Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

TURKEY’S BID TO JOIN EU REMAINS A MIRAGE
Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Oct 31 2006
The European Commission is to present its progress report on November
8 on Turkey’s application to join the European bloc amid media reports
and official statements suggesting the report will be negative.
Last week, in an interview with the Italian daily Il Corriere della
Sera, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he feared
talks with Turkey could be stopped.
“On Turkey, I fear there may be a stop in accession negotiations,”
the paper quoted the commission chief as saying in a headline.
“I am sorry to say this, but things are going badly. Reforms in Turkey
are going forward very slowly and I do not see the progress I would
have expected. We hope the Finns can help avoid the break-off in
negotiations but I really am very worried,” he added.
Earlier this month, Barrosso called for a pause in further EU expansion
after Bulgaria and Romania join the EU in January 2007.
The European paper Financial Times, in today’s (Tuesday) edition,
in a first-page headline said the “EU report will deal a fresh blow
to Turkey.”
The paper noted that next weeks’ report will criticize Turkey for
failing to make enough progress on freedom of expression, curbing
the use of torture and establishing civilian control over the military.
Ever since accession negotiations with Turkey began in December 2005,
Europeans have been placing one hurdle after another over the future
of Turkey’s EU aspirations, such as the Cyprus issue, the Armenian
genocide, the Kurdish issue or the enlargement fatigue.
The EU is putting pressure on Ankara to recognize the Greek Cypriot
government and to open up its ports to Greek Cypriot ships and vessels.
For their part, the Greek Cypriots have been blocking any closer
cooperation between the EU and the Turkish Cypriot community of
Northern Cyprus.
The European Parliament wanted to put recognition of the “Armenian
Genocide” as a condition for Turkey’s EU membership, but at the last
moment the EP report was changed and it said that “although recognition
of the Armenian genocide as such is formally not one of the Copenhagen
criteria (membership condition), it is indispensable for a country on
the road to membership to come to terms with and recognize its past.”
The French parliament passed a bill that criminalizes the denial of
the so-called “Armenian genocide,” causing further tension in ties
between Europe and Turkey.
Moreover, the right’s expected presidential candidate in May’s election
in France, Nicolas Sarkozy, has publicly stated that Turkey should
never be allowed to join the EU.
Turkey was officially recognized as a candidate for EU membership
in 1999 but negotiations started only on October 3, 2005, a process
nobody knows how long it will take to complete, if ever.
In contrast, Croatia, which started entry talks together with Turkey,
is expected to be given full EU membership at the latest by 2011.
It cannot be denied that Islam is a factor which plays heavy on the
minds of policymakers, the media and the people in Europe when the
issue of Turkey’s membership is weighed.
Former French president Valery Giscard d’Estaing has been quoted as
saying that Turkey’s entry into the EU would be “the end of Europe.”
He told the French paper Le Monde that Turkey’s capital was not in
Europe, 95 percent of its population lived outside Europe, and it was
“not a European country.”
The BBC in a report on Turkey’s bid for EU membership said “there is
a continuing debate among member countries about whether Turkey is
culturally and geographically compatible with the European Union —
and that a broad strand of opinion says it is not.”
Turkey should be barred from joining the European Union, former German
chancellor Helmut Schmidt wrote in his book “The Self-Assertion of
Europe, Prospects for the 21st Century”.
He cites Islam as one of the reasons for the rejection.
“Islam is another issue of concern to the EU, says Schmidt.
“The outcome of the re-Islamization process is uncertain and
fundamentalism is possible.”
Such statements by top European politicians can only reinforce the
view that the EU was, is and will remain a Christian club.
The abrasive reaction of the Europeans towards Turkey is having its
reaction on Turkey’s public.
A poll published last week showed a dramatic decline in support for
EU membership in Turkey.
The survey, published in the Turkish newspaper Milliyet showed 32.2
percent thought Turkey “must certainly enter the EU,” a sharp decline
on the 57.4 percent figure last year and 67.5 percent in 2004.
The poll also showed that only 7.2 percent trust the EU.
Meanwhile, media reports hint that the EU summit in December could
freeze membership talks with Turkey which could spell the end of
Turkey’s desire to join the European club.

GAS SUPPLIER COMPANY PROPOSES NEW TARIFFS
Panorama.am
15:11 31/10/06
Hayrusgazard closed joint stock company has applied to the public
services regulatory committee with a request to reconsider the gas
tariffs, Karen Karapetyan, company director, told reporters today
saying Hayrusgazard is not satisfied with the current tariffs.
He said tariffs must be raised so that people, who have no gas yet,
will also have the chance to have it.
He said we will never develop if the price of gas, electricity,
vodka and trousers do not go up.
Karapetyan refused to announce what rate they have proposed
to the committee but said that tariffs will not be raised for
resident-customers.

SIXTH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION ARMPRODEXPO TO OPEN IN YEREVAN ON OCTOBER 31
Noyan Tapan
Oct 30 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN. More than 60 companies from Armenia,
Russia, Ukraine and other countries will participate in the sixth
international exhibition “Armprodexpo” to be held in Yerevan on
October 31 – November 3. Armen Davtian, Director of the Agribusiness
Development Center, told NT correspondent that soft and alcoholic
drinks, confectionery, meat and milk products, juices and other
foodstuffs will be on display at the exhibition. According to him,
the purpose of the exhibition is to promote the export of local
products. During the event, an international competition-degustation
of soft and alcoholic drinks will take place, while the companies
recognized as best production manufacturers will be awarded medals
and other prizes.

YEGANYAN: XENOPHOBIA IN RUSSIA NOT A SPECIAL POLICY
Panorama.am
17:07 30/10/06
“Russia faces serious demographic problem,” Gagik Yeganyan, migration
and refugees department head, told a seminar on dual citizenship and
migration challenges in the light of integration.
Citing forecasts, he said, Russia will have 25 million less labor
force in Russia in the year 2020. He said Armenians have created
1 million employment places in that country. Yeganyan believes,
xenophobia in Russia is not a result of special policy but stems from
everyday life.

Would Speaker Pelosi recognize Armenian genocide?
The Fresno Bee
Fresno Bee Opinion Blog
October 25, 2006
The Armenian National Committee of America thinks so. House Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi, who could be speaker next year if the Democrats
take over the House, supports the Armenian Genocide Resolution being
pushed by Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa. The current speaker,
Republican Dennis Hastert, has blocked the genocide resolution in the
House. The Armenian National Committee issued this press release today:
NANCY PELOSI PLEDGES TO SUPPORT CONGRESSIONAL ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
RECOGNITION
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), a
longtime supporter of Armenian American issues who is expected to become
Speaker if the Democrats win a majority in the House this November,
pledged today to support Armenian Genocide legislation next year during
in the 110th session of Congress.
In a statement released to Harut Sassounian, Publisher of the California
Courier, Congresswoman Pelosi stated that:
“I have supported legislation, including H.Res.316, that would properly
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. It is imperative that the United
States recognize this atrocity and move to renew our commitment to
eliminate genocide whenever and wherever it exists. This effort enjoys
strong bipartisan support in the House, and I will continue to support
these efforts in the 110th Congress.”
Sassounian’s weekly column appears internationally in more than a dozen
newspapers, as well as in the widely read Huffington Post.
“Nancy Pelosi’s powerful words and principled actions underscore the
stark difference between her and Dennis Hastert, who, during his tenure
as Speaker has consistently prevented a bipartisan majority from voting
in favor of U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
The ANCA press release continues: Congresswoman Pelosi’s statement is
consistent with her past record of energetic and principled support for
U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, dating back nearly 20 years.
Since her election to the House in 1986, she has worked closely with the
Bay Area Armenian National Committee, enjoying warm relations with the
Armenian American community in the greater Bay Area.
“The principled stand of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi comes as no
surprise, and we’re proud that she confirmed it again today,” said Bay
Area ANC Chairwoman Roxanne Makasdjian. “The Bay Area Armenian community
has long known and respected Congresswoman Pelosi’s leadership o – n
genocide prevention, from her advocacy of Armenian Genocide recognition,
to ending the genocide taking place today in Darfur.”
Speaker Hastert (R-IL), despite his pledge in August of 2000 to schedule
a vote o – n the Armenian Genocide Resolution, pulled the measure from the
House floor in October of that year, o – nly moments before it was set to
be adopted by a broad, bipartisan majority. He has, in every year since,
actively blocked legislation properly commemorating this crime against
humanity.
In July of 2004, following Congressman Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) successful
effort to secure the adoption by the U.S. House of an amendment
recognizing the Armenian Genocide, Speaker Hastert joined with other
members of the House leadership in vowing to block the final adoption of
the measure. In remarks posted at the top of the Speaker’s website o – n
the day after the amendment’s adoption, the Speaker stated that, “Turkey
has been a reliable ally of the United States for decades, and the deep
foundation upon which our mutual economic and security relationship
rests should not be disrupted by this amendment.” He and his leadership
colleagues also vowed to
block any future consideration of the Armenian Genocide Resolution by
the full House of Representatives.
Speaker Hastert has received an “F” rating from the ANCA, while Minority
Leader Pelosi has consistently received “A” grades from the ANCA for her
principled support for Armenian American issues.
Speaking at a Capitol Hill observance in April of 2005, the California
Congresswoman countered those who have cited Turkey’s strategic position
as reason to oppose Armenian Genocide legislation, stressing that:
“First at the time of the Iron Curtain, [they cited] the strategic
location of Turkey, after that it was the Gulf War and Turkey’s
strategic location . . . Turkey’s strategic location is not a license to
kill.”
In May of 2001, during her remarks at the ANCA’s annual Capitol Hill
Armenian Genocide observance, ongresswoman Pelosi noted that:
“The sad thing about that tragedy is that it is a tragedy twice. Once in
the course of the Genocide and secondly in the fact that we cannot get
the United States to pass a resolution memorializing and acknowledging
the terrible things that happened then . . This Armenian Genocide is a
challenge to the conscience of our country and the conscience of the
world. We will not rest until we have recognition of it.”
Speaking o – n the House floor in April of 2001, she reminded her
colleagues that:
“Our alliance with Turkey should not deter us from learning the lessons
of past mistakes. If we ignore the lessons of the Armenian Genocide, we
are destined to repeat those same mistakes. The horrible conflicts in
Sudan, Sierra Leone, and East Timor remind us that we must do more to
prevent the systematic slaughter of innocent people. We must learn from
the past and never forget the victims of the Armenian genocide.”
In April of 1999, in a statement o – n the House floor, the Congresswoman
stressed:
“As we enter the Third Millennium of the Christian Era, it behooves us
to remember. If we ignore the lessons of the Armenian Genocide, then we
are destined to continue our stumblings through the long, dark tunnel of
endless ethnic-cleansings, genocides, and holocausts Let us, then,
remember to remember.”
In remarks marking the Armenian Genocide o – n the House floor in April of
1998, she explained that:
“On April 24, 1915, the rulers of the Ottoman Empire set out to
annihilate the Armenian minority. Over the course of the next eight
years, the Turkish government systematically murdered 1.5 million
Armenians and deported 500,000. By the end of 1923, the entire Armenian
population of Anatolia and Western Armenia was either murdered or
deported . . . While a growing number of Americans come to understand
the horror of this episode in history, the
perpetrators continue their denial.”
In her April 1997 remarks to her House colleagues, the San
Francisco-based legislator reminded Members of Congress that:
“In 1944, noted jurist and scholar, Raphael Lemkin looked to a previous
generation when he coined the word `genocide’ to describe the systematic
annihilation of the Jewish people by the Nazis. Lemkin was thinking of
the Turkish attempt in 1915 to extinguish from this earth the ancient
community of Armenians living within
the Ottoman Empire. Ironically, Hitler had also referred to the
extermination of the Armenians when he spoke of his plans for the Jewish
people in 1939: `Who, after all, speaks today of the Armenians,’ Hitler
said.”
In June of 1996, speaking in support of a Congressional measure,
authored by Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA) to cut aid to Turkey until it
ended its denial of the Armenian Genocide, Congresswoman Pelosi argued
that:
“Passage of this [Radanovich] amendment will serve to deter the Turkish
government from pursuing their unconscionable cover-up of this
internationally recognized crime against humanity.”
In his most recent column, Sassounian criticized the current Speaker as
someone who “not o – nly has broken his pledge repeatedly, but has
actively blocked the Armenian Genocide resolution from being brought to
a floor vote.” He stressed that, “On Nov. 7, members of the Armenian
American community should vote for all those [House] candidates,
regardless of their party affiliation, who are supportive of Armenian
issues. In the case of equally
supportive candidates in a particular race, the preference should be
given to the o – ne who is a Democrat in order to secure a Democratic
majority in the House, helping make Congresswoman Pelosi the next
Speaker, which will enable her to schedule a long overdue vote o – n the
Armenian Genocide resolution.”
Posted by Jim Boren on October 25, 2006 08:35 AM

AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARIANS’ APPEAL DISCUSSED IN CE MINISTERS COMMITTEE MEETING
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 25 2006
The 978th meeting of the representatives of ministers was held in the
CE Ministers committee, APA Europe bureau reports. Four written appeals
to Ministers Council made by Rafael Huseynov and Genire Pashayeva,
the representatives of Azerbaijani Parliament in PACE was discussed
in the meeting.
The document sent by Rafael Huseynov is called “Impediment of the
dangerous precedent caused to the future and integrity of Europe by
the belligerent Armenia, which is not willing to obey international
laws and legal norms” and the documents sent by Genire Pashayeva are
called “Environmental catastrophe as a result of the pollution of the
Azerbaijani water sources with chemical and biological substances by
Armenia” , “The functioning of the Metsamor Atomic Power Station of
Armenia : great danger for the South Caucasus and the whole of Europe”,
“Regular violation of the agreement on cease-fire regime between
Azerbaijan and Armenia and crimes against humanity perpetrated by
armed forces of Armenia against civil citizens of Azerbaijan”. The
discussions were tense. Armenian side suggested removing of these
issues from Ministers Committee’s agenda and suggested sending
a letter to PACE President, because they think there will not be
consensus. Azerbaijani Standing Representatives in PACE also made
speeches in the meeting. Azerbaijani side also presented Pashyeva’s
position on Metsamor Atomic Power Station to the committee. She stated
that the work of this station is dangerous not only for Azerbaijan,
but also for the region. Turkey, Germany and Switzerland supported
Azerbaijani’s position.
At the end, the chief of the committee suggested holding consultations
between Azerbaijan and Armenia on this problem with its participation
and it was decided to discuss the problem in further meetings.

NEW TIMES PARTY LEADER SPEAKS ABOUT A-320 AIRLINER CRASH AND CHEWS A CHEWING GUM
Panorama.am
17:43 25/10/06
The chairman of New Times Party, Aram Karapetyan, decided to call a
press conference today and tell about his verdicts on A320 airliner
crash unveiling his secret sources about the incident. Karapetyan had
several questions which remained without answers and he is going to
forward them to the general prosecutor’s office tomorrow.
Karapetyan has these and similar questions: were there any attempts by
criminal elements to force the landing of the airliner; were there any
beatings on this ground and was the commander of the airliner beaten;
were there gold, diamond, money in big quantities on the airliner;
why the airliner did not return to Yerevan after being warned by the
air conductor; have VIP passengers been checked by security services;
did they have any arms and explosives; if yes, has any criminal case
been instituted; has any Russian-Armenian group established between
the prosecutor’s services of the two countries.
Finally, the speaker wants to know if the Russian media reports have
any real grounds which say that the reality was different but it was
not unveiled because of political reasons.
Karapetyan thinks it doubtful that another A-320 was fired several
days after Sochi incident. The party leader believes all technical
documents of Sochi A-320 were in this airplane. Karapetyan’s sources
say that this airliner has been delivering gold and drugs once in
three months. However, Karapetyan failed to name the sources saying
there are no proofs.
Karapetyan is sure the airliner pilots were not guilty in the
incident. He said they will continue investigation and come up with
their conclusions.
Tomorrow the anti-criminal movement will launch discussions on A-320
crash. Karapetyan blames the authorities for their inconsistency
in finding out the details. As reporters we must mention that Aram
Karapetyan had difficulty while speaking about the subject. No,
he was not troubled. It is really difficult to speak when you have
a chewing gum in your mouth.

FRENCH REJECTS TURKEY’S ACCESSION TO EU
Angus Reid Global Scan, Canada
Oct 24 2006
– Many adults in France believe the European Union (EU) should
not welcome Turkey as a member, according to a poll by Louis-Harris
released by RMC. 58 per cent of respondents reject Turkey’s accession
into the continental group.
In October 2005, the EU officially began accession talks with Turkey.
On Oct. 16, EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn discussed the
current state of affairs, saying, “We have some tensions in EU-Turkey
relations, but we can’t solve problems by dramatizing them. Instead,
we have to work prudently and with full determination in order to
find solutions.”
Cyprus joined the EU in 2004. Relations between the Greek majority
and the Turkish minority in Cyprus have been frayed since 1974, when
a Greek-sponsored attempt to seize the government was met by military
intervention from Turkey. In the skirmish, the Turks gained control
of almost two-fifths of the island, which in 1983 declared itself
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
On Oct. 9, French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy discussed his
conditions for Turkey’s EU accession, declaring, “The first is that
there is a bilateral commission between Armenia and Turkey which has
equal representation, so that these two countries can conduct the
work of acknowledging history. The second condition is that Turkey
reopen its borders with Armenia. And the third condition is that
Turkey gives up its penal law which forbids people speaking of the
genocide in Turkey.”
Polling Data
Do you think the European Union (EU) should accept Turkey as a member?
Yes 28%
No 58%
Not sure 14%
Source: Louis-Harris / RMC Methodology: Interviews with 1,003 French
adults, conducted on Oct.
13 and Oct. 14, 2006. No margin of error was provided.
fm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/13565

ARMENIAN-CHINESE ECONOMIC COOPERATION PRODUCES APPRECIABLE RESULTS
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 20 2006
YEREVAN, October 20. /ARKA/. Armenian-Chinese economic cooperation
is producing appreciable results. This statement was made at RA
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan’s meeting with Vice-Chairman of
the Standing Committee, National People’s Congress of China, Siu Xialu.
The sides expressed satisfaction over the fact that the bilateral
trade and economic relations are producing results.
The sides pointed out that the “Shangsi-Nairit” JV founded by
the Chinese authorities is a successful start of further economic
cooperation. The sides agreed on the necessity of planning other
large-scale projects.
Premier Margaryan and Vice-Chairman Siu Xialu alo pronounced for
intensification of trade relations and contacts between Armenian
and Chinese business circles. The sides expressed hope for new
opportunities for materializing the business potential for the
development of economic, scientific and cultural cooperation.

Economist
Oct 20 2006
A prize affair
Oct 19th 2006 | ISTANBUL
>>From The Economist print edition
Orhan Pamuk, the French parliament and the Armenian massacres
WAS it for his writing or his commentary? The question has consumed
the country since Orhan Pamuk became the first Turk to win the Nobel
prize for literature (or indeed any Nobel). The comments, about the
mass slaughter of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks, led last year to
Mr Pamuk’s prosecution on charges of insulting the “Turkish identity”.
The charges were later dropped on a technicality, but not before they
had attracted a storm of international criticism.
Ascribing to him the Byzantine wiles displayed by some of his
characters, Mr Pamuk’s enemies are now saying that he engineered his
own trial so as to win the Nobel. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the mildly
Islamist prime minister, urged fellow Turks to “put aside polemics”
and congratulate Mr Pamuk, but the (pro-secular) president remained
pointedly silent.
The novelist’s detractors were given a boost, hours before the
award was announced, by the French National Assembly, when it voted
overwhelmingly for a bill to criminalise denial that the Armenians
were victims of a genocide. The bill is unlikely to become law, but
it still sparked a wave of anti-French demonstrations and vows that
France would somehow be made to “pay” for its misdeeds. Why not boot
out some 70,000 illegal workers from neighbouring Armenia, suggested
Yasar Yakis, a former minister from the ruling AK party?
The European Union enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn, said that the
French bill “instead of opening up the debate [on the Armenians in
Turkey] would rather close it down.” Mesrob Mutafyan, the Armenian
Orthodox patriarch in Istanbul, voiced fears that his 80,000-member
flock might now become targets for ultra-nationalist vigilantes.
Happily, no Armenian has been hurt (or deported) so far. Nor
have efforts to break the ice between ordinary Turks and Armenians
stopped-an exhibition by Turkish and Armenian photographers depicting
daily life in Istanbul and Yerevan is to open soon.
There may even be a silver lining to the French cloud. Basking on
the moral high ground, Mr Erdogan said he would not be trapped into
responding to France’s “assault on free speech” in kind. The justice
minister, Cemil Cicek, is hinting that Turkey’s article 301, under
which Mr Pamuk and scores of fellow writers and academics have been
prosecuted, may be scrapped. If it is, Turkey’s EU hopes would be
resuscitated-and future award-winning novelists could then claim to
have been judged solely by their works, not their deeds.