULENT ALIRIZA: TURKEY-ARMENIA RAPPROCHEMENT PROCESS IS OVER

APA, Azerbaijan
Nov 15 2011

Bulent Aliriza is “very pessimistic” regarding the reopening of
Turkey-Armenia border if there is no progress on Nagorno-Karabakh
negotiations

“The Turkey-Armenia rapprochement process is over and there is no
discussion regarding this matter right now,” Bulent Aliriza, Senior
Research Associate and Director of the Turkey Project at Center for
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington, DC-based
think tank, told APA.

He mentioned that, “clearly, Azerbaijan’s sharp reaction to Turkey’s
Armenian negotiations was effective”.

“It is very clear that if there was even a small progress between
Azerbaijan and Armenia, the situation wouldn’t be that complicated”,
he mentioned.

Speaking at the CSIS discussions on “Turkey’s New Geopolitics”,
November 14, the analyst stressed that, he was “very pessimistic”
regarding the reopening of Turkey-Armenia border if there is no
progress on Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations.

“This process between Turkey and Armenia is completely stuck”, he
said, reminding, in fact, Armenian-Turkey border has been closed due
to Armenian occupation of Azeri territories, in 1993.

TATARSTAN CAR CRUSH VICTIMS’ IDENTITIES ANNOUNCED

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 15, 2011 – 18:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian Foreign Ministry provided data on 4
Armenians who died in a car crash in Tatarstan: citizens of Armenia
Karen Amirjanyan (born 1974), Araik Mukhaelyan (born 1966), Meruzhan
Galstyan (born 1966) and a citizen of Russia Yura Galtakhchyan
(born 1960).

The car crash occurred on Tatarstan’s Kazan-Orenburg highway, when
a driver of a Chery automobile lost control of the wheel, switched
the lane, hit a Ford Transit bus and rolled over the mountain.

According to inofficial data, summer tires which failed the driver
on an ice-covered highway caused the accident. The bus passengers
weren’t hurt.

The investigation is under way.

ONLY 7% OF RUSSIANS CONSIDER ARMENIA AS RELIABLE PARTNER

arminfo
Tuesday, November 15, 20:55

Only 7% of the Russians consider Armenia as a reliable partner,
reports the Russian Public Opinion Research Center.

The most reliable partners in the CIS are Kazakhstan – 42% against 37%
in 2010, Belarus – 36% against 23% and Ukraine – 15% against 21%.

Azerbaijan has received 5%, Moldova, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan – 3%
each, Turkmenistan – 2%, Georgia and Tajikistan – 1% each.

The most trustworthy president is Nursultan Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan)
– 37% against 32% in 2010, followed by Alexander Lukashenko (Belarus)
– 28% against 16% and Viktor Yanukovich (Ukraine) – 17% against 12%.

MEP: CLEAR MAJORITY OF FRENCH POPULATION AGAINST TURKEY’S EU ACCESSION

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 15, 2011 – 14:57 AMT

The accession process of Turkey to the EU is a political process. It
is not a social process, and it is not a religious process, a member
of the European Parliament from Germany and vice chair of the Group
of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE Group) said.

“You may hear about two issues: one related to the Armenian question
and the other to Turkey’s possible European Union membership. On
the Armenian question, everyone knows what the discussion is about,
and on the EU accession, a clear majority of the French population,
not just the leadership, is against Turkey’s accession. So some
politicians may choose to exploit those feelings by linking the
Armenian issue with EU accession, and therefore create an atmosphere
that makes it difficult for France and Turkey to rebuild a constructive
relationship,” Alexander Graf Lambsdorff said.

Dwelling on regional situation, the MEP said, “the entire issue of
stability in the eastern Mediterranean is difficult right now. We have
a terrible situation in Syria, tensions between the Palestinians and
Israelis, extremists in power in Gaza, a changing Egypt that becomes
more difficult to predict, hardly any progress on the island of Cyprus
and now in addition to that we see the exploration of resources off
the coast of Cyprus.”

“We need to talk about these things and find solutions to these
questions,” Today’s Zaman quoted him as saying.

AZERBAIJANI LEADERSHIP CONTINUES DISTORTING REALITY: SHARMAZANOV

ARMENPRESS
November 15, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS: Fair solution of the Artsakh issue
is of primary importance in our agenda, Secretary of the RPA faction
Eduard Sharmazanov stated today at the National Assembly.

According to him, Azerbaijani heads continue distorting the reality,
noting that they allegedly do their best to reach fair solution of
the issue. “But I think Azerbaijan should not only speak, but also
take distinct steps,” he stressed.

Sharmazanov also stressed that Azerbaijan should put an end to war
rhetoric and not unleash a race of armaments. “Secondly, Azerbaijan
should withdraw the snipers from the frontier line, and accept that
Artsakh must be a negotiation party, as this is not a territorial
quarrel, but an issue of realization of self-determination right
of people, and eventually, Azerbaijan should realize that the
international recognition of Artsakh independence has no alternative,”
stressed Secretary of RPA faction.

ANNUAL MEETING OF BSTDB TO TAKE PLACE ON JUNE 1-10,2012 IN YEREVAN

/ARKA/
November 15, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, November 15. /ARKA/. Annual meeting of the Black Sea Trade
and Development Bank (BSTDB) will take place on June 1-10, 2012 in
Yerevan, said the President of BSTDB Andrey Kondakov in the meeting
with the Armenian Premier Tigran Sargsyan.

Kondakov noted that it is planned to organize an international
business-forum in Armenia which aims at the search of new directions
of mutual cooperation and establishment of business relations with
the Armenian entrepreneurs.

He also said that BSTDB has financed 18 different investment projects
in Armenia and expressed willingness of the Bank to expand its areas
of representation in the economic system of Armenia.

Sargsyan emphasized the importance of this meeting from the point of
view of perspectives of mutual cooperation.

The parties expressed their satisfaction on the current level of
cooperation between BSTDB and Armenia, as well as discussed issues
related to possible financing of new investment programs in the
country by the Bank.

Black Sea Trade and Development Bank is an international financial
organization established to support regional development and
cooperation of the countries of Black Sea region.

Goals of the Bank are development of trade relations in the region,
support to the implementation of international projects and foreign
investments, provision of guarantees in the development of trade and
economic relations on the state level and in private business.

ROMANIA STRONGLY SUPPORTS PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF NK CONFLICT

ARMENPRESS
November 16, 2011
YEREVAN

Romania is strongly supporting a peaceful settlement on the basis of
the international law and in the concentrated format of the Minsk
group and the authority of the OSCE, Foreign Minister of Romania
Teodor Baconschi told at a briefing today in Yerevan after meeting with
Edward Nalbandian. “It is a bilateral issue we don’t have any vocation
to interfere in that.We have to respect international standarts and
all we want is to see both sides getting to a peaceful settlement of
this problem because this is critical for a long term stability and
the economic chances of this regio,” he said.