Author: Tambiyan Samvel

The Messenger, Georgia
March 10 2005
Speaker shuns, Parliament discusses
Senior officials distance themselves from resolution on Russian
bases, which is attacked by Russia and by Georgian citizens dependent
on bases for employment
By Anna Arzanova
Parliament on Wednesday discussed a resolution declaring that Russian
military bases must be withdrawn from Georgian territory by January
1, 2006, despite the efforts of the speaker of parliament to postpone
the debate, and comments by senior government figures distancing
themselves from the resolution.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Salome Zourabichvili stressed on
Wednesday that the resolution is not the responsibility of either her
or the ministry she heads.
“I cannot be either an opponent or supporter of this resolution. I am
just a minister and do not think I should be asked about this issue,”
she said.
Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli also stressed that the executive
branch of government had not been consulted regarding the drafting of
the resolution. According to Black Sea Press, he refused to comment
on the resolution, saying that the government remained in
negotiations with Russia, and hoped to resolve the issue through
reaching an agreement with Moscow.
Burjanadze tries to postpone discussion of resolution
Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze on Tuesday sought to postpone
discussion of the resolution declaring the Russian bases illegal,
saying now was not the right time to discuss it, and furthermore,
that neither she nor President Saakashvili had been notified of the
plan to discuss the resolution.
The decision to discuss the resolution was made during Monday’s
parliamentary bureau meeting, which Burjanadze did not attend because
she was in Germany.
“This issue was not agreed with everybody and as far as I know even
Saakashvili asked whether or not this issue had been agreed with the
leadership. Including this issue on the agenda was unexpected for
me,” she said, adding that she thinks this issue should be discussed
at committee level and not by Parliament.
“We have agreed on a two-month negotiation period and these two
months should first expire, after which Parliament as well as the
executive government will take very radical measures and decisions,”
she stressed, explaining that she believes adopting such a resolution
now would impede Georgian-Russian negotiations on the issue.
Burjanadze was overruled by MPs, however, and discussion of the
resolution went ahead as planned. One of the authors of the
resolution MP Giga Bokeria stated that, “This issue is included on
the agenda. I think that this process should take place as soon as
possible.”
The opposition agreed that the resolution, which they support, should
be discussed. They expressed surprise at Burjanadze’s intervention,
Conservative Party leader Zviad Dzidziguri saying, “the bureau put
this issue on the agenda and decided to discuss it on March 9. If
this issue was put on the agenda by the bureau it means it should be
discussed. I think that this issue needs to be voted on.”
Chair of the parliamentary committee for foreign affairs Kote
Gabashvili agreed that Parliament should discuss the resolution,
saying that if the executive government wishes to stop Parliament
from discussing the resolution it should present opposing arguments.
“I categorically demand this issue to be left in the agenda, because
this is necessary for Georgia. Our slavery must come to an end,” he
said at the parliament session.
Resolution irritates Russia
Gabashvili summed up the opinion of the majority of MPs by saying
that he supported the resolution, but admitted it would probably
aggravate Georgian-Russian relations.
“Russia will react harshly to the resolution,” he said. “But I think
that this issue will be settled step by step. These bases should be
withdrawn all the same.”
Expressing support for the resolution, MP Davit Tkeshelashvili stated
that a concrete moment comes in the history of all countries when
certain measures should be taken. “Georgia should express its sole
will regarding Georgia to be released from Russian bases,” he said.
MPs were right to say that Russia would react harshly to the
resolution. Russian news agency Interfax reports Russian Ministry of
Defense spokesman Colonel Viacheslav Sedov as saying that the
language of ultimatums, blackmail and pressure is unacceptable
regarding the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia.
“The bilateral commission, which regularly holds sessions in Tbilisi
and Moscow, was set up to solve the issue of the bases’ withdrawal,”
Sedov said, adding that Russia cannot withdraw their bases to an
empty field, as once happened in Russian when bases were withdrawn
from Germany. He thinks that it is necessary to first create the
infrastructure in Russia for the withdrawal of these bases.
Locals worry of impact on economy
The resolution was also criticized by ethnic Armenians living near to
the Russian base in Akhalkalaki, who rely on the base for employment.
“It is impossible to live here without this base. We will not allow
this at any price. We earn money to live on through the help of this
base. We will starve without it,” one protesting resident told
television crews.
The opposition also commented on the impact the closure of the bases
would have on Georgian ethnic minorities living near the bases.
“We should be ready for the complication of this issue. Russia likes
to aggravate ethnic conflicts and I am afraid that the most serious
aggravation of this issue is expected in Javakheti,” said MP Levan
Berdzenishvili, adding that Georgians could prevent this by spending
money and investing in the regions.
“We should make these people interested in other jobs, money, bases,
armies and so on. We should show them our Georgia money and make them
love it,” he said.
According to the resolution prepared by MPs, which Parliament is yet
to vote on, the government must prepare to take certain measures to
unilaterally ensure that Russia withdraw its bases, unless bilateral
agreement can be reached between the two countries regarding the
terms of the withdrawal by May 1, 2005.
These measures include no longer issuing entry visas to Russian
military servicemen, assessment of the total debt accumulated during
the working of the bases and preparation of a “special regime of
movement” for Russian servicemen, military hardware and cargo owned
by the Russian military bases on Georgian territory.
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Small Business – Try our new resources site!

South Caucasus syndrome
The Messenger, Georgia
March 11 2005
The Armenian newspaper Aravot (Morning) reports on the murder of one
of Azerbaijan’s most well-known journalists, Editor-in-Chief of the
magazine Monitor, 27-year Elmar Guseinov who was violently killed in
his apartment building on March 2.
The paper writes that Elmar support the views of the opposition and
his colleagues state he had “just declared war on the current regime.
The only weapon he used against the open impudence of the authorities
was freedom of speech.”
Meanwhile, as the Azeri newspaper Zerkalo writes, the adversaries
of Guseinov perceived this war literally, as a result of which the
journalists was shot seven times in the heart. According to Zerkalo,
this murder was carried out by a hired assassin.
According to Aravot, a journalist from Monitor, Einul Fatulaev, had
visited Karabakh recently and as a result of this visit published
a rather reserved article that had caused indescribable anger in
local so-called patriots. “He was under the cross-fire of indignant
statements of the nationalist forces, which called him a betrayer
of the nation,” Aravot writes, “Of course, we do not think that the
Editor in Chief of Monitor was killed particularly because of this
article, however, it could have been the last straw for the Azeri
(and not only Azeri) authorities’ elite, who are the carriers of the
South Caucasus detestable mentality,” the paper writes.
The paper notes that the victim’s family categorically rejects trusting
the investigation to the law-enforcement bodies of Azerbaijan and
have already appealed to European ambassadors for help in finding
the true killers.
Aravot says the murder of Ukrainian Journalists Giorgi Gongodze helped
fuel the ‘Orange Revolution.’ “Armenian journalists were also brutally
beaten on April 5 and 12, 2004 in Yerevan, which can testify to only
one thing: the Armenian regime also is also responsible for treating
freedom of speech with rough force,” the paper writes.

Turkish Press Scan
Published: 3/11/2005
 
[0.gif] ANKARA – These are some of the major headlines and their
summaries in Turkish press on March 10th, 2005. The Anadolu Agency
does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
INSTRUCTION TO PULL THE PLUG
HURRIYET- Hamza Keles, the acting chief prosecutor responsible for
the Broadened Criminal Courts, instructed officials to stop tapping
telephone lines till March 31st. Keles told intelligence officials of
the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Directorate General of
Security and Gendarme General Command in a secret summit to stop
tapping telephone lines before the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) was
put into force. Keles said, “the law is obvious. I will punish those
who tap telephones irregularly.”
FIVE MORE DIE DUE TO COUNTERFEIT RAKI
HURRIYET- Five more people, who were poisoned by the bootleg raki,
died in Istanbul. Sezai Palavan, Ekrem Atici, Bayram Sirma and Orhan
Canur died at hospitals, while 41-year-old civil servant Atilla
Ozturk died at his house, increasing the death toll to 22 according
to the figures of the Istanbul Health Directorate.
SEZER’S REACTION
MILLIYET- President Ahmet Necdet Sezer was scheduled to pay a state
visit to Finland between March 14th and 16th. However, President
Tarja Halonen of Finland invited the Greek Cypriot Ambassador in
Helsinki to the banquet to be hosted on March 15th in honor of
President Sezer and his wife. Turkey harshly reacted it, and informed
Finland that Turkish delegation would not partake in the dinner. It
was the first crisis. Later, the EU criticized police intervention in
a demonstration in Istanbul on Sunday. Upon all these developments,
President Sezer decided to cancel his visit to Finland.
ARMENIA REJECTS ERDOGAN’S PROPOSAL
MILLIYET- Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan rejected the
proposal of Prime Minister Erdogan. Earlier, Prime Minister Erdogan
called for an impartial study to be carried out by historians about
Armenian allegations that their people were exposed to genocide
during the World War I, saying, “we have opened our archives to
those people who claim there was genocide. If they are sincere they
should also open their archives. Teams of historians from both sides
should conduct studies in these archives.”
CYPRUS VETO
SABAH- The reason why Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer postponed
his visit to Finland has become obvious. As the Finnish President
invited the Greek Cypriot ambassador to the dinner he will host in
honor of Sezer, Sezer did not accept it.
DEATH TOLL RISES TO 30
SABAH- The death toll rose to 30 due to bootleg raki as five more
people who drank counterfeit raki died yesterday (Wednesday).
MUMCU SAYS “CONDITIONAL” YES TO ANAP
SABAH- Erkan Mumcu, who resigned from the ruling Justice &
Development Party (AKP), met a group of members of the Motherland
Party (ANAP of which he had been a member of). Mumcu told ANAP group,
“I will declare my candidacy for ANAP leadership if you openly
declare that you have adopted restructuring principles I have been
defending for 10 years.” And, the group promised to do so.
“TURKS FELT SLIGHTED BY FACT THAT WASHINGTON LAUNCHED IRAQ WAR”
CUMHURIYET- The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, one of the
prominent think-tank organizations in the United States, said in a
report “many Turks believe that the United States is not treating
them with respect”. The report said that most Turks felt slighted by
the fact that Washington launched the Iraq war despite the vote in
parliament against such a campaign. “Their resentment increased when
U.S. troops arrested Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq on July 4th,
2003. The lack of U.S. action against the PKK, present in northern
Iraq, has only exacerbated such feelings. If Washington does not take
a step, U.S.-Turkish ties may remain strained,” the report added.
EP WANTS A DETAILED REPORT
CUMHURIYET- The European Parliament (EP) wants Turkey to prepare a
detailed report about police intervention in Sunday’s demonstration
in Istanbul. The draft resolution, which will be put to vote at the
EP today, will condemn acts of police during the demonstration.
USD CAN’T BE STOPPED BY BRAKES
RADIKAL- Despite the intervention of the Central Bank of Turkey,
which reduced short-term interest rates by one percent, the USD
closed the day at 1.2740 New Turkish Lira (YTL), with only 0.7 New
Kurus (YKr) increase. USD did not increase despite the intervention
because of great deal of sale by foreigners.
OUR LESSON IS MARILYN MONROE
RADIKAL- The first daily history book prepared for the high schools
is telling about Marilyn Monroe and Lenin. After the National
Education Ministry increased high school education to four years and
decided to include “history of world and Turkey in the 20th
century” in the curriculum of high schools, the first “daily
history” book was published. The aim of the book, prepared by the
History Foundation with the support of the European Union (EU), is to
teach the concepts that can be used in daily life and increase
interest of students in history. The book will narrate topics like
dictators after 1929, EU and Iraq War, and Turkish and foreign famous
dignities like Orhan Gencebay (Turkish singer), Nazim Hikmet (Turkish
author and poet), Aziz Nesin (Turkish author), Marilyn Monroe, Lenin
and Che Guevara.
MIGRATION INCREASED CRIMES
TURKIYE- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan answered
questions of Fuat Bol, Mehmet Soysal and Ismail Kapan in a program
live broadcast on TGRT Haber TV. PM Erdogan said that migration of
desperate people of Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions to
metropolises caused many problems, and added, “particularly children
below 18 years old are used by some circles. They are forced to
commit crimes.”
TALAT’S EYE ON THE TOP
TURKIYE- Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC) claimed that he would most probably win the
presidential elections due on April 17th. Talat said that in case he
was elected as the new TRNC president, he would be the negotiator in
Cyprus talks, and he would carry out these negotiations in
cooperation and coordination with the government.
BAYKAL INVITES MCCARTHY TO TURKEY
ZAMAN- Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that
they had invited Prof. Justin McCarthy from the University of
Louisville to Turkey. Prof. McCarthy is expected to come to Turkey in
the coming days to hold a series of meetings on allegations of
so-called Armenian genocide. He will also attend conferences at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Strategic Studies Center, the Bilkent
University and the Marmara University.
U.S. SOLDIER CAPTURED WITH A WEAPON IN DIYARBAKIR
ZAMAN- U.S. soldier Cristopher Franz Pipes was captured with a weapon
in his luggage. Together with his Australian brother in arm Ross
Milosevic, Pipes came to Turkey from Iraq. They arrived in Diyarbakir
Airport to go to Istanbul. During the routine check, security forces
found a hand-gun hidden in the luggage of Pipes. Pipes and Milosevic
were transferred to the court with the accusation of carrying fire
arms without a license. However, they were released by the judge, and
they will be tried without detention.
“WE WILL NOT OPEN OUR AIR SPACE TO GREEK CYPRIOTS”
YENI SAFAK- Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim reacted
to the European Union (EU) which called on Turkey to open its air
space unilaterally by allowing the Greek Cypriot side to use it.
Yildirim said that such a thing was not possible.
DEATH TOLL FROM BOOTLEG RAKI RISES TO 21
YENI SAFAK- Three more people died in Istanbul after drinking bootleg
raki, bringing the death toll to 21. Meanwhile, several others
remained hospitalized after drinking fake raki, which was apparently
made using methyl alcohol. Police have raided underground
distilleries in Istanbul and other cities, confiscating thousands of
bottles of illegally produced raki last week.   Turkish Press
–Boundary_(ID_jCYMGa+aV4p3Juv+cRh3rA)–

Yahoo
Financial News
Press Release Source: Harris Interactive
TRIA International Research and Consultancy Joins Harris Interactive Global
Network
Wednesday March 9, 3:09 pm ET
– Turkey serves as a gateway into Eastern Europe, the Middle East and
Central Asia
ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 9 /PRNewswire/ — Harris Interactive® (Nasdaq: HPOL –
News) announces that TRIA International Research and Consultancy, a
full-service global market research and consulting company in Turkey, has
become the newest member of the Harris Interactive Global Network.
TRIA, headquartered in Istanbul, was established in October 2000 and its
management offers more than 20 years of dynamic market research experience
to a broad variety of industries. Sectors include automotive, chemicals,
construction, fast-moving, jewelry, logistics and management performance,
oil and gas, pharmaceutical, retailing, and telecommunications. Data
collection methods include desk research, quantitative research (CAPI,
face-to-face, mail and telephone interviews) and qualitative research with
focus groups and in-depth interviews. TRIA offers market research services
in Turkey, and through its business partners in Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and in Central Asia.
“We are very pleased to welcome TRIA, a firm that offers premier research
capabilities for a diverse list of practice areas, as the newest member of
our global network,” stated David Vaden, executive vice president and chief
strategy officer for Harris Interactive. “We are excited to offer our
clients the opportunity to gain consumer and business insights into this
region that serves as a gateway to Eastern Europe, the Middle East and
Central Asia.”
“Joining the Harris Interactive Global Network will help us gear up the
speed of growth of TRIA,” stated Melih Yurdagul, managing director of TRIA
International Research and Consultancy. “We are pleased to have our local
and international skills and capabilities endorsed by our affiliation with
Harris Interactive. New product and service offerings as well as the
implementation of state-of-the-art Harris Interactive online research
technology will definitely help our clients make better use of research in
the region.”
About the Harris Interactive Global Network
The Harris Interactive Global Network, an international network of affiliate
market research firms, was established in 1992. Today, there are more than a
dozen global network members, representing Africa, Asia, Australia, the
Caribbean, Eastern and Western Europe, Central/North/South America, and the
Middle East. Member firms exchange research expertise and provide the
resourcefulness of local-country knowledge.
Though affiliated with Harris Interactive, global network members operate as
totally independent market- and opinion-research firms. For more information
about the Harris Interactive Global Network, go to
.
About Harris Interactive®
Harris Interactive Inc. ( ), the 15th
largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, is a
Rochester, N.Y.-based global research company that blends premier strategic
consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis
and application. Known for The Harris Poll® and for pioneering
Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and
public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring
results.
Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and
technology to advance market leadership through U.S. offices and wholly
owned subsidiaries: London-based HI Europe ( ),
Paris-based Novatris ( ), Tokyo-based Harris
Interactive Japan, through newly acquired WirthlinWorldwide, a Reston,
Virginia-based research and consultancy firm ranked 25th largest in the
world, and through an independent global network of affiliate market
research companies. EOE M/F/D/V
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to
participate in future online surveys, visit
.
–Boundary_(ID_fpSlLqQPKN8YpeQ5K5/vNQ)–

Turkey must be encouraged to reject its brutal dark side
By Joan McAlpine
The Herald/UK
March 10 2005
The stampede of policemen hardly looks human. In their visors,
helmets, riot shields and body armour they resemble the robot army in
a science fiction film, with its troops fighting for The Dark Side.
A young woman is pushed to the ground. As the riot police rush past,
they cosh her repeatedly. Several kick her in the head as she struggles
to remain conscious.
This peaceful Turkish demonstration in favour of women’s rights was
smashed as if it were a bloodthirsty band of anarchists equipped
with petrol bombs. The scenes, from Istanbul this week, invariably
raise questions about whether the country is fit to join the European
Union. The EU has already expressed its shock at the “disproportionate
force” used against the demonstrators.
Membership negotiations are set to begin this October, with Britain
and Germany both keen to see the community sign up its first Muslim
partner.
The process could take some time, perhaps 10 or 15 years. Some
Europeans believe it will never happen. Turkey, they believe, is
just too different, too eastern, to embrace western concepts of human
rights and liberalism. Optimists, including our own foreign secretary,
Jack Straw, say that pluralism and tolerance are not exclusively
Judaeo-Christian values.
Turkey is the Islamic world’s first and most succesful secular
democracy. Despite the violence of police in Istanbul, it is
very different from the brutal stereotype of Alan Parker’s film
Midnight Express, where a young American is tortured and raped in
prison after attempting to smuggle cannabis out of the country. The
movie was criticised for its racism at the time of release in 1978
and appears even more dated today. Yet its portrait of Turkey as a
harsh, unreasonable and punitive place has been hard to break down,
despite the passage of years and the growth of package holidays to
the country’s idyllic southern coast.
Turks acknowledge their differences with Europeans from quite a
different perspective. Their country is more religious, with 90% of
the population observing the feast of Ramadan. The family is at the
centre of national culture. In common with other traditional societies,
they place a higher value on friendship, loyalty and honour. These,
they believe, are all positive attributes which, combined with the
economic advances in the west of their country, make them an ideal
partner. If the EU cannot deal with this difference, surely, they
conclude, it is Brussels which exhibits intolerance.
Which vision of Turkey is correct? Ankara has certainly made great
strides towards Straw’s pluralism. It abolished the death penalty
last January, which makes it a more humanitarian country than the US.
The government has signed various conventions on the protection of
minorities, the Kurdish language is no longer outlawed and the state
of emergency which gave security forces carte blanche to abuse the
inhabitants of the south-eastern region has been lifted.
The government has adopted a “zero tolerance” position on torture
and passed a law guaranteeing press freedom. A new penal code will
be introduced next month. This will considerably improve the rights
of women. Honour killings will be punishable with life imprisonment,
and rape within marriage criminalised (we should remember that the UK
only got around to that latter measure within our own generation).
The Ankara government pulled back from an attempt, last September,
to criminalise adultery within the penal code â~@~S a move presumably
intended to appease fundamentalists.
Enlightened commentators within Turkey this week suggested the police
were particularly brutal because their traditional right to behave
as they like will be severely curtailed under the new code. They
feel the wind of change and they dislike it enormously. But many
others within the country, along with human-rights organisations and
the EU itself, acknowledge the changes must be bolder. For example,
the penal code will proscribe the practice of “virginity testing”
forced on young women by their families or prospective in-laws But
this apparent advance is immediately cancelled out, because the code
w ill allow a judge to order virginity tests on young women, even
if they refuse consent. Since the law also criminalises consensual
sex between those under 17, a girl could find herself trapped and
punished by the state for what is an extremely private act, not to
say an individual human right. Since the virginity of boys cannot be
determined, the law is also entirely discriminatory. The new code
will not extend to tolerance of homosexuals, so gays can expect
continued persecution. Amnesty International says that the changes
are insufficient to tackle the widespread violence that is used to
control women within the home. Their research shows local police and
prosecutors remain reluctant to intervene in family matters.
One could go on and on. The failure to educate enough women, 19%
of whom remain illiterate. Or the lack of rights for trade unions to
organise. Or the continuing discrimination against minorities. The
electoral system demands that parties must have 10% of the entire vote
before they get representation, which excludes Kurds and Armenians
from parliament.
However, the whole point of EU membership is to encourage change. The
tempting fruits of a free trade zone stretching from Galway to beyond
the Bosphorus offer a real incentive to modernise. After all, many
members of the community have recent pasts which can only be= described
as primitive. Crimes of passion, our version of honour killings, were
regarded as perfectly acceptable in Mediterranean societies in living
memory. The Republic of Ireland was practically a theocracy until the
1970s and even today it is difficult for single women in some parts
of the country to obtain contraceptives. On the subject of Ireland,
Britain’s human-rights record in the north was hardly exemplary when
Ted Heath signed up for the Common Market, as it was called back
in the early 1970s. We cannot even call ourselves a paragon today,
with a government recently forced to abandon detention without trial,
only to replace it with a who-knows-what mess? Meanwhile, we fawn
over an American administration which most certainly does not have
a zero-tolerance approach to torture.
This is not let Ankara off the hook. I would still prefer to raise
a daughter in central Scotland than Kurdistan. Judged in the global
and historical context, however, the nation which gave the world
the splendour of the Ottoman era and the civilised rationalism of
Ataturk deserves a chance. Turkey has loads of catching up to do.
Let’s hope it makes it, for all our sakes.
–Boundary_(ID_kHNFNFbF6xXlYnHX8pRPAw)–

“WE ARE READY TO RENDER AN ACCOUNT OF HISTORY IF NEEDED”, ERDOGAN STATED AFTER MEETING WITH BAYKAL
Azg/arm
10 March 05
On March 4 Azg informed about the initiative of Deniz Baykal, leader
of the Democratic-Republican Party, to meet Recep Tayyp Erdogan,
Turkish Prime Minister, with the suggestion “to Work in Conference to
Repulse the Statements on the Armenian Genocide.” On March 8, Baykal
met with Erdogan. The meeting lasted an hour and a half. Onur Oymen,
deputy chairman of the Democratic-Republican Party, and Shuqryu
Eleqdeg, parliamentarian, were also present at the meeting. Erdogan
received them in the presence of Abdullah Gul, Turkish foreign
minister, and Jemil Ciceq, Turkish justice minister.
The meeting was highlighted by the main information program of the
Turkish TV, as well as, by Reuters and the leading newspapers of
Turkey.
Baykal represented the draft “On the struggle against the statements
on the Armenian genocide,” as well as two letters addressed to the
House of Lords and the House of Commons of the Great Britain. Erdogan
assured that they will in conference elaborate the draft. The content
of the draft is unknown. By the end of the meeting Erdogan and Baykal
made statements for the press.
Erdogan stated the fact of putting forward such issues in front of
Turkey for being accepted to the EU. He conditioned this with the
“The Blue Book” written in England 85 years ago. He expressed
suspicion about the truthfulness of this book. In particular, he
added, “Such groundless propaganda will yield no results. We call for
the authors of the statements (on genocide), informing them that we
have opened our state archives, if they are sincere in their
statements, let them open their own archives. The committees
consisting of historians and scholars should work here. If after all
this it will be necessary to take steps, Turkey will take them. If
needed, we are ready to render a political account to the history. We
donâ~@~Yt want to poison the future generations with hatred and
revenge.”
Baykal stated that the propaganda directed to the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide will simultaneously follow the development of the
relations between Turkey and EU. Conditioning this by lobbying
activities, Baykal pointed out “the political” character of the
propaganda. He also called on the Armenians to open their archives
and said, “Everybody should be ready to face the truth.” “Genocide is
a serious accusation. It should be proved by historical facts. While
they only accuse in the propaganda against Turkey, without even
trying to reveal the main peculiarities of the genocide. We achieved
full agreement to tell the world the truth from the Turkish National
Assembly,” he added.
By Hakob Chakrian
–Boundary_(ID_hftzr/kP3wUtwGmPhvM4Pw)–

Azeri defence minister, visiting US delegation praise ties
Bilik Dunyasi news agency
9 Mar 05
Baku, 9 March: The USA attaches special importance to cooperation with
Azerbaijan. This idea was voiced during Azerbaijani Defence Minister
Safar Abiyev’s meeting with US Ambassador Reno Harnish and a visiting
delegation of the US Air Force College.
After welcoming the guests, Abiyev pointed to the importance of such
meetings. The minister also spoke about Azerbaijan’s independence
history.
“From the first days of its independence Azerbaijan embarked on the
course of integration into European security bodies. Today, Azerbaijan
views the USA as its strategic ally and closely cooperates with NATO
within the framework of the Partnership for Peace programme. In 2004,
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev presented an individual cooperation
plan to the NATO secretary-general. We are now working to implement
that plan and we intend to fulfil all its provisions. Our goal is
to get as close to NATO as possible. Azerbaijan attaches special
importance to cooperation with the United States,” Abiyev said.
Informing the visiting delegation of the military and political
situation in the South Caucasus, the history and implications of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Col-Gen Safar Abiyev said: “Although
the sides reached a cease-fire agreement in 1994, there has been
no breakthrough in the conflict settlement. Despite the fact that
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE] recently
recognized Armenia as an aggressor and the Nagornyy Karabakh forces
as separatists, Armenia is still not honouring four UN Security
Council resolutions demanding its unconditional withdrawal from
the occupied Azerbaijani territories. We are stating again that the
people of Azerbaijan will never come to terms with the occupation of
their lands.”
After thanking Col-Gen Safar Abiyev for the cordial welcome and
detailed information, Reno Harnish said the USA attaches particular
importance to cooperation with Azerbaijan and considers it a strategic
partner.

AZERBAIJAN CAN BE SACKED FROM EC
A1+
09-03-2005
The PACE spring session can be the last one for Azerbaijan. The
menace of being sacked from EU looms in front of Azerbaijan.
Gyultekin Gajieva, member of the EU Azerbaijani delegation, has said
about it in the Azerbaijani press. According to the delegate, this
kind of development of events is quite possible, as Azerbaijan has
not met the commitments taken upon before the EU.
At present the EU attention is centered at the necessity of creating
an Azerbaijani national television, setting free of all the political
prisoners without exception, eliminating corruption which has reached
terrible volumes, and introducing changes into the â~@~Electoral
Codeâ~@~].
Neither has Azerbaijan achieved any success in the field of human
rights, so the assassination of the famous journalist Elmar Huseynov
can cause a lot of trouble for Azerbaijan. This fact is confessed by
both the Azerbaijani delegates of PACE, and the officials, and the
delegates of the Azerbaijani Parliament.
The fear is enhanced by the fact that the Azerbaijani Government
has no time for amendments. During a month they will not manage to
set free hundreds of political prisoners and to create a national
television. These will be possible in autumn at best. But in the EU
they already hint that the last straw is near.
–Boundary_(ID_SLiHZvuBwolyKB1Ccf4DQg)–

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
March4 2005
Double Genocide Correction from US Yerevan Ambassador
By Anadolu News Agency (aa)
Published: Friday 04, 2005
zaman.com
The US Ambassador to Yerevan John Evans has had to apologize twice
for use of the term “genocide” about events in Armenia, once to the
US Administration and once to Turkey.
Evans criticized Washington’s policy last week and said that Armenian
events should be called “genocide” from now on. Top level
administration of US State Department reacted to this statement and
made Evans issue a retraction on the Embassy’s internet site. The
ambassador said in the message that the term “genocide” was his own
evaluation and this did not indicate the US policy, which had not
changed. Evans said that he was sorry for causing a misunderstanding.
But Evans hid the term ‘genocide’ within the message of apology
saying “there is no change in the policy of the US over the Armenian
genocide.” The Turkish ambassador to Washington Faruk Logoglu reacted
to this message and the Washington administration approved Turkey’s
demand and made Evans correct the message of apology. Logoglu
reminded the US State Department that the US does not recognize the
Armenian genocide, but the term was used in the message of apology of
the US Yerevan Ambassador. Logoglu noted that a term that is not
accepted by USA could not be used in a statement of policy.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
28. Februar 2005
Türkei kritisiert Armenien-Antrag
BERLIN, 27. Februar (dpa). Der von der Union in den Bundestag
eingebrachte Antrag zum 90.
Jahrestag der Vertreibung von Armeniern im damaligen Osmanischen
Reich hat eine heftige offizielle Reaktion der Türkei ausgelöst. In
einer am Sonntag in Berlin veröffentlichten Erklärung warf der
türkische Botschafter der CDU/CSU-Bundestagsfraktion vor, “sich zum
Sprecher des fanatischen armenischen Nationalismus” zu machen, der
sich gegen die territoriale Integrität der Türkei richte und auf der
ganzen Welt von organisiertem Terror Gebrauch mache. In dem Antrag
der Unionsfraktion vom 22. Februar heißt es, am 24. April 1915 “wurde
auf Befehl der das Osmanische Reich lenkenden jungtürkischen Bewegung
die armenische politische und kulturelle Elite Istanbuls verhaftet
und ins Landesinnere verschleppt, wo deren größter Teil ermordet
wurde”.
–Boundary_(ID_0PZ5J8WXHAHA7FVzLWMfTQ)–