Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

MERKEL, SARKOZY DENOUNCE EU ENLARGEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.05.2009 16:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The leaders of Germany and France – gearing up
for next month’s European Parliament elections – on Sunday denounced
the idea of expanding the European Union indefinitely to include new
members such as Turkey.

Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has advocated having a vaguely
defined partnership with the largely Muslim Turkey, said "we cannot
take in everyone in Europe as a full member.

"We have to talk about the borders of this Europe," Merkel said at
an event organized by her conservative Christian Democrats before the
June 7 European Parliament vote. "It makes no sense if there are ever
more members, and we can’t decide anything any more."

"It is right that we say to people in the European election campaign
… our common position is: a privileged partnership for Turkey,
but no full membership," she said.

Turkey began EU membership talks in 2005, despite opposition voiced in
Germany and France. Neither country, however, has blocked the talks,
and Germany’s other main coalition party – the Social Democrats –
supports EU membership for Turkey.

President Barack Obama has also urged the EU to embrace Turkey as a
full member.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a longtime opponent of Turkish
membership, last week advocated discussing a common economic and
security forum with Turkey as an alternative.

"When Angela Merkel says Europe must have borders, she is right –
because a Europe without borders would be a Europe without a will,
without identity, without values," he said at Sunday’s event, where
he was a guest of honor as France’s leading conservative.

He was quoted earlier Sunday as telling Germany’s Bild am Sonntag
newspaper: "Let us stop making vain promises to Turkey and study with
it the creation of a big common economic and human space."

Sarkozy also underlined France’s support for Germany’s bid for a
permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. France already is a
permanent member, AP reported.

OVERLOOKING DIASPORA’S VOICE WOULD BE A MAJOR BLUNDER

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.05.2009 19:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When addressing the Armenian Genocide, the Government
of Armenia would be wise to not take any drastic steps without
consulting this with the Diaspora organizations, Vahagn Avedyan,
Head of the Armenian community in Sweden, said. "The Armenians living
outside Armenia are the heirs of Genocide victims. They have a very
justified and legitimate right to affect any agreement or road map
which would directly affect their interests and claims."

Mr. Avedyan also added that "Overlooking the voice and the rights
of the Diaspora would be a major blunder on behalf of the current
Armenian Administration and would be nothing else than realizing the
long standing policy of Turkey to divide and conquer by separating
Armenia from the Diaspora," "Nor Horizon" newspaper reports.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 9 2009

Majority of Turks against opening Armenian border

A majority of Turkish citizens are against the possible opening of the
Turkish-Armenian border, a study conducted in late April has
found. According to the survey, conducted by the Genar research
company on 2,044 individuals across the 17 largest Turkish cities
between the dates April 17 and April 26, 67.6 percent said they were
against a potential opening of the border with Armenia and the
normalization of diplomatic ties with that country, while 32.4 percent
said they would support such a move.

Genar’s latest opinion poll, the Turkey Society Politics research
survey, tried to solicit respondents’ answers to a number of questions
on a variety of political and diplomatic issues, from the
normalization of relations with Armenia to voter behavior in the
municipal elections of March 29.

The survey found that 79.6 percent of voters who voted for the Justice
and Development Party (AK Party) in the general elections of July 2007
again voted for that party’s candidates in the municipal elections of
March 29, while 5.7 percent voted for Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
candidates, 5.2 percent for the Felicity Party (SP), 3 percent for the
Republican People’s Party (CHP), 1 percent for the Democrat Party (DP)
and 1 percent for the Democratic Society Party (DTP). Nearly 4 percent
of the AK Party’s vote from the previous elections went to various
other parties.

The survey also found that 89.3 percent of the CHP’s voters in 2007
voted again for that party’s candidates in the local elections, while
1.3 percent voted for the AK Party and 2.3 percent for the SP.

The MHP retained 80.7 percent of its July 2007 vote. However, 5.7
percent of MHP voters in the 2007 election voted for the AK Party in
this year’s elections, while 4.8 percent voted for the CHP, 3.9
percent for the SP and 1.8 percent for the DP. As for the DTP, 85.3
percent of those who voted for them in 2007 voted for that party again
in the municipal elections. Four percent voted for the AK Party while
2.7 percent voted for the CHP.

In the case of the SP, 87.2 percent voted for that party again. This
year, 6.4 percent voted for the AK Party, while 2.1 percent voted for
the MHP.

In another question about political parties, 48 percent of
respondents said the AK Party was the most successful political party
in the country, followed by the CHP (22.8 percent) and the MHP (13.7
percent). The survey also predicts that if there were elections in
Turkey today, the AK Party would get 41.8 percent of the vote,
followed by the CHP at 26.3 percent and the MHP with 16.5 percent.

Ergenekon investigation most important In response to the question
regarding what they thought the most important event in Turkey was in
the first three months of this year, 24.8 percent replied `the 12th
wave of arrests in the Ergenekon investigation,’ which started in 2007
with the discovery of an arms cache in ?Ä?°stanbul and which has
expanded to reveal a clandestine terrorist organization nested within
various state agencies charged with secretly plotting to overthrow the
AK Party government. Academics, professors and former rectors were
detained in the 12th wave of detentions in the probe last month.

In response to this same question, 18.8 percent said the most
important event of the first quarter of this year was the tragic death
of Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Muhsin
Yaz?Ä?±c?Ä?±o?Ä?lu , who died in a helicopter crash while
touring various cities as a part of his election campaign.

In another poll, 12.1 percent of respondents said they trusted the
Zaman daily, which is in the same media group as Today’s Zaman,
followed by H?Ã?¼rriyet at 11.2 percent and Sabah at 9.8
percent. The survey also found that US President Barack Obama’s visit
to Turkey had a positive effect on the US’s image. The percentage of
those who said they had a positive attitude toward the US after the
visit was 52.7 percent, compared to 38 percent, a figure from a
separate survey conducted before the visit took place.

09 May 2009, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN ?Ä?°STANBUL

GUL SEEKS FOUR-WAY SUMMIT TO DISCUSS NAGORNO-KARABAKH ROW

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.05.2009 19:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish President Abdullah Gul plans to convene a
for-way summit with participation of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and
Russia for discussing possibilities of establishing peace between
Yerevan and Baku, Turkish Today’s Zaman periodical reports, relying
on information sources. According to the periodical, Gul planned to
step up efforts for the four-way summit after he met with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan in
Prague on Thursday. The venue and date of the proposed four-way
summit will become clear after the talks Gul and Erdogan will have
with Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders.

Mr. Gul also noted that Russia plays a key role in the region and
it cannot be excluded from efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
dispute.

ARMENIAN PREMIER: REORIENTATION OF PREFERENCES OF ARMENIAN TOURISTS NOT TO SPEND THEIR VACATION IN ABROAD MAY BRING $200-300 MLN

ArmInfo
2009-05-07 01:01:00

ArmInfo. Reorientation of preferences of Armenian tourists not to
spend their vacation in abroad may bring $200-300 mln, which may lead
to 2-3% economical growth and positively affect the payment balance
of the country, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan said today
when making a speech at the meeting of representatives of regional
administrations in Shirak region.

‘It is much possible that in the conditions of crisis many Armenian
tourists will prefer spending their vacation not in abroad but in
their own country.

There are very good conditions to receive tourists not only in Armenia
but in Nagornyy Karabakh as well with its big nature potential. In this
context the leadership of the country may become a sample to follow’,
– Sarkisyan said. The premier charged regional administrations of
Armenia to investigate the potential to receive tourists.

To recall, according to Armenian Economy Ministry, 558thsd tourists
visited Armenia in 2008, which is by 9,4% more than in 2007 (510
thsd). The number of tourists within Armenia was 447 thsd in 2008.

BAKU INTENDS TO RAISE GAS RATES FOR TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.05.2009 13:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish administration currently carries on
negotiations with Azerbaijani side on possible rise in prices for
Azerbaijani gas, Turkey’s energy minister Taner Yildiz stated.

According to him, representatives of the general directorate of the
Turkish BOTAS corporation are in Baku in connection with possible
raise of prices for Azerbaijani gas. "We also project to have a
meeting with Azerbaijani side in Prague," the minister said adding,
that he hopes to find solution to the problem, Turkish media reported.

Earlier, Baku announced, that will raise the gas rates if the
Armenia-Turkish border is opened.

ARTSVIK MINASYAN DOES NOT BELIEVE IN SURVEY RESULTS
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
07.05.2009 17:07

Artsvik Minasyan, the first number of ARF candidate list, does not
believe in polls held before elections. There no independent sociology
in Armenia, Artsvik Minasyan told a press conference today. According
to him, Dashnaktsutyun already has the results of its own polls,
which constitute "a serious bid for victory."

Artsvik Minasyan informed today that Dashnaktsutyin is going to apply
new methods during the election campaign. However, the brackets were
not opened.

He noted only that ARF interns to implement the program "from home
to home, during which Artsvik Minasyan is going to personally visit
the citizens.

As for the withdrawal from the coalition, the ARF representative
stated that Dashnaktsutyun’s had disagreements not only related to
foreign policy.

"In reality, we have always had disagreements with other members of
the coalition. However, those have not been as serious as to finally
split the bonds. The problems were connected with democracy, social
justice, fair elections, etc.

CHARLES AZNAVOUR APPOINTED AS RA AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.05.2009 16:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On May 4, RA President Serzh Sargsyan signed a
decree on appointing Charles Aznavour as RA permanent representative
to UN Headquarters and other international organizations in Geneva

On May 5, the President signed a decree on appointing Charles Aznavour
as RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Switzerland
(residence: Geneva)," RA President’s Press Service reports.

IN KARABAKH ROAD MAP IS NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department
May 06, 2009

In Gyumry the NKR Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan answered the
journalists’ questions on the process of negotiation around the
Artsakh conflict, those concerning the foreign policy carried out by
the Armenian authorities and the Armenian-Turkish relations.

– What is the attitude of the NKR authorities towards the foreign
policy carried out by Armenia and aren’t they troubled by the lately
signed Armenian-Turkish agreement?

– Today’s negotiations satisfy the people of Artsakh and do not cause
any trouble. Citizens of Artsakh are confident that no settlement
on the status of Artsakh without our participation is possible. We
welcome any opportunity of cooperation, which will promote the economic
growth of Armenia and Artsakh must not be an obstacle on the way of
Armenia’s economic development. But we are also convinced that the
authorities of Armenia will never carry a resolution contrary to the
will of Artsakh people.

– What viewpoint on the present negotiation process round the
settlement of Karabakh conflict does the Prime Minister have?

– On part of Artsakh no concrete agreement is reached. In case of
making any concrete proposal the people of Artsakh will express their
point of view. The standpoint of Artsakh people is clear for everybody:
they must live in their free and independent Homeland.

HEAD OF CENTER OF POLITICAL INNOVATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES: RUSSIA TREATS POSSIBLE OPENING OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN BORDER NEGATIVELY

Today.Az
tics/52087.html
May 6 2009
Azerbaijan

The game around the opening of Turkish-Armenian border was launched
by neither turkey nor Armenia, said head of the Center for Political
Innovation and Technology Mubariz Ahmedoglu at a press conference
Wednesday.

"This is a game of the United States. Washington has long sought to
do so, but could not make a decisive step in this direction. Now the
United States, where the Armenian lobby is controlled entirely by
the White House, is ready to make their plans come true", he said.

On the other hand, he said members of the Nurchular movement are also
for the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border.

"Through the recent years, no official representative of Turkey dpaid
a visit to Armenia. Only university professor Ishik Bulent Aras and
Turkish writer Adnan Oktar, who are ideologists of the Nurchular
movement visited Yerevan. Speaking in Armenia, Oktar loudly declared
that the process of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can not and
should not be an obstacle to the warming of relations between Ankara
and Yerevan, and that the Turkish-Armenian border should be opened,
regardless of whether the Karabakh problem is solved or not", said
M. Ahmedoglu.

According to political scientist, Russia is negative about the possible
opening of the Turkish-Armenian border.