Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

Le Monde, France
13 octobre 2009 mardi

L’accord de normalisation entre la Turquie et l’Arm©nie n’efface pas
les crispations

par: Guillaume Perrier

ENCART: Le premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a r©affirm©
qu’Erevan devra se retirer de la province az©rie du Haut-Karabakh pour
que le texte soit ratifi© par les d©put©s Ankara

Pendant plus de trois heures, samedi 10 octobre, Zurich (Suisse), la
signature de l’accord de normalisation diplomatique entre la Turquie
et l’Arm©nie est rest©e en suspens. Un ultime blocage, c´t© arm©nien,
sur les termes du discours que le ministre turc des affaires
©trang¨res, Ahmet Davutoglu, devait prononcer, a fait planer le doute
sur la c©r©monie.

A la derni¨re minute, la berline d’Hillary Clinton, en route pour
l’universit© de Zurich, a fait demi-tour vers son h´tel. Depuis la
voiture gar©e sur le parking, la secr©taire d’Etat am©ricaine a
multipli© les coups de t©l©phone aux ministres turc et arm©nien pour
trouver un compromis. Une heure plus tard, tout le monde s’est remis
en route pour rejoindre les d©l©gations suisse, russe, fran§aise et
europ©enne, les co-parrains avec les Etats-Unis de cet accord. Apr¨s
un ultime conciliabule d’une heure et demie, et la d©cision de
supprimer les discours, le texte a finalement pu ªtre sign©.

Le premier objectif est d’ouvrir la fronti¨re commune dans un d©lai de
deux mois apr¨s la ratification par les Parlements des deux pays. " Il
y avait des inqui©tudes des deux c´t©s (…). Des questions
d’interpr©tation sur ce qui devait ªtre dit et ne pas ªtre dit ", a
comment© Mme Clinton, dans l’avion qui la conduisait dans la soir©e
Londres, sans davantage pr©ciser les motifs du blocage. " Nous avons
©t© capables de faire comprendre tout le monde qu’il ©tait imp©ratif
d’avancer. – Les deux pays – vont maintenant tous les deux soumettre
l’accord leurs Parlements respectifs. Et ce sera difficile ",
a-t-elle ajout©.

Le chef de la diplomatie turque, Ahmet Davutoglu, a voulu minimiser
l’incident. " Soyez s»rs que, pendant que vous viviez une crise de
trois heures, j’©tais avec ma d©l©gation en train de boire du th©.
Nous ©tions certains que les protocoles allaient ªtre sign©s. Cela
fait partie des n©gociations ", a-t-il r©pondu une cha®ne de
t©l©vision turque.

Selon le journal H¼rriyet, qui a publi© des extraits du discours qui
n’a pas ©t© prononc©, M. Davutoglu souhaitait faire une r©f©rence
explicite la situation au Haut-Karabakh, une province disput©e
d’Azerba¯djan, contr´l©e par l’Arm©nie depuis 1993. C’est pour cette
raison que la fronti¨re avec l’Arm©nie avait ©t© ferm©e par Ankara.
L’Arm©nie tient au contraire disjoindre les deux questions.

D¨s le lendemain de la signature de l’accord turco-arm©nien, le
premier ministre turc, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
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n’en a pas moins r©affirm© la position de son pays liant l’ouverture
de la fronti¨re turco-arm©nienne un r¨glement du conflit dans le
Haut-Karabakh. Ce qui a raviv© les doutes. " Tant que l’Arm©nie ne se
sera pas retir©e des territoires azerba¯djanais qu’elle occupe, la
Turquie ne pourra pas avoir une attitude positive envers elle ",
a-t-il d©clar© dimanche devant les cadres de son parti, l’AKP. " La
Turquie attend maintenant un geste de la part de l’Arm©nie sur la
question du Haut-Karabakh ", confirme Aybars G¶rg¼l¼, un universitaire
sp©cialiste de la question arm©nienne.

Le chef du gouvernement turc a tent© dans le mªme temps de rassurer
l’Azerba¯djan, pays de souche turque, soutien fid¨le d’Ankara qui
dispose d’alli©s politiques et de relais au sein de l’appareil d’Etat.
Mais Bakou, la capitale, l’accord de Zurich passe mal et entre " en
contradiction frontale avec les int©rªts nationaux de l’Azerba¯djan ",
selon le minist¨re des affaires ©trang¨res. Une entrevue a bien eu
lieu, vendredi 9 octobre, entre Serge Sarkissian et Ilham Aliev, les
pr©sidents arm©nien et azerba¯djanais, mais elle n’a permis aucune
avanc©e.

Le gouvernement turc de M. Erdogan doit faire ratifier le document par
le Parlement. Ce pourrait ªtre plus long que pr©vu, du fait de la
pression des partis nationalistes d’opposition. D¨s dimanche, le
d©put© k©maliste Onur -ymen a d©nonc© une " abdication devant les
pressions ext©rieures ", et a livr© son " inqui©tude pour l’avenir du
pays ".

L’accord est ©galement contest© par une minorit© en Arm©nie. A l’appel
du parti nationaliste Dachnak, plusieurs milliers de personnes ont
d©fil© en fin de semaine dans les rues d’Erevan, la capitale,
r©clamant que la Turquie reconnaisse pr©alablement le g©nocide
arm©nien de 1915. " Compte tenu de l’ignorance qu’il y a en Turquie
sur les ©v©nements de 1915, cela prendra beaucoup de temps avant
qu’une telle r©flexion n’©merge ", note M. G¶rg¼l¼.

President Sargsyan observed the final stage of the `Cooperation 2009′
military exercises

armradio.am
17.10.2009 13:32

The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan observed at the Maribulak
military training field the final stage of the `Cooperation 2009′
military exercises conducted by the collective Rapid Response Force of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The Military
exercises held in Kazakhstan on October 12-16 were first exercises
conducted after the establishment of Rapid Response Forces. At the
maneuvers in Kazakhstan Armenia was represented by 110 servicemen –
one military unit and line officers.

The exercises were aimed at the development of algorithms for the
interaction of the different divisions of the Rapid Response Force in
threatening situations and in combat, coordination of the activities
between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and military leadership of the host
country, as well as for the study of different tactics applied in
deployment of multinational force.

The CSTO Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Command Staff of the exercises
praised the participation of the Armenian troops in the exercises and
their combat readiness.

The final stage of the `Cooperation 2009′ military exercises was
observed by the Presidents of five CSTO member states – Armenia,
Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

The Heads of State gave high marks to the results of the exercises and
stressed once again that the establishment of Rapid Response Force
provided new meaning to the CSTO. The decision to establish Rapid
Response Force had been made in December 2008, during the unofficial
summit of the CSTO Heads of State in Borovoy resort, while the final
decision on the establishment of the Force was made in June 2009 in
Moscow, at the conclusion of Armenia’s presidency in the organization.
The primary task of the CSTO Rapid Response Force is to neutralize
aggression or threat of aggression against a country or countries of
the Organization through a rapid deployment of its multinational
troops.

This evening, after the conclusion of the military exercises, the
delegation headed by President Sargsyan returned to Yerevan.

PROTOCOLS CONCORDANT WITH TURKEY’S PRINCIPLES: SAHIN

News.am
14:05 / 10/17/2009

Turkish Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin deems that signed
Armenia-Turkey Protocols are concordant to Turkey’s principles,
Turkish Haber8 website reports.

Mehmet Ali Sahin visited the levee in Artvin (Turkey). Answering the
journalists’ questions, Sahin said, "If you live in the same house
and have problems with neighbors, peace cannot be maintained in your
apartment. This formula is also applicable to the states. If we wish
to establish peace in the region, we are obliged to settle problems
with our neighbors. Then he quoted Kemal Ataturk, "I consider that
steps undertaken by our authorities are entirely concordant to the
philosophy of the establishment of the Republic of Turkey," Sahin said,
adding that Turkey’s international reputation is increasing.

According to him, "it gives ground for pride."

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 16, 2009
Contact: Michael A. Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY SPEAKS TO AMERICAN MEDIA ON THE PROTOCOLS

Washington, DC – As Armenia proceeded in signing two historic protocols
with Turkey, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) has been
intensely involved in communicating with the media, both in the U.S. and
abroad, about its position, concerns and readiness to support Armenia
and her people, as well as its expectations from Turkey.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the signing of the
protocols is a step toward normalization of relations between Armenia
and Turkey. In an interview with WSJ, Assembly Board Member Anthony
Barsamian said that "This will test the courage of Turkey and whether
they are sincere about the process. We expect the border to open without
any preconditions."

The New York Times (NYT) highlighted that the most influential,
non-partisan expatriate groups in the United States – "including the
Western and Eastern Dioceses of the Armenian Church, the Armenian
General Benevolent Union (AGBU), the Knights of Vartan and the Armenian
Assembly of America" – support normalization of relations without
preconditions. Given Turkey’s conduct, including ongoing denial of the
Armenian Genocide, many are naturally skeptical, but believe that this
process represents an important step.

In referencing the joint statement issued on October 1, 2009, by these
groups, the NYT reported that "any easing of tension between Turkey and
Armenia was bound to be fragile" and that "many Armenians insist that
ties should not be normalized until Turkey acknowledges that the killing
of more than one million Armenians at the end of World War I constituted
genocide… [T]he [Turkish] government has supported prosecution of
Turks who have spoken out about the issue."

The Assembly has made it clear, through numerous statements, press
releases and letters to President Barack Obama and his administration,
that it supports the process of normalizing relations between Armenia
and Turkey without preconditions. The Assembly has also insisted that
the rapprochement process should not be confused or entangled with
ongoing efforts to ensure that the United States government reaffirms
the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide.

Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny told The Hill, a congressional
newspaper, that "We are still going to be working with members of
Congress to push forward with the affirmation. Nothing has changed in
that regard. It is still an important objective in its own right,"
adding that "It shouldn’t be that the affirmation of the Armenian
genocide be held hostage to the normalization of relations."

In an open letter released on October 9, supporting Armenia’s President
Serzh Sargsyan’s policy of normalizing relations without preconditions,
signatories Charles Aznavour-Paris; Artur Chilingarov-Moscow; Eduardo
Eurnekian-Buenos Aires; Hirair Hovnanian-Washington, DC; Jean
Jansem-Paris; Armen Jigarkhanian-Moscow; Vache Manoukian-London; Berge
Setrakian-New York City; Serge Tchuruk-Paris; Alain Terzian-Paris and
Ruben Vardanian-Moscow exclaimed that "this process does not mean to
forget the past and to question the fact and the importance of the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide." The letter also called on "all
our compatriots in Armenia and Diaspora to assist this process in all
possible ways."

On Saturday, October 10, 2009, representatives of Armenia and Turkey
signed the historic protocols amid a tense diplomatic situation. The
signing ceremony, in the presence of Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline
Calmy-Rey, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, EU
Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana, Armenia’s Ambassador to Switzerland
Charles Aznavour and Turkey’s Ambassador to Switzerland Oguz Demiral,
Slovenia’s Foreign Minister, Chair of CoE Committee of Ministers Samuel
Zbogar, was delayed just an hour before it was due to start because of a
disagreement over the wording of Turkey’s post signing statement.

Less than 24 hours after the signing, Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan said that Turkey would not open the border with Armenia until
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is resolved. The Armenian Government has
repeatedly stated that Nagorno Karabakh is not part of the protocol
process and that the Armenian Genocide is not subject to debate.

This position is reinforced by the AGBU, Eastern and Western Dioceses of
the Armenian Church, Knights of Vartan and the Assembly. All five
institutions have made it clear that as this process unfolds there
should be no question that we will continue to stand firmly with the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic to ensure its freedoms and security, as well
as with all those working for universal affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide.

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#2009-072

Editor’s Note: Links to articles, joint statement, letter and open
letter attached.

Articles –

Wall Street Journal
42877259.html

New York Times
pe/11armenia.html?_r=1

The Hill
despite-armenia-turkey-norm
alization-lobbying-bat tle-over-genocide-resolution-to-go-on

Joint Statement –

Joint Letter –

9/Joint_letter_to_Preside
nt_Obama.pdf

Open Letter –

er

ANC PREPARED SUIT AGAINST EX-PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARIAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
16.10.2009 15:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Member of Armenian National Congress (ANC) Davit
Shahnazaryan said the ANC has prepared a 400-page suit against former
President of Armenia Robert Kocharian over March 1, 2008 events.

"The suit will be sent to the International Court of Justice," he said,
adding that the Congress collected over 100 thousand signatures for
the document, which will be sent to the Court when translated.

AVIGDOR LIEBERMAN TO CALL TURKISH ENVOY ON THE CARPET

Aysor.am
Thursday, October 15

Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman issued a statement
Wednesday night announcing that the Turkish envoy would be summoned
to give explanation for anti-Israeli series that appeared Tuesday
evening on prime time on the government-controlled station TRT1.

Episodes of a series tell love-story under Tel Aviv’s attack on
Gaza. Head of Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying
that this show is a state-supported "gravest form of incitement".

Foreign Minister Lieberman also added the series, which has absolutely
no connection to reality, and which presents IDF soldiers as murderers
of innocent children, cannot be broadcast even in hostile countries,
and certainly not in a country that has diplomatic relations with
Israel.

EDWARD NALBANDYAN: "THIS MEETING WAS AN IMPORTANT EVENT IN RESPECT OF FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL RELATIONS"

ARMENPRESS
OCTOBER 15, 2009
BURSA

BURSA, OCTOBER 15, ARMENPRESS: "As the chairman of UEFA Michel Platini,
who came to watch Armenia-Turkey football match, was saying today that
in general football matches are big sport events but the experience
showed that it can be an event not in respect of only sport but
arise an important voicing like year ago when the Armenia-Turkey game
took place in Yerevan and gave birth to process of normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations. Today Abdullah Gul was saying that if
President Serzh Sargsyan did not invite him to watch the football
game a year ago, would this progress in Armenian-Turkish relations
be registered during this one year?" Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandyan said today after the Armenia-Turkey football game in Bursa.

According to him, today’s game was a good occasion of meeting of
the two presidents and throw a retrospective glance on what happened
during this one year in respect of normalization of relations between
the two countries and what must be done after the signed protocols
to bring its points to life.

"This will open the only door which was separating our two countries,
peoples for many years and will give an opportunity to lay basis
for development of relations. These were the talks held between the
presidents of the two countries first in an extended meeting and then
in face-to-face one," the minister said.

By the way at the dinner served in the honor of the Armenian president
dishes prepared by spouse of Abdullah Gul were served: with this
gesture A. Gul wanted to display special warmth to the reception of
the Armenian president.

"So this meeting and game were an important event not only in respect
of football, sport, but in respect of further development of bilateral
relations," Nalbandyan said.

DEMANDS FOR MORE REFORM BY TURKEY LESSEN EU MEMBERSHIP CHANCES
Dorian Jones

Voice of America
15 October 2009
Ankara

The European Commission’s annual progress report on Turkish membership
says Ankara has improved its handling of human rights issues and the
Kurdish minority. But it says that a lot more work needs to be done
for it to become an EU member. The report is being met with little
enthusiasm in Turkey as doubts over its bid to become a member
continues to grow.

The European Commission’s annual progress report on Turkish membership
said Ankara has made some improvements on handling of human rights
but said Turkey needs to speed up reforms to boost its chances of
joining the bloc.

The EU and Turkey started membership negotiations in 2005, but
they have made little progress since, while France and Germany have
expressed opposition to Turkey’s bid.

The report’s findings were welcomed by Ergemen Bagis, the cabinet
minister responsible for Turkey’s bid to join the EU.

He said the Democratic initiatives introduced by our government have
been met with praise and he said the necessity of taking concrete
steps alongside this wide ranging process is emphasized. He also said
the steps such as Turkey’s continuing dialogue with the non-muslim
communities as well as its relationship with Armenia are all included
in the report in positive terms.

But Professor Cengiz Aktar, head of European Union studies at
Istanbul’s Bachesehir University, says such reports from the commission
are becoming just an academic exercise. "Total schizophrenia. On the
one hand, Turkey is now moving and the government is moving with this
Kurdish opening and this opening towards Armenia and many other things
on its way. All is in line with the EU membership (requirements), and
the negotiations are completely stalled. It is day and night. Europe is
absent, the commission is there but the European Union member states
are not there. They are not supporting Turkey in its endeavors,"
he said.

One area of contention between both sides in yprus. A member of the
European Union since 2004, Cyprus has no diplomatic relations with
Turkey which invaded the island’s northern third after a brief Greek
inspired coup in 1974.

In its report, the EU executive arm said Turkey made no progress in
normalizing relations with Cyprus, adding that it was urgent that
Ankara open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic.

But Suat Kiniklioglu, spokesman for the Turkish parliamentary foreign
affairs committee, says Turkey won’t do so until the EU honors
it commitment to Turkish Cypriots. "Our policy is conditioned. The
European Union has told us that direct trade with Turkish Cyprus would
be established. That did not happen. As long that does not happen,
there is no way we are going to open the ports to Greek Cyprus,"
he said.

Brussels had indicated that it would lift the embargo if Turkish
Cypriots voted in favor of a U.N.-sponsored unification plan. They did,
but the Greeks rejected it.

The row over the ports could reach a head at the end of this
year. Under a protocol signed by Turkey, the country risks having the
talks suspended by the EU unless it opens its ports to Greek Cyprus
by December.

Richard Howitt of the European Parliament’s Committee on Turkey
warns that Ankara is in danger of throwing away all the good work
it has achieved so far. "I warned them that there isn’t too much
ambiguity. I would argue no ambiguity in that legal text agreed by
the council ministers. So, don’t underestimate the threat of the
talks being suspended altogether," he said.

But analysts say such a threat does not carry the weight it once did
in Turkey. Professor Aktar of Bachesehir University says the rapid
progress of EU applicant Croatia only adds to Turkish resentment. The
report gave no entry date for Croatia, but reports say the former
Yugoslav state could become the EU’s 28th member in 2012 after
ratification of its accession treaty. "Croatia, who started the
negotiation process the same day as Turkey, will probably will be
ready by the end of 2010 to become eds over 10 years to be ready at
this pace. And they are slowly losing Turkey," he said.

There have been efforts within the EU to dilute the membership talks
and redirect the cooperation between Turkey and the bloc to something
less than full membership. Turkey has seen this as a snub and reform
has not proceeded as fast as many want.

OBAMA’S DECISION TO INCREASE U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONS

Aysor.am
Wednesday, October 14

U.S. administration intends to have joint activities with EU
to increase U.S.-Russia relations. This announcement is made by
U.S. President Obama when he and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero met with journalists.

Obama congratulated Zapatero on Spain’s impending turn in the EU
presidency and promised that his government will work closely with
Madrid in such areas as the fight against terrorism, improving
relations with Russia and European integration.

GAZA HAUNTS TURKISH-ISRAELI STRATEGIC TIES

Islam Online
IslamOnline.net & Newspapers

"We hope that the situation in Gaza will be improved, that the
situation will be back to the diplomatic track," Davutoglu said.

CAIRO – Several months on, Israel’s savage onslaught against the
impoverished, sealed-off Gaza Strip continues to haunt its once
"strategic" relations with heavyweight Turkey.

"We hope that the situation in Gaza will be improved, that the
situation will be back to the diplomatic track," Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told CNN.

The Turkish military said last week the international section of the
"Anatolian Eagle" air exercises, carried out annually since 2001,
had been delayed.

Tel Aviv said the drills were scrapped after Ankara excluded Israel,
a decision which prompted the US and Italy to pull out.

The war games are important for Israel as they provide an opportunity
for its aircraft to train in a vast air space unavailable in Israel.

Turkey had earlier linked the Israel decision to "a technical matter"
but Davutoglu acknowledged the link to the Gaza war.

"And that will create a new atmosphere in Turkish-Israeli relations
as well. But in the existing situation, of course, we are criticizing
this approach, [the] Israeli approach."

More than 1,400 people, including 437 children and hundreds of other
civilians, were killed and 5,450 wounded in three weeks of air,
sea and land attacks.

A report last month by the UN’s human rights council accused Israel
of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war.

The war cast a shadow over Turley’s once-flourishing relations
with Israel.

Davutoglu cancelled plans to visit Israel in September after he was
denied permission to visit the Gaza Strip.

Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of committing genocide
in Gaza Strip and wants its officials to be tried for war crimes.

In January, he confronted President Shimon Peres at Davos and told him
"you know well how to kill people."

Crisis

Israel scrambled to contain a with its most important military
relationship in the region.

"The relations between Israel and Turkey are strategic and have
been maintained for dozens of years," Defense Minister Ehud Barak
said Monday.

He warned against further harming Israel’s relations with Turkey.

"Despite all the ups and downs, Turkey continues to be a central figure
in our region; it is unsuitable to be drawn into criticizing it."

Muslim-majority Turkey has been Israel’s chief regional ally since
1996 and has long enjoyed military co-operation with Tel Aviv.

Israeli officials and media outlets have opened fire at Turkey over
the past weeks and even pressed for re-evaluating Israel’s ties
with Ankara.

"It may be that the reality has changed and the strategic ties that
we thought existed have simply ended," a senior official told Haaretz.

"Maybe we need to be the ones who initiate renewed thinking regarding
our ties and must adopt response measures."

Defense officials told the Jerusalem Post they were rethinking arms
sales to Turkey and would end support for Turkey in its efforts to
stop the US Congress voting to declare the mass killing of Armenians
by the Ottoman Turks genocide.

An adamant Turkey asked Israel to show restraint in its reactions.

"Assessments and comments attributed to Israeli officials in the
press are unacceptable," the Foreign Ministry said.

"We invite Israeli officials to common sense in their statements
and attitudes."