TURKEY AND ARMENIA DEVISE FRAMEWORK FOR BETTER RELATIONS
SmartBrief
April 23 2009
Turkish and Armenian authorities announced plans Wednesday to put
nearly a century of bitter acrimony behind them in favor of a plan
to normalize bilateral relations. The neighbors have sparred over
the issue of Turkey’s official denial that the deaths of hundreds of
thousands of Armenians in 1915 should be called genocide. BBC (04/23)
Washington Post, The (04/23)
ARMENIA, TURKEY ANNOUNCE ‘ROADMAP’ TO NORMAL TIES (UPDATED)
Asbarez
/2009_1
Thursday, April 23, 2009
YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–Armenia and Turkey said on Wednesday
night that they have agreed on a "roadmap" for normalizing bilateral
relations after an almost year of intensive negotiations mediated by
Switzerland. It remained unclear, however, whether they will establish
diplomatic relations and open their border anytime soon.
"The two parties have achieved tangible progress and mutual
understanding in this process and they have agreed on a comprehensive
framework for the normalization of their bilateral relations in
a mutually satisfactory manner," the Armenian and Turkish foreign
ministries said in a joint statement. "In this context, a road-map
has been identified."
"This agreed basis provides a positive prospect for the on-going
process," the statement said. It did not specify whether that process
can be completed before a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
At the Expense National Interests
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) on Thursday strongly
condemned the agreement announced by Ankara and Yerevan and said it
could pull out of Armenia’s governing coalition in protest.
"It is absolutely unacceptable for us that relations with Turkey be
normalized at the expense of Armenia’s sovereignty, the viability of
its existence, or the national and state rights of future Armenian
generations, the ARF said in a statement. "Being committed to these
principles, we regard as unacceptable and condemnable the signing
by Armenia’s Foreign Ministry on April 22 of a joint statement with
Turkey."
The influential party has declared time and again, that good-neighborly
relations between the two countries can only be established after the
recognition by Turkey of the Armenian Genocide and the restoration
of the rights of the Armenian people.
Turkey Maintains Preconditions
Before the statement was officially released, the Associated Press
quoted a senior Turkish government official as saying that the
agreement does not mean Turkey is ready to open the Turkish-Armenian
border, closed in 1993. "It is out of question," the official said,
speaking on condition of anonymity.
"We don’t want to make any further comment than what is said in the
statement," a Turkish Foreign Ministry source told Reuters. "We will
continue with our policy of silent diplomacy. The time has not come
yet to make announcements on specifics nor on timelines."
The Armenian Foreign Ministry also declined to provide
clarifications. A ministry spokesman, Tigran Balayan, said only that
the roadmap includes "steps to be taken" by the two governments.
The Azerbaijan Factor
Turkish leaders have repeatedly stated this month that Turkish-Armenian
relations will not be normalized until the Karabakh conflict is
resolved in Azerbaijan’s favor. Baku had earlier in April warned
Ankara against normalizing ties with Yerevan before a Karabakh
settlement. Azerbaijan expressed hope on Thursday that Ankara will
stick to this precondition.
"It is the sovereign right of every state to determine its relations
with other countries," Elkhan Polukhov, a spokesman for the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry, told Day.az, commenting on the Turkish-Armenian
statement.
"Nonetheless, Azerbaijan believes that the process of normalizing
relations between Armenia and Turkey should run parallel to the
withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan."
Turkish President Abdullah Gul also called his Azerbaijani counterpart
Ilham Aliyev on Thursday to discuss the normalization of relations
between Turkey and Armenia, Gul’s office said in a written statement.
"Today’s talks were a continuation of consultations between the two
heads of state in the recent weeks and confirmed the traditional
understanding, solidarity and close cooperation between Turkey and
Azerbaijan that contributes to the stability and welfare of the
region," the statement also said.
The US Welcomes
The United States swiftly welcomed the agreement announced by the
two troubled neighbors. "It has long been and remains the position
of the United States that normalization should take place without
preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe," U.S. State Department
spokesman Robert Wood said in a statement.
"We urge Armenia and Turkey to proceed according to the agreed
framework and roadmap," Wood said. "We look forward to working with
both governments in support of normalization, and thus promote peace,
security and stability in the whole region."
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton likewise reaffirmed
Washington’s strong support for the Turkish-Armenian dialogue when
she spoke at the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee earlier
on Wednesday. "The Turkish and Armenian governments have sought
U.S. support and encouragement of their reconciliation efforts,"
she said. "And following that request, both the president and I have
supported them fully."
Clinton also implied that the U.S. is trying to neutralize the
strong Azerbaijani objections to the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement
by intensifying its efforts to broker a solution to the Karabakh
conflict. "We’ve sent a State Department official to Azerbaijan,
I think two times in the last three weeks, and we hope that there
will be some resolution in the next months," she said.
Reactions in Armenia
Several thousand protesters took to the streets in Yerevan on Thursday
to protest the announcement by Yerevan and Ankara, condemning the
move as a betrayal of national interests.
The demonstrations came during an annual march through the capital
holding flaming torches on the eve of the national commemoration of
the Armenian Genocide.
Protesters carried banners calling for "Recognition, Restitution,
Remembrance." Others read: "1.5 million deaths will never be forgiven."
Timing of Announcement
The agreement was made public just two days before Armenia and its
worldwide Diaspora will mark 94th anniversary of the start of the
Armenian Genocide.
US President Obama, as a Senator and a candidate for the
Presidency, spoke forcefully, clearly, and repeatedly in support of
U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, frequently criticizing then-
President Bush for failing to properly characterize and commemorate
this crime while in the White House. He is expected to offer his
first April 24th statement, a White House tradition, this Friday.
Ankara has made no secret of its hopes that the dramatic rapprochement
with Yerevan will deter U.S. President Barack Obama from reaffirming
the US record on the Armenian Genocide in his April 24 address to
the Armenian-American community.
Last December, the ARF urged Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian
to exercise caution in this process, saying that the Turks are
exploiting it to scuttle greater international recognition of the
Armenian genocide.
Obama is facing mounting pressure from the influential
Armenian-American community and its members of the U.S. Congress
to honor his election campaign pledge to recognize, in his present
capacity, the first genocide of the 20th century. Among those lawmakers
are Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, and Steny
Hoyer, the House majority leader.
"It is long past the time for the United States to formally recognize
the Armenian Genocide," Pelosi was reported to say on Wednesday during
a genocide remembrance ceremony on Capitol Hill attended by dozens
of her colleagues.
Pelosi urged Armenian-American groups to step up their grassroots
campaign for the passage of a draft genocide resolution introduced
in Congress last month. "We can do any amount of inside maneuvering
in the Congress and Washington, but what is important is the outside
mobilization to bring to bear the voices of people across America,"
she said, according to the Armenian National Committee of America.
The Obama administration has not reacted to the bill yet. Visiting
Turkey earlier this month, President Obama made clear his position
on the Genocide had not changed. "My views are on the record and
I have not changed views," he said during a joint press conference
with Gul. The President also referenced the Armenian Genocide in his
speech to the Turkish Parliament where he stated, "History, unresolved,
can be a heavy weight. Each country must work through its past. And
reckoning with the past can help us seize a better future."
OBAMA AGREES WITH SERZH SARGSYAN?
A1+
08:41 pm | April 23, 2009 | Politics
"Each political party chooses its own strategy. This is a problem that
the ARF must solve by itself and I don’t think that it is right to
comment on their actions," told "A1+" press speaker for the Republican
Party, NA Deputy Edward Sharmazanov in a strict tone.
"The Armenian authorities, particularly RA President Serzh Sargsyan,
has told our coalition-member parties and the society that diplomatic
relations may be established only without preconditions," reminds
Sharmazanov adding that after the signing of the statement yesterday
the U.S. State Department made a statement according to which
normalization of relations "without preconditions" is the best way.
"This means that Obama agrees with Serzh Sargsyan and praises his
work in this sphere," said Edward Sharmazanov.
RUSSIA PROMISES INVESTMENTS
LRAGIR.AM
17:23:56 – 23/04/2009
The construction of the new nuclear power plant with the participation
of Russia will enable to enhance the scale of the Russian investments
by 5 billion dollars within the upcoming 3-4 years, stated Serge
Sargsyan, the RIA Novosti press agency reports.
"By April 1, 1250 organizations with Russian capital are registered in
Armenia, stated Serge Sargsyan, adding that, despite of the crisis the
trade circulation between Armenia and Russia is 1 billion 66 million".
He also stated that "each country should be proud of having a partner
like Russia and we are proud of it". He brought the example that
the Russian language has become obligatory for all educational
institutions.
The process which Armenia and Azerbaijan are engaged in for the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement inspires hope, stated Medvedev. He
noted that the sides are on the right way. The Armenian president
agreed that there is some possibility to register a progress. He
expressed his satisfaction in connection with the statement of the
Russian president that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue should be solved
in accordance with the international norms.
Sargsyan recalled that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is the axis of
the conflict.
Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
April 22, 2009
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION IN OTTAWA DRAWS RESPONSE FROM TURKEY,
AMBASSADOR RECALLED
Washington, DC – Last night, the Canadian government participated in
Armenian Genocide commemoration events in Ottawa, which drew a strong
response from the Turkish government, ultimately resulting in the recall
of the Turkish ambassador in protest, reported the Armenian Assembly of
America (Assembly).
Prime Minister Stephen Harper recalled the "terrible loss of life during
the demise of the Ottoman empire in 1915, and in particular the horrific
suffering endured by the Armenian people." In response to Turkey’s
protest, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said that Turkey is a friend
and an ally, adding that "It’s not new that the Turkish government has a
difference of opinion around the issue of the Armenian genocide. The
Canadian government’s position is long-standing and has been affirmed by
all-party resolutions in the House of Commons. We stand by our position
and it’s not done with any intent to offend."
Anthony Barsamian, Chairman of Public Affairs for the Assembly, who
attended the event hosted by the Congress of Canadian Armenians, thanked
the government of Canada and its people saying: "Prime Minister Harper
and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff took a moral stand five years ago
to formally affirm the Armenian Genocide in Canada. It is now time for
our government to follow our great ally and neighbor in reaffirming the
historical fact of the Armenian Genocide."
President Barack Obama has been consistent in his statements in support
of affirmation of the Armenian Genocide stating that "America deserves a
leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds
forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that President." "This is
the change he promised and the change we expect," added Assembly
Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c) (3)
tax-exempt membership organization.
###
NR#2009-038
ARMENIAN ACTIVISTS URGE OBAMA TO RECOGNIZE "GENOCIDE"
Agence France Presse
April 21 2009
YEREVAN, Armenia (AFP)–Dozens of Armenian youth activists marched
on the U.S. embassy in Yerevan Tuesday to call on President Barack
Obama to recognize the World War I-era mass killings of Armenians as
"genocide."
About 100 young activists with the opposition Heritage party
marched from central Yerevan to the embassy, carrying the flags of
21 countries and international organizations that have recognized
the genocide label.
"We are here to give a letter to U.S. President Obama with an appeal
to recognize the Armenian genocide. It is time for him to fulfill
the promise he made during his election campaign," said one of the
march’s organizers, David Sanasarian.
Armenia will Friday mark the 94th anniversary of the killings, which
have been at the root of a long diplomatic feud with neighboring
Turkey.
Obama pledged during his 2008 White House run that he would
recognize the 1915-17 massacres as genocide and has strongly backed
U.S. congressional resolutions to that effect.
But he avoided using the politically charged terminology during a
visit to Turkey earlier this month, instead calling for Armenia and
Turkey to build on recent efforts at reconciliation.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen died in orchestrated
killings during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey rejects the genocide label, saying that 300,000 Armenians
and at least an equal number of Turks were killed in civil strife in
1915-1917, when the Christian Armenians, backed by Russia, rose up
against the Ottomans.
ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER WILL NOT BE OPENED UNTIL NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM IS SOLVED, TURKISH PRIME MINISTER REAFFIRMS
NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 21, 2009
YEREVAN
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan once more confirmed his
statement made before that the Armenian-Turkish border will not be
opened until a solution to the Nagorno Karabakh problem is found.
According to Turkish Yeni Safak, Erdogan stated it on April 18
in Hannover where he took part in the event dedicated to the 65th
anniversary of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.
UCLA FACULTY EXPERTS ADVISORY: ARMENIAN GENOCIDE REMEMBERED
UCLA
cla/ucla-faculty-experts-advisory-89206.aspx
April 20 2009
Los Angeles
April 24 is the annual Armenian genocide remembrance day, which
commemorates the slaughter of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians by the
Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923. Many in the Armenian community
hope President Obama will support a resolution currently pending
in Congress to officially recognize the killings as genocide. UCLA
has experts.
Richard Hovannisian, professor of Armenian and Near Eastern history, is
an authority on the Armenian genocide and diaspora. He is the author of
the canonic four-volume history "Armenia on the Road to Independence."
Media contact: Meg Sullivan | 310-825-1046 |
[email protected]
David N. Myers, professor of history and director of the UCLA Center
for Jewish Studies, is an expert on modern Jewish intellectual
and cultural history. He has written on both the Holocaust and the
Armenian genocide.
ARF ASSESSES ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BORDER OPENING
Shushan Stepanyan
important economy politics
hetq.am/en/politics/nranyan/
2009/04/20 | 12:44
"Turkey’s situation and role in the region has never been so important
and at the same time so weak," was the sentiment expressed by Ara
Nranyan, a member of of the ARF parliamentary faction.
Mr. Nranyan stated that that the role of Armenia in the region has also
expanded since it is the only nation that can maintain the regional
balance. "It is clear that Georgia as well as no other nation can
suppress Turkey’s expansionist plans. Armenia has been given the
serious responsibility by the super powers and the international
community to maintain regional peace."
Mr. Nranyan noted that Armenia had specific levers that it shouldn’t
shy away from using. "On the economic side of the equation the ARF
is completing its analysis in which the relative advantages of the
economies of Turkey and Armenia are looked at in detail, as well as
the consequences of the border opening on Armenia. It must be said that
we envisage certain problems that nust be tackled by the government.
He noted the discrepancies that existed in trade tariffs between
Armenia and Turkey according to their membership conditions in the
World Trade Organization. The maximum tariffs that can be slapped on
all goods entering Armenia is 15%, while 50% of goods entering Turkey
have no such restrictions.
Interfax, Russia
April 17 2009
Russia’s MTS officially launches 3G network in Armenia
MOSCOW
K-Telecom, the Armenian subsidiary of Russia’s Mobile TeleSystems
(MTS), has officially launched a 3G network in Armenia on a commercial
basis, MTS said in a statement.
At present, the 3G network covers Armenia’s largest cities – Yerevan,
Gyumri and Vanadzor.
MTS plans to launch the network in all Armenian cities by the end of
2009.
MTS is the largest mobile operator in Russia and the CIS by subscriber
numbers. It serves over 95 million subscribers in Russia, Ukraine,
Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Belarus.
AFK Sistema owns 52.8% of the company’s shares, while 46.7% are in
circulation on the New York Stock Exchange and European OTC markets
and Russian markets. MTS board members and management own 0.5%.