Author: Vanyan Gary

NKR PRESIDENT RECEIVES HEAD OF ICRC MISSION

Panorama.am
17:33 22/03/2010

Politics

On 22 March President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakayan
received the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross
mission in the NKR Sophia Pugsley.

Issues related to the activities carried out by the organization in
2009 and action plans for the year of 2010 were discussed during the
meeting, according to the central information department of the NKR
President’s office.

The Head of the State rated high the activity of this authoritative
international organization in Artsakh highlighting the important role
of the ICRC in realizing different projects of humanitarian nature
in the republic.

Aysor, Armenia
March 20 2010

`The Turkish society is not ready to recognize the Genocide’

Today on the meeting with the journalists the Chairwoman of Social
Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP) Lyudmila Sargsyan touched upon the
statement of the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan about
deporting the Armenian migrants from Turkey and mentioned that it is
not the first time.

L. Sargsyan said that today the Turkish society is not ready to
recognize the Genocide.

`Until the Turkish society has accepted the fact of Genocide,
establishment of diplomatic relations with Turkey endanger the
existence of Armenia and the Armenians that live there’, – stressed
the chairwoman of the SDHP.

The speaker also mentioned that the open borders are required for the
country but it’s not right to sign that kind of document for that
reason, so according to her the border can be opened `after holding
negotiation.’

`Turkey had closed the border without any conditions or preconditions,
now let him be so kind to reopen it,’ she noticed.

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV: "SOLUTION TO THE CONFLICTS CANNOT DEPEND ON ANY PHYSICAL PERSON"

APA
March 19 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku. Victoria Dementieva – APA. "Solution to the conflicts can not
depend on any physical person", said Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov answering the question about the
appointment of new Russian co-chair to the OSCE Minsk Group, APA
reports. He said Russia was participating in the solution to the
conflict in the level of president. "We believe that Russia has
univocal position. You know that President Medvedev is personally
participating in the negotiations and tries the conflict to be solved
peacefully".

Last year the OSCE Minsk Group Russian co-chair was declared to be
changed. But it is not known yet who will replace Yuriy Merzlyakov.

BAKU WELCOMES CO-CHAIRS’ EFFORTS ON KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

news.az
March 19 2010
Azerbaijan

Elmar Mammadyarov Baku welcomes the fact that the OSCE Minsk Group
attach a great importance to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – Azerbaijani
FM.

"We welcome the fact that the OSCE Minsk Group, including the
foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group member-states, attach a
great importance to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and the matter is
being discussed"

The statement came from Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov at a
joint press conference by results of a bilateral meeting with Foreign
Minister of Singapore George Yeo, commenting on the results held in
Moscow on the eve of a meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia
and the United States, Sergei Lavrov and Hillary Clinton.

"We knew that this issue will be discussed in Moscow. As for the
replacement of Russia’s co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group, I would say
that if the resolution of any conflict was associated with a specific
individual, it would have been very difficult", the minister noted.

The minister expressed confidence that the soonest replacement of
Russia’s co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group will not affect the
Karabakh settlement, because it does not mean a change in position
of official Moscow on this issue.

"We believe that Russia holds the unique position. As you know,
President Medvedev is personally involved in negotiations trying
to attain a breakthrough in this process in a peaceful way", said
Elmar Mammadyarov.

STATE DEPARTMENT DENIES DEAL TO BLOCK ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION OPPOSED BY TURKEY

Los Angeles Times
tics/wire/sns-ap-us-us-turkey,0,3492358.story
Marc h 17 2010
CA

WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional resolution that would recognize
World War I-era killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide
could go forward despite opposition from the Obama administration.

Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon told reporters there is
no deal with Democratic congressional leaders to block the resolution.

That contradicts earlier claims by the State Department.

"Congress is an independent body, and they are going to do what
they decide to do," Gordon said ahead of speech at the Brookings
Institution.

Turkey strongly opposes the resolution. It withdrew its ambassador
to Washington earlier this month after a congressional committee
approved the measure.

Gordon acknowledged the congressional committee vote had set back
relations at a time when the United States is seeking help from
Turkey to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But he said the United
States has not seen a deterioration in cooperation with Turkey on a
wide range of foreign policy matters.

The Obama administration has urged lawmakers to keep the measure from
a vote in the full House. It is not clear whether supporters of the
resolution have enough support to bring it to the House floor.

"I recognize that we have a tough job ahead of us to garner the
necessary support," said the resolution’s chief sponsor, California
Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff.

Gordon said the resolution is an obstacle for reconciliation talks
between Turkey and Armenia. The two countries reached a deal last
year to normalize relations and open their border, but it has not
yet been ratified by their governments.

But Gordon denied the process had stalled.

"I really think that those two countries’ leaderships are committed
to doing this," he told reporters.

He said that the Obama administration thinks the historical issues are
best addressed by the two countries as part of reconciliation talks.

Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed by
scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey, however,
denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been
inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.

In a speech, Gordon urged Turkey to step up pressure on Iran,
a neighbor and important trading partner. He criticized Turkey for
not voting on a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency
demanding that Iran suspend construction of a once-secret nuclear
facility.

"With respect to Iran, while the international community has sought
to present a single, coordinated message to Iran’s government, Turkey
has at times sounded a different note," Gordon said, according to
prepared text of the speech.

AZERBAIJANI MP: ZURICH PROTOCOLS WILL BE LOST IN ARCHIVES OF TURKISH PARLIAMENT

Today
s/64401.html
March 18 2010
Azerbaijan

Sometimes OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs make statement similar to those
made by Yerevan, Member of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis (Parliament)
Gultakin Hajibayli said.

The Azerbaijani MP was commenting on Armenian FM’s statement accusing
Azerbaijan of distorting subject of the negotiation process on the
Karabakh conflict.

"As you know, before the Armenia Foreign Minister made this statement,
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov made public statements
on the updated Madrid principles. Since talks are held behind closed
doors, it is hard to speak about details of the dialogue.

Nevertheless, we know tricks of Armenia when it retreated from the
earlier negotiated moments on resolution of the Karabakh conflict in
order to prolong the negotiation process. Unfortunately, at times we
see similar things in statements of OSCE Minsk Group," the MP added.

Azerbaijan, of course, is interested in settlement of the Karabakh
problem most of all. But, given gaps in authorities in Yerevan,
as well as between Armenia and Azerbaijan, I think it is still too
early to talk of any progress in the negotiation process. So, I think
that we are going to hear similar ravings by the Foreign Minister
and President of Armenia on the negotiating process many times.

Unfortunately, OSCE Minsk Group sometimes acts in unison with Yerevan.

The last such statement was made by French co-chair Bernard Fassier
in Yerevan which he later refuted," the MP said.

Asked whether Turkey may impose other sanctions against Armenia
besides possible expulsion of 100,000 illegal Armenian migrants in
response to Armenia’s promoting the "Armenian genocide", Hajibayli
said if Armenia keeps on insisting on recognition of "genocide,"
Turkey cannot only send back the Armenian migrants, but take more
stringent measures. With regard to the Zurich protocols, they will
be lost in the archives of the Turkish Parliament.

Azerbaijan and Turkey have experienced hard times. Many countries
want us to quarrel. Nevertheless, I believe that eventually we will
be able to overcome this with dignity. Baku and Ankara are doomed to
be together, and no anti-Turkish forces us will be able to prevent
this," Hajibayli.

TURKEY’S TURNING INTO NAZI GERMANY?

Tert.am
17:00 * 18.03.10

Turkish news source Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review
correspondent Yýlmaz Ozdil, referring to Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoðan’s recent statements on deporting Armenians living in
Turkey, said that Turkey mustn’t be allowed to become Nazi Germany.

We mustn’t allow the issue to get to the point where, in Turkey,
they begin to say, "Our citizens are unemployed, why are you
giving foreigners work?" That’s the most dangerous. If we say,
"the Armenians came, they took our work from our hands," we will
turn into Nazi Germany, said Ozdil in an interview with CNN Turk,
while calling Erdoðan’s statements a joke"

"To prove that we’re not oppressing Armenians, we deport them. To prove
that we haven’t initiated an eviction, we’re initiating a contemporary
eviction. That’s simply mockery," said the Turkish journalist.

ADDITIONAL 583 MILLION DRAMS TO BE PROVIDED FOR SUBSIDIZING IRRIGATION SYSTEM OF ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
March 18, 2010

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, NOYAN TAPAN. At the March 18 sitting, the government
made a decision to allocate 583 million drams (about million 342.5
thousand) to the State Water Industry Committee of the RA Ministry of
Territorial Administration for subsidizing the irrigation system. The
committee chairman Andranik Andreasian said at a briefing following
the sitting that the government subsidizes water using companies in
order to supply farms with water at prices lower than the cost price.

A. Andreasian considered this sum as great assistance for farms
enabling them to continue their work without making changes in their
business plans. "There has been a rise in some prices, particularly
power prices in recent period. To prevent this additional burden
from affecting the irrigation water price, the government provides
additional money," A. Andreasian underlined.

There are currently 3 water-supply companies in the irrigation system.

They service 44 water using companies.

TURKEY THREATENS TO EXPEL 100,000 ARMENIANS OVER US ROW
by Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

Daily Telegraph
s/europe/turkey/7465701/Turkey-threatens-to-expel- 100000-Armenians-over-genocide-row.html
5:52PM GMT 17 Mar 2010
UK

Turkey has threatened to expel 100,000 Armenians from the country in
response to the US branding the First World War killings of Armenians
by Ottoman Turks as "genocide".

Ottoman soldiers posing in front of Armenians they hung on a public
place, image taken in Alep in 1915 Photo: GETTY Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
the Turkish prime minister, said the position of the immigrants,
many of whom have lived there as refugees for a generation, was being
reviewed in the wake of the row.

Armenia claims more than 500,000 of its countrymen died in bitter
in-fighting as the Ottoman Empire disintegrated at the height of the
First World War.

Turkey concedes that tens of thousands died in ethnic fighting but
vehemently disputes accusations that massacres were systematically
planned.

Tensions with Armenia have recently escalated as a well-organised
worldwide campaign has persuaded the American Congress and Swedish
parliament to adopt resolutions condemning the incidents as "genocide".

An Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day Bill has also been put before
the House of Commons and Mr Erdogan has warned Gordon Brown that
relations would suffer if parliament passes it.

Turkish law already makes discussion of genocide an offence punishable
by imprisonment.

"There are currently 170,000 Armenians living in our country. Only
70,000 of them are Turkish citizens, but we are tolerating the
remaining 100,000," said Mr Erdogan.

"If necessary, I may have to tell these 100,000 to go back to their
country because they are not my citizens. I don’t have to keep them
in my country."

The suggestion has proved controversial in Turkey with Ahmed Davutoglu,
Turkey’s foreign minister, rejecting any calls to drive out Armenians.

Mr Davutoglu said the move would put Turkey in the "hot seat" as it
attempted to fend off charges of ingrained racial prejudice.

He said: "If we do it, will provoke other states that opposes
our policy to use the move as a bargaining chip. All newspapers
will publish photos of deported Armenians and it will be called
a nationalism."

Turkey has been dismayed by the campaign as it had been attempting
to establish normal diplomatic relations with the ex-Soviet state.

Mr Erdogan said its neighbour should distance itself from the overseas
community leading the lobbying.

He said: "Armenia has an important decision to make. It should free
itself from its attachment to the diaspora. Any country which cares
for Armenia, namely the US, France and Russia, should primarily help
Armenia to free itself from the influence of the diaspora."

But yesterday there was uproar in Armenai over the suggestion of
deportations. Hrayr Karapetyan, an Armenian MP, condemned Mr Erdogan’s
remarks as blackmail.

"The statement once again proves that there is an Armenian genocide
threat in present Turkey, thus world community should pressurise
Ankara to recognise [the] genocide," he said.

Turkey allows visa free access from much of the Caucuses and Central
Asia. As a result its cities are populated by a high number of
illegal immigrants.

The small community of Armenians who hold Turkish citizenship have
often borne the strain of the country’s political tensions.

ERDOGAN: MINSK GROUP HAS BEEN ASSIGNED SIGNIFICANT RESPONSIBILITY

Aysor
March 17 2010
Armenia

"The OSCE Minsk Group has been assigned significant responsibility,"
said Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the joint press
conference with his British counterpart Gordon Brown in London.

"I’d rather say that solutions and settlements to many problems depend
on the activities and actions by Minsk Group," said Erdogan.

"If they do their work responsibly, then problems will remain neither
between Turkey and Armenia, nor between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Everything now depends on MG’s work," 1NewsAz Agency quotes Erdogan
as saying, citing the Turkish papers.