Author: Taslakhchian Andranik

FAMILY MEMBERS OF JAILED OPPOSITION MEMBERS PROTEST IN ARMENIAN

A1+ (in Russian)
Aug 1 2008
Armenia

01 August: Today wives and children of several dozens of political
prisoners organized another protest outside of the Prosecutor
General’s office of the Republic of Armenia. They demanded the
prosecutor-general’s resignation and the release of political
prisoners. They held photos of political prisoners.

"We protest against lawlessness, demand to stop the incessant political
persecution and release all the political prisoners," they demanded
from the prosecutor-general.

A member of the Pan-National Movement, Norik Norikyan, told A1+
website that every Friday wives of the political prisoners will
organize protests outside the prosecutor-general’s office. And the
result of their struggle is that some of the political prisoners have
been set free.

"However, essentially, they remain hostages, since only their
restraining measure has been changed" he added.

"As long as there is even one political prisoner in Armenia, not
only their wives, but their friends, colleagues, relatives, friends
and ordinary citizens who do not want the existence of this regime,
will do everything to establish a legitimate power," he said.

A correspondent of A1+ website has spoken to a member of the
Pan-National Movement, Karapet Rubinyan.

"In fact, our authorities cannot determine and have no courage
to say that they are an authoritarian regime and have no courage
to issue a political decision to stop political persecution. They
stand on crossroads and do not move and we must move them with our
civic activity".

AZERI MEDIA KEEPS ON VIOLATING JOURNALISTIC ETHICS AND DISTORTING FACTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.08.2008 20:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 1news.az has recently taken a habit of publishing
interviews with Armenian officials, who never spoke to the agency. And
it’s not the first time when Azeri media distorts the reality, Tigran
Balayan, acting head of media relations division at the RA Foreign
Ministry, told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"The practice of appropriating interviews is a grave violation of
journalistic ethics. It’s nothing but a sham," he said.

SMBAT AIVAZIAN URGES TO CONTINUE STRUGGLE

A1+
[06:40 pm] 30 July, 2008

"I have come to see you," said member of the political board of
the Hanrapetutiun Party Smbat Aivazian on entering the crowded
court-hall. It is already five months Aivazian is imprisoned.

"Someone asked me at the previous sitting whether I became
despondent. During the 158 days of my custody I used to measure my
temperature every day but I never lost heart," added Smbat Aivazian.

I have come to pass you my great energy and enthusiasm accumulated
in the prison cell during those days. I want to recall the Sparapet’s
words: "Within 100 or 1000 years each nation should fight a struggle
till the end." We started our struggle for independence and justice in
1990 and are determined to carry it on. I am touched by your support
but I don’t want to express gratitude as we all struggle for the
Cause. We don’t want Armenia to become an authoritarian country,"
stated Aivazian before the Judge’s appearance.

The court sitting will continue on August 5.

ANKARA WON’T CONCEDE THE AZERBAIJANI INTERESTS TO ARMENIA

AZG Armenian Daily
25/07/2008

Armenia-Turkey

Turkish politician Midat Chelikpala announced that Turkey will not
open the border with Armenia until "Armenia returns the Azerbaijani
territories".

"My statement has not a declarative nature but comes from the state
policy of Turkey", he said at a press conference held in Baku.

According to the Turkish politician, at present the world geopolitics
have clashed in Caucasus, and Turkey doesn’t want to lose that big
game. "That is why it carries on some talks with Armenia. But it
doesn’t mean that Turkey is going to concede the Azerbaijani interests
to Armenia", said Chelikpala, "Armenpress" reported.

HRANUSH HAKOBIAN SUGGESTS THAT NEW "TOWARDS ARMENIA" MOVEMENT BE ESTABLISHED

ARMENPRESS
JULY 23

Hranush Hakobian, the recently appointed head of the Diaspora
Committee of the Foreign Ministry, met recently with top members of
the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Orinats Yerkir and Prosperous
Armenia parties, which make the coalition government together with the
Republican party, to discuss a set of issues pertaining to boosting
and expanding relations between Armenia and its Diaspora.

The press division of the Foreign Ministry said to Armenpress that the
focus of the meeting was on the ways to help Armenians in Diaspora
to preserve their identity and on development of mechanisms for the
full use of Diaspora’s resources and potential.

Hranush Hakobian suggested that a new movement, which may be called
"Towards Armenia," be established. She said every possible means
should be employed to bring young Diaspora Armenians to Armenia.

This idea was endorsed by top representatives of the coalition members,
the press division said. It said they voiced their own proposals on
how to improve relations between Armenia and the Diaspora as well.

It said Hranush Hakobian met also with Catholicos Karekin II, to
present the committee’s programs and vision. She expressed hope
that the head of the Armenian Church will lend his support to this
undertakings.

The press division said Catholicos approved these plans giving his
blessing to the new head of the Diaspora

ARMENIAN ECONOMIC GROWTH 10,3 PERCENT

AZG Armenian Daily
23/07/2008

Economy

However, export volumes decreased

According to the operative data of the Armenian National Statistical
Service, the Armenian economic growth of January-June of this year
is 10,3 percent compared with the same period of last year. It means
that the growth is again two-digit that has not been recorded since
February of this year.

Construction continues to have high growth – 14 percent. This
time the sphere of services got ahead of construction recording 16,2
percent growth.

Industrial output volume recorded a little drop – 0,2 percent;
however, 8 percent growth is recorded here in June compared with May

The industrial decrease was 1,1 percent without energy.

Electricity production increased by 2 percent.

Gross agriculture output increased by 8,1 percent in January-June.

Retail trade turnover growth was 5 percent.

External trade turnover increased by 28,9 percent to 2 billion 428
million USD.

Export volumes first time decreased by 0,8 percent to 520,7 mln USD.

Import increased by 40,3 percent to 1 billion 907 mln USD.

The negative balance was 1 billion 487 mln USD.

The average monthly wages were about 87 thousand drams in March;
in the private sector – 106 thousand drams, in the public sector
– 61 thousand drams.

Average growth in the wages was 20,7 percent compared with the same
period of last year.

BAKU UNRUFFLED BY TURKISH-ARMENIAN TALKS

Assa-Irada
July 21 2008
Azerbaijan

A senior Azerbaijani official has said there was no need for Bakus
harsh protests against the recently-started dialog between Turkey
and Armenia. The talks currently under way between the two countries
serve to determining the nature of bilateral relations, their history
and current state, the head of the Presidents Office international
relations department, Novruz Mammadov, said, adding that Ankara was
securing its own interests in its relations with the neighboring
country. As for the relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, he
said the two states were enjoying close ties and always acted as
fraternal nations and strategic partners, and this affected the
mentioned developments.

Overall, even without our insistence, Turkey has attached great
importance since the very beginning to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict in its relations with Armenia and stated
that these ties depend on the resolution of this conflict. Mammadov
said some contacts between Turkey and Armenia were possible in
principle. He said Armenia was striving to achieve opening of the
border between the two countries by all means. In reality, there are
factors impeding this. The biggest problem is that Armenian leaders
should eliminate the hurdles of their own that stand in the way of
negotiating and taking relations to a high level, Mammadov said. He
cited such examples as territorial claims against Turkey reflected
in the Armenian Constitution and Yerevans frequent attempts to use
the genocide claims as tools of pressure on Ankara. I believe that
Turkey is trying to strike understanding with Armenia and to fairly
resolve the situation that emerged. On one hand, this is also a
test for Turkey with regard to the promises it has made. But I dont
think Turkey will take any steps counter to Azerbaijans interests,
the presidential administration official concluded. Armenia and
Turkey have been at odds and the border between the two countries
has been closed since 1993 on Ankaras insistence due to Armenias
policy of occupation and the Armenian genocide claims. Armenia has
been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijani territory since the early
1990s in defiance of international law. Armenians term the 1915
developments in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, a claim strenuously
denied by the modern Turkish state. The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry
spokesman Khazar Ibrahim said his country took Ankaras statements and
position as a basis regarding the issue of Turkish-Armenian dialog. If
Turkish officials state that the countrys stance remains unchanged,
we hope that Ankaras future steps will be based on that policy,
he told a news conference Monday. Ibrahim said that unlike Turkey,
the issue concerning the Armenia-Azerbaijan border is very complex
as it depends not only on Azerbaijans will. It is common knowledge
that most of Azerbaijans territories bordering on Armenia are under
occupation. From this standpoint, even if we seek to open up the
border, we cant do it in these conditions. Therefore, the key issue
is that Armenia must withdraw its armed forces from our occupied
land. Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a war over the mountainous region
of Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh in the early 1990s, which claimed some
30,000 lives and displaced about a million Azerbaijanis. Armenia has
been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijans internationally-recognized
territory since then. The ceasefire accord was signed in 1994, but
the OSCE-brokered peace talks have been fruitless so far.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
July 21 2008

Ã-DP leader Uras: deputies need some courage

Ufuk Uras, the leader of the Freedom and Solidarity Party (Ã-DP),
has said Turkey’s deputies would have been loyal to their oaths if
they had supported an investigation in Parliament against
antidemocratic actions.

Elected as an independent deputy in last year’s general election, Uras
asked Parliament last Wednesday to launch an investigation into failed
coup attempts against the government in 2004. His initiative received
the support of 20 deputies from the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society
Party (DTP) and independent Hakkari deputy Hamit Geylani. Deputies
from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), the opposition Nationalist
Movement Party (MHP) and the Democratic Left Party (DSP) refused to
sign the motion.

Most deputies said the people cited in the failed coup plans had
already either been taken into custody or jailed as part of the
Ergenekon operation — an investigation into an illegal
ultranationalist gang with links to the state and military — and that
it is necessary to wait for the completion of the trial process.

However, the Ergenekon indictment, which was announced last Monday,
did not include the 2004 coup plots.

`They need to have some courage to have a deterrent effect on
undemocratic moves. Having a stance against gangs and coup plotters is
the responsibility of the deputies,’ Uras said, pointing out that
undemocratic structures in the parties make deputies passive actors.

For Monday Talk, Uras elaborated on his views regarding the Ergenekon
investigation, reforms needed to democratize political parties, the
Ã-DP’s strategy for earning more votes in the next election and how
the Turkish left needs to renew itself.

Have you been surprised by the content of the Ergenekon indictment?

The indictment is a major document itself, but it can still be
supported by additional indictments. The indictment is not the last
stop.

Last week on Monday Talk, the lawyer for the family of assassinated
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink said the Dink case offers an
opportunity to solve the Ergenekon case because Dink’s murder showed
the world that elements within the state were involved in the murder
plot. Do you agree with this view?

I absolutely agree with it but, unfortunately, the Ergenekon
indictment has bypassed the Dink case. Leaving aside the Dink case, in
the trials against Orhan Pamuk and Dink, prior to his murder, all the
personalities who showed up against them have been detained as part of
the Ergenekon investigation. Those personalities were publicly
threatening Dink and Pamuk. The Dink murder is not an isolated
incident. Apparently, there are some official or semi-official forces
behind it; they should be revealed.

What would you say of the CHP’s comments regarding the indictment,
namely that it is a `mouse born out of a mountain’?

I hope those words were the expression of a desire that Ergenekon is
not a deep-rooted, complicated structure with illegal elements in
it. There have been writers, generals and influential people
detained. Calling them `mice’ is quite inappropriate. There is neither
a `mouse’ nor a `mountain,’ but a judicial inquiry into some illegal
coup attempts. Even if you take just one of the accusations against
the suspects — for example, their involvement in the 2006 Council of
State shooting — you cannot belittle it by calling it a `mouse.’ Even
that one event is a major terrorist act.

You asked parliamentarians to support you in the establishment of an
investigative commission into the coup plots against the government,
but only 21 deputies backed you. What are the implications of this?

Deputies would have been loyal to their oaths if they had supported an
investigation in Parliament against undemocratic actions. What else
would prompt the deputies to defend themselves? If we do not act when
we have such a concrete example, then when are we going to show that
we are for democracy? They need to have some courage to have a
deterrent effect on undemocratic moves. Having a stance against gangs
and coup plotters is the responsibility of the deputies. A decisive
act by the deputies would show there is no power above Parliament.

Is it just a matter of courage?

Deputies need to have courage to make individual decisions and take
steps against undemocratic plans. However, they cannot think
individually and make individual decisions, because they think and act
with a group mentality. There is not an official group decision made
in the party, but apparently AK Party members had a tacit agreement
that they don’t want to come against this. They reasoned that there is
already a judicial investigation going on so there is no need to have
a parliamentary commission. This also shows the undemocratic structure
of our party system.

How so?

The parties have their groups in Parliament. This type of structure
does not exist in the parliaments of democratic countries. Deputies
stand up when the party leader enters the group meeting as if they are
in an elementary school. The word of the party leader is taken as if
it is the word of God. Take the 10 percent election threshold. The
European Court of Human Rights ruled recently that the election
threshold was not a violation of the European Convention on Human
Rights and they noted it was necessary for Turkey’s conditions because
it strengthens governmental stability. Turkey has always been under
`special circumstances’ and not in the stratum of democratic
countries. They found this practice suitable for Turkey, which is
indeed derogatory for Turkey.

What are the election thresholds in other European countries?

The 10 percent threshold applied in Turkey appears to be the
highest. Most European countries do not have thresholds, but if they
do they are quite low. If we look at the countries around Turkey:
Greece, Israel and Georgia have thresholds varying from 1.5 to 3
percent. The 7 percent threshold in Russia has been subjected to
criticism. In the past Turkey had a proportional representation system
and governmental stability was not in danger. In the 1965 elections,
the Justice Party (AP) came to power and formed a single-party
government. We have to see that proportional representation does not
necessarily lead to instability. We need more freedoms and rule of law
to overcome instability, not thresholds. But we have the wrong
strategy when we oppose different views.

Would you elaborate on this?

For example, we have the wrong strategy in opposing the AK Party in
Turkey. We should be defending more democracy and more democratic
rights in fighting against the disagreeable policies of the AK Party
rather than supporting a ban on it. We should overcome crises by
demanding more democracy.

Do you think the AK Party will be shut down?

The closure case was opened even though the indictment was weak, so
this leads us to expect a closure — but we never desire it.

Do you expect an early election?

I don’t.

Why not?

Because I expect that in an early election scenario, parties that are
in Parliament now will not get as many votes as they did in the last
election. According to the polls, support for the CHP is down to 10
percent, while support for the AK Party is down to 30 percent. The
second issue is the retirement plans of the deputies. They will be
eligible for retirement benefits next year in autumn. Still, anything
can happen; but I expect local elections to be held in March and we
may expect an early election following autumn 2009. An early election
would not increase the gains of the major parties as far as I can see.

What have you been doing to increase the gains of the left?

We are first looking at the local elections and trying to end the
party leaders’ dominance at the local level. We want to eradicate the
practice of parachuting local candidates. For local administrative
positions, people should determine for themselves who their leaders
will be. We hope to see national candidates emerging out of the local
elections. I believe the leftist ideology of the single-party era has
reached its end. We need a left defending more democracy and
freedoms. We need renewal in the left. We need a renewed left
gathering not at the left of the center but at the center of the left,
especially considering that the center has become like a military
commandership.

What are the principals of this new left?

We defend transparent politics and social policies against neo-liberal
policies and a real liberal secularism against a militant secularism
and we emphasize political participation at the local level. Wherever
we go in Turkey, we see the public demanding more democracy and people
in general do not support tools outside of democratic
principles. People also demand more social policies and this can be
achieved only within a democratic system.

Where do you put the CHP in this new leftist context?

In the world there is no leftist party that would defend military
coups and the constitution of military rule. The secularism the CHP
defends is control of religion through the state apparatus, while real
secularism requires the impartiality of the state toward religion. The
CHP does not even nominate Alevi candidates.

Do Alevis still support the CHP?

Some do, but there is a big division. I see that in the meetings of
the Alevi associations in both Europe and Turkey, but Alevis do not
see any new place to go. If they find a new address, they could easily
dispense with the CHP.

You have been saying that a third of the votes you received were from
Alevis, another third were from Kurds and the rest was from the left,
right?

Roughly, that’s correct. This is the first time in the Turkish
Republic’s history that an independent has been elected as a deputy
from a region in Ä°stanbul — referred to as the `first region’
— where the population is about 6.5 million. There were about 3.5
million voters and I got about 81,000 votes. We’re brainstorming about
whether this could be a model for other regions in Turkey. But we have
to be careful about the timing. We should wait for the local
elections, see the results and maybe then push the button.

What exactly will you do?

We might declare a mutual manifesto together with the opposition
forces in society, such as unions, professional organizations and
individuals, and create a group attractive enough for some of the
existing parties to join us. This should not be a confederative
structure, as that has been unsuccessful in the past. We would agree
on concrete steps to be able to act together.

What type of concrete steps?

For example, creating a new constitution. We would adopt a `hurry
slowly’ philosophy.

There is only one socialist local administration in Turkey. It’s in
Hopa, a district of the northeastern province of Artvin ¦

Yes, it’s the only socialist administration in Turkey and the Middle
East. They set a very good example of how a local administration
should serve. They have clean and inexpensive water and they provided
opportunities for disabled citizens and opened beaches to the
public. In short, they base their work on the philosophy of how to
benefit the public. If people want to see a good alternative local
administration, they need not go so far out to Europe or other
countries; they should just go to Hopa.

Do you expect votes from the right?

I do, because I get calls from people who have identified themselves
with the right and they say they have had a different view of what the
left is, but after starting to learn about our policies they say they
feel close to our views. People usually mean the CHP when they say
left. But describing the CHP as a leftist party is a betrayal of the
left.

Ã-DP leader Ufuk Uras

Elected as an independent deputy in the July 22 general elections last
year, Ufuk Uras is the founding leader of the Freedom and Democracy
Party (Ã-DP), which defends liberal socialist ideas. An academic in
the field of economics, Uras was an assistant professor at
Ä°stanbul University until becoming a deputy. Among his many
books are: "Ã-DP SöyleÅ?ileri" (Ã-DP Interviews),
"BaÅ?ka Bir Siyaset Mümkün" (Another Politics is
Possible), "Siyaset Yazıları" (Political Writings),
"Alternatif Siyaset ArayıÅ?ları" (Search for
Alternative Politics) and "KurtuluÅ? SavaÅ?ı’nda
Sol" (Left in the War of Liberation). His book "Ä°deolojilerin
Sonu mu?" (End of Ideologies?) received the Marxist Research Support
Award in 1991.

21 July 2008, Monday
YONCA POYRAZ DOÄ?AN Ä°STANBUL

PERCH ZEYTUNTSYAN IS 70. THE PRESIDENT CONGRATULATED HIM

Panorama.am
14:01 18/07/2008

Serj Sargsyan, the president of Armenia extended congratulations to
Perch Zeytuntsyan on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

In his speech it is said."Honorable Zeytuntsyan, whole-heartedly
I congratulate to you on the occation of your 70th birthday. Being
one of the prominent representatives of Armenian newest prose and
dramaturgy you gave a new breath to the Armenian modern literature,
saw and appreciated the reality uniquely , refreshed the language
of the prose keeping national status and history, the complicated
problems related to humankind values.

Today you accept your birthday with great honor not only as a
prose-writer, playwright an orator, but also as a literary authority
who has civil distinct orientation.

With the congratulation accept please also my warm wishes: sound health
and new creative achievements to the glory of Armenian literature."

FM: TURKEY KEEPS IN CONTACT WITH ARMENIA

Xinhua
July 18 2008
China

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Friday that Turkey has
contact with Armenia from time to time.

Regarding some news reports indicating direct talks between Turkey and
Armenia, Babacan said at a joint news conference with visiting Iranian
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki here that "Turkey recognizes
Armenia. Within this framework, we keep in contact with Armenia."

"Turkish diplomats meet their counterparts from Armenia from time
to time. No doubt this (diplomatic) traffic is important for the
relations between Turkey and Armenia. What is important is how to
normalize relations," Babacan said.

"There are problems. There are current problems and differences of
opinion on the incidents of 1915. We must handle all issues through
dialogue," Babacan said.

While Turkey recognized the state of Armenia soon after its
independence, there are currently no formal diplomatic relations
between Armenia and Turkey, with Yerevan claims that up to 1.5 million
Armenians died as a result of mass killing during the Turkish Ottoman
period between 1915 and 1923 being a bitter point of contention.

Turkey categorically rejects the mass killing accusation, and argues
that 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Muslim Turks died in
civil strife and efforts to relocate populations away from the World
War One war zone in eastern Turkey.