PanARMENIAN.Net
Czechs against Turkey’s EU bid
23.02.2007 18:13 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The majority of Czechs support the
European Union’s enlargement to include Bulgaria and
Romania but they are against Turkey’s possible
accession, according to a CVVM January poll released
on Wednesday. Only 26 percent of the Czechs are in
favor of Turkish membership in the EU, while 57
percent are against it, revealed the poll, reports
Turkish Daily News.
NAGORNO-KARABAKH SEES SURGE IN FOREIGN TOURISTS
Armenpress
Feb 22 2007
STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS: Over 5,000 foreign tourists from
about 60 countries visited Nagorno-Karabakh in 2006. The majority,
1,120 people, were from the United States of America. They were
followed by Russians ( 800), French (464), Canada (267), Iran (250),
Germany (210).
Visitors were also from such states as Malta, Venezuela, Taiwan and
other countries. Yuri Zakarian, head of consular division of the
foreign ministry, said the number of foreign visitors last year grew
30 percent against the previous year of 2005.
He said 70 percent of foreign visitors came as tourists while the
other 30 percent were representatives of different international
organizations, businessmen, benefactors and journalists.
The majority of those who came for rest were ethnic Armenians.
ONLY ARFD IS GOING TO VOTE FOR VARIANT OF PACKAGE OF AMENDMENTS AND ADDITIONS TO LAW "ON RA CITIZENSHIP" SUBMITTED FOR SECOND READING
Noyan Tapan
Feb 22 2007
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN. At the February 22 special sitting
RA National Assembly finished discussion of draft package of amendmends
and additions to the law "On RA Citizenship" and to a number of other
laws in second reading. In all probability, voting will take place
on February 23.
Hrayr Karapetian, the head of the only faction which called for voting
for the package, ARFD, in his speech said that the National Assembly
of current convocation will remain in the history of Armenian people in
connection with adoption of constitutional amendments and introduction
of the institution of dual citizenship. In his words, the approach
of ARFD anxious about the fate of the whole Armenian people is the
following: stipulation of dual citizenship is an attempt to consolidate
the efforts of all Armenians in favor of Armenia’s strengthening. Gagik
Minasian, a member of RPA faction, said that during the discussions no
one spoke against introduction of the institution of dual citizenship
and the main concern is conditioned by the necessity to balance
dual citizens’ rights and obligations. On behalf of the faction he
once more affirmed that dual citizens should be given the right to
vote during the elections only if at least in one out of five years
preceding the elections they had a status of resident in accordance
with the law "On RA Income Tax." This means that at least 183 days
during 12 months a person should be in Armenia and should have family
and vital interests in Armenia. As the MP affirmed, a voter should
feel on his back the influence of the power elected by him. In his
words, there is no reason for rejecting this proposal of the faction
by the government. Gurgen Arsenian, the leader of ULP faction, said
that ULP respects ARFD’s opinion, but does not share it. ULP affirms
that a government head or member cannot be citizens of another country
besides Armenia. G. Arsenian declared that the above mentioned posts
are political and if the government again rejects their proposal on
determining such prohibition, the faction will vote against as it had
voted during the first reading. Grigor Haroutiunian, the Secretary
of Ardarutiun (Justice) faction, also declared that attaching
importance to the institution of dual citizenship, nevertheless,
the faction cannot be for the draft’s current variant. He said that
the draft revised on the basis of RPA’s and ULP’s proposals can be
acceptable for the faction. RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian also said
that the people who did not leave the homeland in these years and
stayed in Armenia suffering hardship are worthy of special respect
and attitude, which can be stipulated by the law. In his words,
the vote decides the country’s fate, which should be chosen by the
people permanently living in the country. He gave assurance that the
prevailing majority of Diasporan Armenians realizes that the appraoch
should be differentiated.
"AUTHORITIES SELL OUR VICTORY STEP BY STEP"
A1+
[07:39 pm] 20 February, 2007
"In case a movement kicks in any country all unsuccessful people gather
like flies gather smelling honey. I would like to see successful
people in the Karabakh Committee, who already enjoy the love and
respect of the public, like Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Babken Ararktsyan,
David Vardanyan and others. I mean to say that the committee needed
people with a will to go ahead", Vazgen Manoukyan, coordinator of
the committee reminded today.
It was honorable to be a member to the Karabakh Committee 19 years ago,
but it was at the same time hazardous as the members could spend all
their lives in jails without any knowledge that one day will come to
power. No matter how animated the committee members were, they had
to put aside their emotions and head the public.
"We formed secret groups, brought weapons from various places and
we did our best to prevent further confrontation. Only later on
the Karabakh movement enriched in ideology- democracy, freedom. The
Karabakh issue was transferred to the international level," Vazgen
Manoukyan states.
Mr. Manoukyan could not recall a more brilliant example of assembling
over the past 100 – 200 years.
"I feel pity and blame both myself and the Karabakh Committee that
we were unable to make use of public’s liveliness."
In Mr. Manoukyan’s opinion, the current situation is resulted by
faults and crimes. Summing up the duration of the Karabakh movement,
the victory of the war and the policy of the acting authorities,
Vazgen Manoukyan said, "The acting authorities sell our victory step
by step". He excludes the settlement of the Karabakh conflict in
close future.
"Armenia must develop at a rapid speed. We must seek adherents
world-wide and conduct active policy instead of usurping the power. In
case we overcome these hard times, Armenia will prosper", he said.
UEFA MAY PASS DECISION ON PLACE OF AZERBAIJAN-ARMENIA MATCH
Today, Azerbaijan
Feb 21 2007
The place of the match between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the qualifying
for the 2008 European championship may be determined next month,
UEFA first Vice-president Senes Erzik stated.
He said EUFA Executive Committee will discuss the issue in the meeting
in headquarters in Nyon March 26.
"I cannot say anything concrete about the match place as UEFA hasn’t
passed official decision. Probably, the Executive Committee will
discuss it in the meeting on March 26. As for Azerbaijan’s refusing
to receive Armenian national squad in Baku, I’ll comment after on
the issue after the official decision," he said.
Azerbaijani and Armenian teams are to meet Sep.8 in Baku and in
Yerevan four days later, APA reports.
URL:
VARDAN ARUTYUNYAN: "WE BELIEVE OUR FANCIES THAT OUR BORDERS LIE FROM SEA TO SEA"
Today, Azerbaijan
Feb 20 2007
Our past is repeated. We will face defeat. Our nation remained in
the past. We could not reach the 21st century. We are still in the
19th century. We are still fighting with Sultan Abdulhamid, these
views are shown in "New neighbors are declared enemies we have become
fore post and seek salvation abroad" article by Vardan Arutyunyan,
head of Armenia’s Rights and Freedoms Center.
According to Arutyunyan Armenians patriotism resembles patriotism of
Chaush, Dro, Andranik, Sose and Serob.
Their patriotism covered robbery, socialism, terrorism and nationalism,
which were common at that time. Armenians’ patriotism is identical to
anti-Turk feelings. Genocide is still our visit card. We hang maps
showing Tigran’s marches on the walls. We declare that our borders
lie from sea to sea and believe our fancies. We live with illusions,
he writes.
Vardan Arutyunyan notes that Armenians celebrate the 2000th anniversary
of their theater basing on a tsar’s plays written 20 centuries ago.
Nobody except this tsar engaged in this in the past 2000 years. We
write books devoted to the 2000th anniversary of the theater. We are
proud of ancient history. But we could not preserve or create anything
except the church. The most ancient city of Armenia is 200 years old,
he writes.
The center chief writes that there is a Diaspora which considers itself
great and patriotic. But this Diaspora lives with nostalgic feelings.
We admit betrayers, spies into our society. Such kinds of people are
isolated in normal societies. But these people live among us and even
sometimes rule us, Arutyunyan writes, APA reports.
URL:
NATO EXPERTS PAYING ROUTINE VISIT TO GEORGIA
ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
February 20, 2007 Tuesday
NATO experts are paying a routine visit to Georgia to assess the
progress of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), an alliance
representative told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
The delegation arrived in Tbilisi on Monday, and the visit will last
until February 24, he said.
Experts will assess the Georgian compliance with commitments and meet
with officials, who are in charge of the IPAP fulfillment.
Similar missions have visited Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Being a member of the NATO partnership program, Georgia is conducting
an active dialog with the alliance, another NATO representative told
Itar-Tass earlier. This is not a program of the accession to NATO, and
partners may eventually fail to enter the organization, he explained.
Meanwhile, the alliance has signed membership action plans with
Macedonia, Croatia and Albania, but these plans do not set an admission
deadline. The time of their accession to NATO will depend on the
success of reforms, the official said.
ALBERT ROHAN: NO REALISTIC ALTERNATIVE TO UN PROPOSAL
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.02.2007 17:08 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There is "no realistic alternative" to a UN
proposal that would put Kosovo on the road to eventual independence,
Serbia would lose nothing under the plan, Albert Rohan, an Austrian
diplomat serving as deputy to UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari, said,
according to the Kurier newspaper. In his words, the plan for Kosovo
will be presented next month to the UN Security Council, which will
have the final say. A final round of negotiations between Kosovo’s
ethnic Albanian leadership, which is pushing for full independence, and
delegates from Serbia, which insists the southern province must remain
part of Serbian territory, begins Wednesday in the Austrian capital.
Rohan said it is "very improbable" that the Vienna talks would produce
a compromise. "A continuation of the present situation is untenable,"
Rohan was quoted as saying, "Without a roadmap for Kosovo’s future its
rival sides almost certainly will destabilize the province." Two-thirds
of the 58-page draft proposal – which would give Kosovo the trappings
of statehood, such as a flag, anthem, army and constitution – focus
on strengthening protections for the province’s 100.000-member Serb
minority. "Kosovo has not been under Serbian administration since
1999, when NATO airstrikes on Belgrade ended former Serbian leader
Slobodan Milosevic’s brutal crackdown on independence-minded ethnic
Albanians and put the province under UN administration. We want to
create conditions in which Kosovo’s people can live safe and normal
lives. If Kosovo’s Serbs examine our suggestions without prejudice,
they’ll see no reason to reject them," said the Austrian diplomat.
OIL PIPE CONSTRUCTION RESULTED IN ECOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE ON BTC CORRIDOR
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.02.2007 14:09 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ American state agency Overseas Private Investment
Corporation (OPIC) is concerned over assembly connections of pipes
of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, as well as over possible chaps and
leak of oil, The Guardian reports.
Particularly, the article says that OPIC does not fulfill its own
recommendations on monitoring the pipeline properly. "OPIC calls upon
more accurate control over the pipeline and remedying defects," The
Guardian writes. Head of Green Party of Azerbaijan Mais Gyulaliev, says
that during the past 3 years Media representatives and British, German,
Italian NGOs, as well as an NGO coalition, which includes organizations
of third sector of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, are publicly
speaking about this important issue. "Still three years ago the
coalition demanded from the operator of pipeline constructor-British
Petroleum, to impose moratorium on the construction of BTC and carry
out an urgent analyses with the help of independent experts. But
today, when the pipeline has already been put in commission and is
under the ground, nobody will make BP conduct monitoring and change
pipes of poor quality," he says.
Besides, Mais Gyulaliev is sure that the construction of the pipeline
has already resulted in ecological catastrophe on the territory of BTC
corridor. "Pipes of poor quality have been used and the welding works
have been done on a very low level. Generally, construction works
have been carried out not in accordance with the standards of AIE
(Appreciation of Influence on the Environment) and technical standards.
In this regard soil on territory of 422 km and 58-km length has been
destroyed. And the loss is impossible to rehabilitate," he stressed,
realazer.net reports.
Village Voice, NY
Feb 17 2007
Under Siege
Elif Shafak talks about her novel and the real trial of imaginary
characters
by Lenora Todaro
February 16th, 2007 6:43 PM
"When I am writing fiction I am a different person with many
personalities – and I am very daring," says Turkish novelist Elif
Shafak during a conversation at the Warwick Hotel. "Then in my daily
life I return to being a person with anxieties and fears."
Shafak is registered under an alias. She cancelled a six-city book
tour (reading only in New York) after ultranationalist Turks declared
her an "enemy of the state" for passages in her novel The Bastard of
Istanbul referring to the "genocide" of Armenians "at the hands of
Turkish butchers." Another such "enemy" was assassinated on January
19: the Turkish-Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink, a dear friend
of Shafak’s. The Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk cut short his tour of
Germany after learning the news. Now Shafak is shadowed by a
bodyguard, complete with earpiece and jerky, roving eye.
Of the 60 or so intellectuals taken to court by the same
ultranationalists for "public denigration of Turkishness" – a crime
punishable by three years in prison – only Shafak was called out for
the words of her characters. Shafak believes the lawsuits are
intended to derail Turkey’s bid to enter the European Union by making
the nation appear "insular and xenophobic."
A bestseller in Turkey, The Bastard of Istanbul follows two families:
one a Turkish clan living in Istanbul, the other Armenians living in
California and Arizona (where Shafak teaches part of the year).
Through their stories, Shafak explores a political taboo known in
Turkey as "the Armenian question," which asks whether in 1915 the
deportation and death of more than one million Armenians at the hands
of the Turks was "genocide" or (as the Turkish government contends)
part of World War I.
Shafak describes herself as a nomad and a free spirit – a girl raised
by her divorced mother, a diplomat with whom she lived in Spain,
Jordan, and Germany. "I am someone who is always writing either on my
way to Turkey, or away from it," she says. "When I feel suffocated I
leave." The 35-year-old writer in front of me doesn’t exactly exude
free spiritedness, cocooned in a black turtleneck, blouse, and long
black skirt. Living under threat makes her careful to stay on message
in public. No displays of righteous anger, no emotional
leakage – except one watery-eyed moment, while talking about the birth
of her daughter in Istanbul during her trial in September 2006. (She
was acquitted.) While nursing the newborn in a hospital bed, she
watched on TV as protesters burned posters with her picture. "An
amazing dialectic was happening within our room," she says. "On the
TV was darkness and violence, and you’re in a room where babies are
born every minute and there’s hope and light."
The Bastard of Istanbul, too, opens dramatically with the birth of a
child into difficult circumstances. Zeliha Kazanci’splans to abort
her fetus goes awry. Asya, the daughter born to her, becomes the
linchpin between the two families. Shafak’s Turkish women are writ
large: Zeliha runs a tattoo parlor and has three sisters: a
clairvoyant, a Turkish history teacher, and a schizophrenic. The
mother of the clan "might have been Ivan the Terrible in another
life." The story’s focus moves swiftly to Asya, a Dostoyevskian
19-year-old Johnny Cash fanatic and the "bastard" of the book. The
American-Armenian family, also replete with a brainy daughter
Armanoush, functions as a mouthpiece for Armenians’ anger toward
Turks. For 100 pages, Shafak skillfully sets up the collision of the
two plot lines, when future BFFs Asya and Armanoush will discover the
cross-pollination of their family secrets. Along the way, Shafak’s
steady glide is punctuated by her characters’ amusing existential
freak-outs and winking nods at the raucous finale.
Throughout the novel Shafak attends to the details of women’s daily
lives, especially the foods they eat. "It always amazes me how common
cuisines transcend nationalistic boundaries," says Shafak. At the
table, the taste of pilaf stirs Armanoush and Asya to realize their
families share a history. The Turkish dessert ashure anchors the
book’s structure with its ingredients shaping chapters and plays a
role in the tidy conclusion.
While food elicits memories, Alzheimer’s wipes them away. Some of the
most beautiful writing in the book comes in the depiction of
96-year-old grandmother, Petit-Ma, who has the disease: "The words of
the prayer she had to utter had all of a sudden fastened together
into an elongated chain of letters and walked away in tandem, like a
black hairy caterpillar with too many feet to count." Alzheimer’s
raises the question of how one remembers – the same quandary behind the
Armenian question. "If the past is sad," Shafak asks, "would you like
to know about it?" Her characters would and would not. Auntie Banu,
seeking answers about the Armenian question, says, "Either grant me
the bliss of the ignorant or give the strength to bear the knowledge
. . . but please don’t make me powerless and knowledgeable at the
same time."
Shafak says she’s reading Don Quixote right now. Given her
circumstances, it provides an apt comparison. Quixote and Bastard
share a penchant for satirizing nationalism and exploring the ethics
of deception. While Quixote moves between farce and philosophy,
between real adventures and imagined ones, Shafak, against her
wishes, is doing the same – moving from a real-life trial of imaginary
characters to an imaginative meditation upon mortality and new life.