Alliance Party Determined To Win A Lot Of Places In The Parliament

ALLIANCE PARTY DETERMINED TO WIN A LOT OF PLACES IN THE PARLIAMENT

Panorama.am
20:02 14/02/2007

The Alliance party aspires to have many places in the upcoming
parliament. "Our leader has announced if we do not make systemic
changes, we will put down our mandates," Andranik Tevanyan, political
board member of Alliance party, told a press conference today.

He said they are not going to enter the parliament and do nothing. "We
will do everything so that the future parliament will make systemic
changes. If the power reproduces itself, there will be no hope for
changes," Tevanyan said.

PM Andranik Margaryan Had A Farewell Meeting With The Italian Ambass

PM ANDRANIK MARGARYAN HAD A FAREWELL MEETING WITH THE ITALIAN AMBASSADOR

ArmRadio.am
14.02.2007 12:30

RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan received the Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Marco Clementi, who is
completing his diplomatic mission in Armenia.

The Prime Minister thanked Mr. Clementi for the productive work
directed at the reinforcement of Armenian-Italian cooperation during
his tenure in office, underlining that in this period the political
and economic ties between Armenia and Italy rose to a qualitatively
new level.

The parties stressed that in general Armenian-Italian relations have
good perspectives of development both in political and economic,
cultural and other fields.

At the end of the meeting Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan wished
success to Marco Clementi in his further activity, expressing
confidence that the relations between the two countries will continue
developing at the same pace. On behalf of the Armenian Government
Andranik Margaryan expressed willingness to continue the cooperation
with the next Italian Ambassador.

Ambassador Clementi thanked for active cooperation. The Ambassador
emphasized the development of trade-economic relations, expressing
confidence that the next Ambassador will manage to register
considerable success on the basis of existing friendly relations.

Gul Backs Change Of ‘Turkishness’ Clause

GUL BACKS CHANGE OF ‘TURKISHNESS’ CLAUSE

AP
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Feb 12 2007

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Monday backed the amendment of
Turkey’s controversial article 301, used to prosecute intellectuals
including Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk and an ethnic
Armenian journalist who was later shot dead.

"I want this article amended because it puts a shadow on Turkey’s
reform process," Gul said at a joint news conference with visiting
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. "It is damaging
Turkey’s image. It is portraying Turkey as a country where hundreds
of journalists and intellectuals are jailed for their speeches. This
is wrong."

Gul’s remarks came days after a group of trade unions and other
non-governmental organizations proposed a new wording to the article,
which makes insults to the Turkish state or its people a crime. The
groups said the new wording would set clearer limits to what
constitutes insult and what is legitimate criticism.

Some non-governmental organizations were demanding scrapping the law
completely, but Gul made clear the government favored amending it.

"We want everyone to freely express their thoughts as long they
don’t incite violence or amount to insult," Gul said. "These cannot
be allowed. They are not allowed anywhere else."

Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk and murdered journalist
Hrant Dink were both prosecuted under the broad law criminalizing
the denigration of "Turkishness." Both had spoken out about the
mass killings of Armenians in the early 20th century. Numerous other
writers, journalists and academics have also been prosecuted.

Dink, the editor of the minority Agos newspaper, was shot dead outside
his Istanbul office on Jan. 19 and his murder revived a debate about
the law. Many said his prosecution under article 301 had made him a
target for ultranationalist groups.

On Saturday, police detained two men on suspicions that they were
planning to hold up an Istanbul ferry to protest the fact that
pro-Armenian slogans had been chanted at Dink’s funeral. An Istanbul
court ordered the two men released after questioning, saying there
was not enough evidence to charge them.

Acting on a tip, police detained the two men at the city’s entrance
Saturday, a police official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity
because of rules that bar civil servants from speaking to reporters
without prior authorization.

Police said the two men – from the eastern city of Igdir, near the
borders with Iran and Armenia – allegedly planned to hijack a ferry
sailing between the Asian and European shores of the Bosporus,
copying a ferry hijacking last month in the Dardanelles strait,
police said. That hijacker had threatened to blow the ferry up in
protesting the pro-American slogans. He had been carrying a gun,
but no explosives, and after about 2½ hours surrendered to police. No
passengers were harmed.

As the two men detained Saturday left the courthouse, they shouted:
"Turks have no other friends but Turks!" the state-run Anatolia news
agency reported.

Dink’s funeral inspired a massive outpouring of support for
reconciliation between Armenians and Turks, with thousands chanting
"We’re all Armenians." Nationalists however, were angered by the
pro-Armenian slogans.

–Boundary_(ID_1U1kbxghjWvjsux5VOgXSg)–

Turkish Foreign Minister Warns U.S. Bill On Armenians Would Poison T

TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER WARNS U.S. BILL ON ARMENIANS WOULD POISON TIES

AP Worldstream
Published: Feb 10, 2007

A U.S. congressional resolution that would recognize the World War
I era killings of Armenians as genocide would poison ties between
strategic allies Turkey and the United States, Turkey’s Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul warned Saturday.

"Local politics must not be allowed to poison strategic ties," Gul
said on his return from a weeklong visit to the United States, where he
met with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other officials.

Gul said if passed, the resolution would cause permanent damage
to relations.

"It won’t have a fleeting effect, its results will be deep and
lasting," Gul said. He did not elaborate.

The congressional resolution, which was introduced for consideration
last month, is opposed by U.S. President George W. Bush’s
administration, but has been supported by the Democratic leadership.

Gul said Bush would write to members of Democratic-controlled Congress
to urge them to oppose the resolution.

Armenians say that Ottoman Turks slaughtered 1.5 million Armenians in
a planned genocide. Turkey vehemently denies that the mass killings
were genocide, saying the death toll is inflated and Armenians were
killed in civil unrest as the Ottoman Empire collapsed.

ANKARA: Gul presses against ‘genocide’ resolution

New Anatolian, Turkey
Feb 9 2007

Gul presses against ‘genocide’ resolution

The New Anatolian / Washington
09 February 2007

In Washington on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
continued working against the Armenian genocide resolution set to be
debated in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Foreign Minister Gul met several members of the U.S. Congress in
order to discuss recent developments in Turkish-American relations.

He essentially underlined the threat posed by the resolution on the
so-called Armenian genocide towards relations between the two
countries.

After meeting with John Murtha, chairman of the Defense Subcommittee
of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Gul
had talks with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, both Democrats.

After participating in the luncheon given in his honor at Congress by
members of the U.S.-Turkey Congress Working Group, Gul met with
Robert Wexler, co-chairman of the Turkish-American Friendship Group
and Democratic Party congressman from Florida.

Gul also spoke with Democrat Tom Lantos, a Jewish congressman from
California and chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, as
well as Congressman Roy Blunt of Missouri, from the minority
Republican Party.

Ankara: FM got positive impression

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Levent Bilman said on Wednesday
that Gul left the U.S. Congress with positive impressions.

Expressing Ankara’s uneasiness on the so-called Armenian genocide
resolution, he stated that Gul had answered questions posed by
congressmen on the Armenian allegations and clarified the issue.

The Turkish foreign minister also late Tuesday warned the U.S.
Congress that passing the resolution on the so-called Armenian
genocide would harm relations with his country.

"Passage of even a nonbinding resolution in either chamber would
seriously harm our bilateral relations," he stated.

Gul described the possible resolution as an irritant to otherwise
close cooperation with the United States on vital issues including
bringing political stability to Iraq, preventing nuclear
proliferation and connecting Asian energy supplies with European
markets. Even as the Bush administration says it will work with
members of Congress to head off the genocide resolution, Gul warned
that the U.S. government should not get involved in the sensitive
dispute.

"I believe that Turkish-American relations should not be taken
hostage by this issue," he said. "I see this as a real threat to our
relationship."

The administration also sees the issue as a threat to relations with
Turkey, a key strategic ally. The administration has opposed previous
attempts by members of Congress to pass resolutions

However, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi,
avoided meeting with Abdullah Gul, even when the two leaders were in
the same hotel.

Pelosi, who supports the so-called genocide resolution, rejected a
request from the Turkish Foreign Ministry for a meeting with Gul.
Pelosi’s office said her schedule during Gul’s visit to the U.S.
would be too busy to fit him in.

NKR: Meeting of Martuni Regional Administration

MEETING OF MARTUNI REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION

Azat Artsakh Daily – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
08-02-2007

On January 27 the meeting of the regional administration of Martuni
took place. It was reported that in 2006 103 million 57 thousand drams
was allocated for the social problems of migrants and refugees. Four
houses were built in the village of Vazgenashen, three houses, as well
as the building of the municipality in Jivani. In the town of Martuni
two houses were built for refugees, 16 houses were repaired in
Kajavan, 2 houses are being built in Taghavard.

In the villages of Jivani and Mesmna the water supply system was
improved. About 388 million drams was allocated for the repair of the
Karmir Shuka-Sos-Chartar road, roadworks continue, and the tarmac will
be ready in 2007. 45 million 64 thousand drams was provided for
building houses for four large families. The schools of Mesmna,
Kavahan, Paravatumb, Kert and Sargsashen were repaired with support
from benefactors. In 2006 148 million 28 thousand drams was provided
for gasifying the villages of the region. The head of the regional
administration R. Azarian said last year 1 billion 137 million 8
thousand drams was spent on building, which was up by 379 million
compared with 2005. The NKR minister of education Kamo Atayan, who was
also present in the meeting, said the greatest achievement of 2006 is
the strategy worked out in the first conference of the workers of
education, culture and sport in April. The minister also touched upon
the educational reform.

ROMIK GHUKASSIAN.
08-02-2007

Intellectuels Turcs, Le Retour De La Peur

INTELLECTUELS TURCS, LE RETOUR DE LA PEUR
Par Semo Marc

Liberation , France
6 fevrier 2007

Après l’assassinat de Hrant Drink, les menaces ultranationalistes
se multiplient.

Ankara envoye special

Les menaces sont arrivees par mail, accompagnees d’insultes sur sa
mère et ses aïeux. Des avertissements explicites aussi bien contre
lui que contre d’autres intellectuels "traîtres" comme le romancier et
Prix Nobel Orhan Pamuk que "rien ni personne ne pourra proteger quand
nous voudrons le tuer". Professeur de sciences politiques a Ankara
et coauteur en 2004 d’un rapport officiel denoncant "le climat de
paranoïa" entourant les droits des minorites en Turquie, Baskin Oran
est habitue a recevoir ce genre de messages d’intimidation. Mais depuis
l’assassinat le 19 janvier par un jeune chômeur ultranationaliste
de Hrant Dink, journaliste symbole des Armeniens de Turquie, il est
reellement inquiet. Les autorites lui ont finalement attribue un
garde du corps, comme a quelques dizaines d’autres intellectuels ou
activistes des droits de l’homme consideres comme autant de cibles
potentielles. Certains, comme le romancier Orhan Pamuk, ont neanmoins
prefere quitter le pays au moins pour quelque temps.

"Irrationnel".

"Il y a un climat general de lynchage encore plus preoccupant qu’un
complot organise : il s’agit d’un phenomène irrationnel, incontrôlable,
avec des dizaines de milliers de jeunes paumes ultranationalistes
prets a tout contre ceux qu’ils considèrent etre une cinquième colonne
de l’etranger et des gaiours [infidèles, ndlr]", explique Baskin
Oran, indigne que les deux plaintes deposees les annees precedentes
après des menaces de mort n’aient jamais abouti. "Pour la première
fois depuis des annees, je ne me sens plus en securite, et j’avais
ce sentiment avant meme l’assassinat de Hrant Dink", rencherit
Yavuz ÷nen, president de la Fondation pour les droits de l’homme,
pourtant habitue a devoir faire face aux procès a repetition : "Nous
nous trouvons la face a quelque chose de beaucoup plus dangereux,
car plus impalpable et diffus." Le bonnet blanc que portait Ogun
Samast, le jeune tueur de Hrant Dink, est devenu un objet culte dans
la mouvance des groupes les plus radicaux heritiers des Loups gris,
les bandes d’extreme droite qui s’illustrèrent tout au long des annees
80. Une situation d’autant plus inquietante qu’il y a entre 5 et 7
millions d’armes a feu illegales en circulation dans le pays.

Brandissant des pancartes "Nous sommes tous armeniens", plus de 100
000 personnes – turcs, kurdes ou armeniens – defilèrent a Istanbul
pour les obsèques de Hrant Dink, qui se transformèrent en une immense
manifestation pour une Turquie plurielle. "C’etait bouleversant,
mais il s’agit d’un feu de paille. C’est le groupe qui fait bloc
quand un de ses membres tombe, mais cette partie du pays ouverte
et liberale qui s’est mobilisee reste malheureusement minoritaire,
d’autant qu’il n’y a aucune force politique organisee a meme de
relayer son appel", analyse Cengiz Aktar, universitaire specialiste des
questions europeennes, soulignant que "tous les partis ont proteste
contre cet assassinat. Aussi bien l’AKP, du Premier ministre Erdogan
issu du mouvement islamiste, et plus encore l’opposition de gauche,
qui se reclame de Mustapha Kemal, veulent capitaliser a leur profit
le nationalisme montant".

Paranoïa.

Celui-ci se nourrit des frustrations face a l’Union europeenne,
accusee de ne pas traiter la Turquie comme les autres pays candidats
et soupconnee de vouloir demanteler le pays par ses pressions en
faveur des droits des minorites. La mobilisation, notamment en France,
pour exiger des autorites turques une reconnaissance de la realite
du genocide armenien de 1915-1917 a encore accru la paranoïa dans
une partie de l’opinion turque. A cela s’ajoute un antiamericanisme,
qui a explose depuis la guerre en Irak, accusant Washington de jouer
ouvertement la carte kurde au risque d’encourager le separatisme
des Kurdes turcs (13 millions de personnes sur 70 millions de
citoyens). Ce nationalisme represente un mouvement de fond qui
explique aussi l’arret depuis 2004 des reformes exigees par l’Union
europeenne. Ainsi, malgre les pressions de Bruxelles et les appels
des ONG, le gouvernement refuse toujours d’abroger l’article 301 du
nouveau code penal sanctionnant "les insultes a la nation turque", qui,
sur plaintes d’associations nationalistes, ont valu des poursuites a
plus d’une soixantaine d’intellectuels et une condamnation de Hrant
Dink a six mois de prison avec sursis.

"L’inquietude est d’autant plus forte que les ultranationalistes
disposent aussi d’evidentes complicites au sein de certains secteurs de
l’Etat", assure Baskin Oran, qui se refuse a croire que cet assassinat
a ete "un acte isole", comme l’affirment les autorites.

"Gangs infiltres".

Peu après l’arrestation du jeune tueur, des affiches avec son
portrait sont apparues posant sur fond de drapeau turc avec le slogan
de Mustapha Kemal : "La terre de la patrie est sacree, elle ne peut
etre abandonnee a son destin." La photo avait ete mise en scène par
les policiers apparemment admiratifs du geste d’Ogun Samast lors de
son arrestation, comme le prouve une video pirate (lire ci-dessous).

L’enquete a aussi permis de decouvrir que l’un des chefs du petit
groupe ultranationaliste de Trabzon, où evoluait le tueur, avait par
quatre fois informe la police du projet d’un assassinat de Dink. Mais
aucune mesure ne fut prise.

Le Premier ministre, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a fini par admettre lors
d’une conference de presse la realite, deja depuis l’epoque ottomane,
de "l’existence d’un Etat profond que l’on pourrait decrire comme des
gangs infiltres au sein de l’organisation etatique". Il reconnaissait,
amer : "Notre nation a deja paye très cher dans le passe le fait de
n’avoir pu eradiquer de tels reseaux." Mais il est reste muet sur
la montee de cet ultranationalisme qui alimente la haine contre les
intellectuels liberaux et les minorites.

–Boundary_(ID_qc1fhAfYxXOLYZNv9eCYyg) —

Turkmen Ambassador’s Farewell Visit To Holy Etchmiadzin

TURKMEN AMBASSADOR’S FAREWELL VISIT TO HOLY ETCHMIADZIN

ArmRadio.am
08.02.2007 16:10

February 8 in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin the Catholicos of
All Armenians Garegin II received the Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan Khidir Saparleev, who is completing
his mission in Armenia.

His Holiness expressed appreciation for the Ambassador’s activity
and wished his success in his further service.

"Armenia is my second motherland," said the Ambassador and noted that
he is leaving Armenia with great impressions.

During the meeting reference was made to Armenian-Turkmen relations
and the cooperation between the two countries.

BAKU: Former Commander Of Military Unit Arrested Again

FORMER COMMANDER OF MILITARY UNIT #N ARRESTED AGAIN

Today, Azerbaijan
Feb 5 2007

Former Commander of military unit #N of Defense Ministry Elkhan
Huseynov was again arrested.

Huseynov faced additional allegations, military sources told the APA.

Huseynov was arrested by the decision of Baku Military Court.

Elkhan Huseynov was first accused of the Article 125 of the Criminal
Code (driving to suicide). He was accused of driving the soldier of
his military unit Teymur Ismayilov to suicide.

Preliminary investigation is being carried out in Military Prosecutor’s
Office. Though Baku Military Court made a decision on his arrest, Court
of Appeals changed the decision and the commander was released. As a
result of investigation the commander faced allegations on Article 311
(bribery 331.3 (insult, beat and torture serviceman), 341.3 (abuse
of power, exceed of power) of Criminal Code.

Vusal Garajayev, the soldier of Azerbaijani Army captured by Armenians
on December 7 served in Huseynov’s military unit. Garajayev was
released on December 23 and arrested recently.

Military Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the fact.

URL:

http://www.today.az/news/society/35938.html

BAKU: US Jewish Lobby To Support Turkey To Prevent Alleged Armenian

US JEWISH LOBBY TO SUPPORT TURKEY TO PREVENT ALLEGED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BILL

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Feb 5 2007

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdulla Gul is paying an official visit to
the US, APA Turkish bureau reports.

Abdulla Gul will meet with Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice, Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs Stephen Hadley and a number of leading members
of the Congress as well. He will explain to the US officials the
damage of the adoption of the bill on alleged "Armenian genocide"
to the relations between the two countries. Jewish lobby is said to
support Ankara to prevent the bill. Jewish organizations beware of
damage to military-strategic alliance of the two countries and US
deprivation of Incirlik military base used in operations in Iraq and
situated near Iranian borders. Chairmanship of Nancy Pelosi, who is
close to Armenian lobby, to the House of Representatives increases
the possibility of discussion and adoption of the bill. Therefore,
three Jewish organizations will try to prevent including the bill
on the agenda of the House of Representatives. They try to use Rahm
Emanuel, the main author of election strategy paving the way of victory
for democrats in order to influence Pelosi’s position, who is not so
close to Jews. The leader of one of the Jewish organizations told the
Turkish journalists that Emanuel should be persuaded of the importance
of preventing the bill. Nancy always follows Emanuel’s advice.

Turhan Chomaz and Orhan Ziya Diren representing the Turkish government
(Justice and Development) and opposition parties will also visit the
US tomorrow. They are expected to meet with congressmen and members
of Armenian Diaspora. Yaþar Buyukanýt Chief of the Turkish General
Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces will begin his official visit to
Washington on February 11. Army general Buyukanit will hold meetings
with the US military and political leaders.

–Boundary_(ID_6yrkwItTilaMfa6FKpQzNA)–