Category: News

UNDP ANTI-CORRUPTION PROJECT BACKS DEVELOPMENT OF LAW ON LOBBYING
ArmenPress
Dec 17 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS: Today, at the Congress Hotel in
Yerevan, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in
cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Trade
and Economic Development of Armenia, held a discussion of the draft
Concept of the Law on Lobbying of the Republic of Armenia.
Representatives of the Government, Parliament, local and
international organizations, trade unions and business associations,
as well as experts participated in the discussion, UNDP Country
Office in Armenia told Armenpress.
The aim of the discussion was to review the approaches and
suggestions on the draft concept of interested non-governmental
organizations (NGO) including those representing interests of the
private sector. At the event, The international experience of
regulating lobbying, ways, restrictions, financing and reporting of
lobbying, rights and responsibilities of lobbyists, licensing and
accreditation issues will be discussed. A special importance will be
attached to the suggestions on NGO lobbying.
Developing the regulatory framework for lobbying is the request of
the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and the Anti-Corruption
Strategy adopted by the Government of Armenia. At the same time, it
is a key step towards providing equal and transparent opportunities
for civic participation in decision making and is called to foster
participatory processes in Armenia.
Vahan Asatryan, Coordinator, UNDP/Government Project on “Support
to Information Society and Democratic Governance”, noted in his
speech: “Within the United Nations System, UNDP plays an important
role of providing assistance for equal political, economic and social
opportunities. In this context UINDP supports the Government of
Armenia in developing legislation and implementing policies promoting
efficient participation of citizens in decision-making processes. Our
mission in Armenia is to help reducing political inequalities in the
country through promoting effective and broad civil society
participation in decision-making. We help the Government to establish
responsive participatory policy frameworks and to foster
consolidation of information society. We support establishing a civil
society anti-corruption network in the country and strengthen the
capacity of civil society to participate in anti-corruption
initiatives effectively.”
The UNDP support to the Government of Armenia and the Parliament
in developing a viable law on lobbying will continue in 2005.

TURKISH BUSINESSMEN KEEN TO START BUSINESS IN ARMENIA
ArmenPress
Dec 17 2004
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS: A Turkish businessman pledged
Thursday in Yerevan to redouble his efforts to press his government
to open border with neighboring Armenia. Juskun Kaplan, the president
of a Turkish Vela garment producer company, told reporters the warm
welcome given to him in Armenia was the main reason behind his
decision to launch his business in the South Caucasus from Armenia.
Juskun Kaplan is in Armenia together with other Turkish
businessmen to prospect for possibilities to start business here.
Their trip was mediated by the community head of an Istanbul quarter
Sisli, that has a significant portion of Armenian population.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Daily Star, Lebanon
Dec 18 2004
EU clinches deal on starting Turkey entry talks
Leaders say there is no certain outcome
Compiled by Daily Star staff
The EU and Turkey reached a historic agreement on Friday on starting
talks on admitting the large Muslim nation to the bloc after overcoming
last minute haggling over Ankara’s relationship with EU member Cyprus.
The 25 EU leaders agreed to open accession negotiations with Turkey on
Oct. 3, 2005, but said talks would be open-ended with no guaranteed
outcome in a nod to deeply skeptical public opinion in much of
Western Europe.
The landmark deal, which could change the face of Europe and Turkey
in coming decades, came after hours of wrangling between Turkish Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende,
the summit chairman, mainly over Cyprus.
“(It) is an historic event. It shows that those who believe there is
some fundamental clash in civilizations between Christian and Muslim
are actually wrong, that we can work together and we can cooperate
together,” British Premier Tony Blair told reporters.
Turkey pledged unilaterally to sign a protocol extending its EU
association agreement to 10 states which joined the bloc in May,
including Cyprus, before it starts entry talks.
In return, Balkenende, holder of the EU presidency, would spell out
that this was not tantamount to recognition of the Greek Cypriot
government in Nicosia, which Ankara has rejected until there is a
settlement for the divided island.
Diplomats said the EU dropped a humiliating demand that Turkey initial
the pact immediately on Friday. At one point, Erdogan threatened to
walk out after Cyprus demanded a written commitment. He was dissuaded
by Balkenende, Blair and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, the
diplomats said.
EU leaders kept summit guest UN chief Kofi Annan waiting for an hour
and a half as they negotiated over Cyprus.
Annan said Friday he was willing to offer more mediation to resolve the
dispute surrounding the divided island of Cyprus if Greek and Turkish
Cypriots requested. “Once the parties are ready to move forward again,
my good offices could be available,” he said.
A Turkish official quoted Erdogan as telling Balkenende at one point:
“You are choosing 600,000 Greeks (Cypriots) over 70 million Turks,
and I cannot explain this to my people.”
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw played down the political
significance of signing the so-called Ankara protocol, saying: “It does
not involve formal or informal recognition of the government of Cyprus
and we have been trying to reassure the Turkish government about that.”
Erdogan was satisfied Friday with amendments to provisions that
foresee restrictions on the free movement of people.
“Those (provisions) were different before, but I can say they were
put into the desired shape as a result of the efforts we made,”
Erdogan said.
The agreement was criticized by Armenians in Europe as well as
opposition groups in Turkey.
Turkey’s main opposition party Friday urged Erdogan to suspend
accession talks, arguing that the bloc is not ready to admit the
country as a full member.
Also in Istanbul, some 1,000 Turkish leftists demonstrated Friday
against Turkey’s bid to join the bloc as the country’s leaders
bargained in Brussels to soften the conditions of an EU offer for
accession talks.
The protesters, supporters of the small Turkish Communist Party,
marched to the German Consulate in downtown Istanbul, chanting
anti-West slogans.
Across Europe, thousands of Europeans of Armenian origin demonstrated
during an EU summit here Friday calling on Turkey to admit to genocide
against their people nearly 90 years ago.
They insisted such an acknowledgment must be a precondition for Turkey
to begin talks on joining the EU.
Two main Greek Cypriot parties applauded the EU Friday for asking
Turkey to effectively recognize Cyprus if it wants to start EU
membership talks. But a poll earlier this week showed that 60 percent
of Greek Cypriots wanted President Tassos Papadopoulos to veto the
granting of a date for opening talks if Turkey refused outright
recognition of Cyprus. – Agencies
Refusing turkey would be a bin laden ‘victory’
RABAT: An eventual refusal by the European Union to grant membership to
Turkey would create a chasm between the West and the Muslim world and
be a victory for terror chief Osama bin Laden, Morocco’s L’Economiste
newspaper said Friday.
“Osama bin Laden and his followers are seeking to provoke this split,”
wrote the paper, adding: “Rejection of Turkey’s candidacy would be
seen around the world as a deliberate attempt to rupture ties with
the Muslim world.
“It would be a huge victory for bin Laden and other fanatics. It would
be as if they had succeeded in force-feeding the entire world the
doctrine that religious differences determine political and strategic
choices,” the paper wrote.
“If (Turkey) is rejected because its origins and references are Muslim,
the message for other societies will be clear: It says brutally that
it is useless to make an effort.”
Refusing EU membership to Turkey “would call into question all the
processes that are under way in the Arab world, from democratisation
to economic liberalization,” said the Moroccan business newspaper.

Mannik Sakayan
UCLA Office of Government and Community Relations
(310) 794-0760 (phone)
(310) 794-6827 (fax)
[email protected]
December 17, 2004
[Reprinted from “UCLA Today” December 14, 2004]
Acts of kindness and compassion
Their giving spirit extends near and far
It’s become our holiday tradition at UCLA Today to recognize and
commend faculty and staff members who give selflessly of their talents
and time to help the less fortunate in their communities. This year’s
Bruin Angels, selected from departments across the campus, have
reached out to those near and far, from East Los Angeles to a town
in Armenia. As our thoughts this season turn to giving, we honor them.
ISHIYAMA and AKARAGIAN
Not many travelers pack surgical drills for their trips abroad, but
a UCLA medical team did just that twice this year – in March and
November – when they donated their time and services to travel to
Armenia to perform the region’s first cochlear-implant surgeries.
“It’s really so different from what we know here,” said surgeon
Akira Ishiyama, associate professor of head and neck surgery at the
David Geffen School of Medicine. “All of the infrastructure and the
machinery they have are so outdated.” Working with him to give seven
deaf children the gift of hearing were audiologist Stanton Jones,
anesthesiologist Denise Hawkins, surgical nurse Diane Sennott and nurse
Salpy Akaragian, director of the UCLA International Nursing Center.
The cross-cultural project was a few years in the making; team
members had to train their Armenian counterparts from the Erebouni
Medical Center.
Meanwhile, the nonprofit Armenian International Medical Fund raised
money to cover most of the expenses, including the purchase of
state-of-the-art screening equipment.
All the preparation and hard work paid off. “The whole country
was talking about these surgeries,” said Akaragian, who speaks
Armenian. “They called the project ‘Man-Made Miracles.’ ”
For Ishiyama, the experience was also a personal triumph. “These were
completely deaf people. [It’s] very rewarding that you can make them
hear,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in doing this.”
Akaragian echoes Ishiyama’s sentiments. “I will never forget
the parents’ emotional reaction when we told them the surgery was
successful,” she said. “I felt good about it. I feel like I have done
my deed in this world now.” – S.S.

AZERBAIJAN’S PRESIDENT ON RELATIONS WITH IRAN, KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
RIA Novosti, Russia
Dec 18 2004
BAKU, December 17 (RIA Novosti) – The dialogue between Azerbaijan and
Iran proves that normal relations are possible of the countries do
not interfere in each other’s affairs, Azerbaijan’s President Ilkham
Aliyev told journalists on Friday.
In his words, Azerbaijan does not interfere in Iran’s domestic
affairs. “We adhere to this principle and I am happy that Iranian-Azeri
relations are being created on this basis,” Mr. Aliyev said. The
two countries are building their relations on the basis of mutual
understanding and respect, therefore, “Iranian-Azeri dialogue has
been recently intensified,” the head of state stressed.
Speaking about Iran’s position on the Armenian-Azeri conflict, Ilkham
Aliyev said that “Iran had often claimed its support for Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity and backed Azerbaijan in this conflict, including
within international organizations.”
According to the president, Iran’s relations with Armenia and other
states are the sovereign affairs of the Iranian side. However,
“we live in a very sensitive region”, therefore, such factors as the
violation of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity should be taken into
account in interstate relations in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan’s
leader said. In his opinion, “regional countries and international
organizations should express their clear-cut position on this issue”.
At all forums Ilkham Aliyev stresses that Armenia is the conflicting
side because Baku is conducting negotiations on the Nagorny Karabakh
settlement with Yerevan. “If Armenia claims that we should negotiate
with Nagorny Karabakh it should step aside, withdraw troops from Azeri
territories and stop allocating money to Nagorny Karabakh form its
budget. Then will shall settle the conflict by all means in a short
while,” Mr. Aliyev said at the session of the UN General Assembly
in New York in late November which focused on the situation on the
occupied Azeri lands on Baku’s initiative.
According to President Aliyev, “all discussions of the Armenian-Azeri
conflict in the UN, Council of Europe and other international
organizations aim to bring to public the occupationist nature of
Armenia and, accordingly, to play a role in the conflict settlement.”

ARMENIAN PATRIARCH LENDS SUPPORT TO TURKEY’S EU BID
Star, Turkey
Dec 17 2004
I advocate Turkey’s membership in the European Union, said Armenian
Orthodox Patriarch Mesrob II yesterday. Mesrob emphasized that EU was
not a Christian club. “Parliaments of the EU member countries do not
make decisions according to the doctrines of the Bible, and the
Turkish Parliament does not make its decisions according to the
Koran,” Mesrob II said. Asked about expatriate Armenians pushing
recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide as a condition for
Turkey’s EU membership, Mesrob II said, “The disaster in 1915 is an
issue which can be abused. To this end, foreigners will raise this
issue when they have the opportunity. But we should defuse its
potential for exploitation by beginning dialogues on the issue, both
official and unofficial.” /Star/

Profile of Latest EU Applicant
By Laura Scott and Emily Pennink, PA
The Scotsman, UK
Dec 17 2004
Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to offer to back Turkey’s EU
membership bid today after winning support from fellow European
leaders.
The Republic of Turkey is spread over 779,452 square kilometres and
has a population of around 68.1 million.
Turks account for 85% of the population, Kurds 12%, and 3% are other
Islamic peoples, Armenians and Jews.
Languages spoken are Arabic, Turkish, Armenian, Greek and Kurdish.
The predominant religion is Muslim (Sunni).
Major industries in the country include textiles, food processing,
tourism, motor vehicles, mining, lumber, petroleum and construction.
Trading partners are mainly the UK, United States, Germany, Italy,
France and Russia. A fifth of Turkish imports come from British firms
and half of Turkey’s trade is with the EU.
Ankara is the capital city. Located in the Central Anatolian steppe,
it has been the political heart of the country since 1920 while
Istanbul takes its place as the cultural centre.
Turkey’s “hero” is Ataturk (Mustafa Kemal), who made it his job to
recreate Turkish society following the country’s bitter victory in
the War of Independence (1920-22).
By the time of his death in 1938, a constitution had been adopted,
Islam was removed as the state religion and women obtained the right
to vote. There are many statues of him across the land.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises travellers there is still
a “high threat from terror in Turkey”.
In November last year, there were attacks against the British
Consulate-General and the headquarters of HSBC and bomb attacks on
two synagogues in Istanbul. Responsibility was claimed by the Turkish
militant group IBDA-C, jointly with al Qaida.
Turkey’s links with the EU were recognised in 1963 when it made an
Association Agreement. In October, the European Commission judged
Turkey meets the EU’s political criteria and is ready to negotiate
membership.
Over the last three years, Turkey has undergone some reforms,
including the abolition of the death penalty and improvements to the
rights of minority groups, in an attempt to bring the country closer
to Europe.

Azerbaijani president: Armenia too dependent on Russia in territory dispute talks
By AIDA SULTANOVA
The Associated Press
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) – Russia is taking too active a role in the
negotiations over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, whose unresolved status
remains a source of tension for Azerbaijan and Armenia, Azerbaijan’s president said
Friday.
Ilham Aliev was reacting to comments by Russian parliament speaker Boris
Gryzlov, who said that Armenia was Russia’s outpost in the Caucasus region.
Gryzlov made the statement Wednesday at a meeting between Armenian legislators
and their Russian counterparts.
“We are confused: We have always considered Armenia a state, but now it
turns out that it is an outpost,” Aliev told journalists Friday.
“So whom should we negotiate with now – the outpost or the master of the
outpost?” he said.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a bitter dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan’s territory. Ethnic Armenian
forces drove Azerbaijani troops out of Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s. Since a
1994 cease-fire, the sides have been separated by a demilitarized buffer
zone, but occasional shooting breaks out and each side accuses the other of
mounting small incursions.
“I believe that if these negotiations are conducted in a constructive way,
and the Armenian side does not go back on earlier agreed-upon positions …
we can come to certain agreements,” Aliev said.
Baku wants Armenian forces to withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh before a peace
treaty can be signed.
Aliev also said Friday that Azerbaijan is ready to fully reopen its railway
connection with neighboring Georgia only after it receives guarantees that
the cargo is not redirected to Armenia.
Azerbaijan closed its railway link with Georgia for five days in November,
barring about 1,500 train cars carrying oil and other cargo, on the grounds
that some of the cargo had ended up in Armenia. Baku then reopened the
connection partially – allowing in some trains, mostly those carrying oil – after
Azerbaijan and Georgia agreed that no cargo would be redirected to Armenia.
But Aliev said Friday that “smuggling and falsifications” were still
taking place.
“If it persists, the border will remain closed,” Aliev said. “We
understand that it causes harm to us and to a certain extent to Georgia, but we have
no other choice.”
12/17/04 11:22 EST

Chirac: Turkey will need to recognize Armenian killings during entry talks
By RAF CASERT
The Associated Press
12/17/04 13:17 EST
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) – French President Jacques Chirac told Ankara on
Friday it would have to recognize the mass killings of Armenians in the early
20th century if it wants to become a member of the European Union, insisting the
French would otherwise vote Turkey out in a referendum.
In an extremely guarded welcome to the announcement that the EU will open
membership negotiations with Turkey next October, Chirac said Ankara needed to
go even beyond the list of conditions imposed on it at the EU summit Friday.
“The French people will have the last word,” Chirac told reporters about
the possible referendum if Turkey’s membership negotiations are successful in
ten to 15 years’ time.
He said the French would resolutely vote against membership if the Armenian
massacres are not recognized by the Turkish government.
“If this work is not done then the French would clearly draw conclusions
from this,” he said.
Many French have grave misgivings about Turkey joining, fearing an influx of
cheap labor to France, already stung by 10 percent unemployment. Many here
also question Turkey’s human rights record and its people’s embrace of Islam.
Armenia accuses Turkey of genocide in the killings of up to 1.5 million
Armenians as part of a 1915-1923 campaign to force them out of eastern Turkey. At
that time, Armenia was part of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey remains extremely sensitive to the issue. It denies the genocide,
says the death count is inflated and that Armenians were killed or displaced
along with others as the Ottoman Empire tried to quell civil unrest.
All EU nations must approve any new member, effectively giving each country
a veto.
Chirac said he was confident Turkey would move toward that recognition in
time, but the episode on Armenia highlighted a press conference flush with
warnings and conditions that there were many ways the negotiations could go wrong.
“Turkey will have to make a remarkable effort,” Chirac said, although he
recognized the country had already made “formidable efforts” in pushing
through political and economic reforms to make it to candidate member status.
He stressed that any member can block talks on any chapter under review for
membership and said that if Turkey is found guilty of human right violations,
the talks would be suspended.
Overall, Chirac said, “no one can prejudge what will happen. Possibly
things can go wrong and you can have a crisis, either from the EU or Turkish side.
Then you would have a rift.”
French-Turkish ties became strained in 2001, when French parliament’s
recognition of the killings as a genocide sparked a boycott of French goods and an
exclusion of French companies from Turkish defense contracts.

Chicago Tribune
Dec 17 2004
EU Set to Negotiate Letting Turkey Join
VAN, Turkey — European Union leaders decided Thursday to open
negotiations with Turkey next year on EU membership, but the road to
acceptance will be bumpy.
“Tonight the European Union has opened its door to Turkey … making
a balanced offer,” Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European
Commission, said in Brussels. “I genuinely believe this is an offer
that Turkey should be glad to accept.”
The 25 EU leaders at the Brussels meeting will propose Oct. 3 as the
start date for the talks, The Associated Press reported.
Turkish membership has been controversial, and EU leaders are likely
to try to calm their wary citizens by attaching conditions ensuring
that Turkey’s full membership will be 10 to 20 years away.
Chirac’s comment
French President Jacques Chirac told his nation this week: “My answer
is, `Yes, if.’ Yes, if Turkey totally meets the conditions we
impose.”
The “ifs” are expected to require continuing progress on human-rights
reforms and expansion of the rights of Turkey’s Kurdish population.
Other potential conditions could be far tougher for Turkey to
swallow, such as recognizing the mass killings of Armenians between
1915 and 1923 as “genocide” and recognizing the Greek Cypriot
government of Cyprus.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said he thought the major hurdle
was the Cyprus issue. Ankara recognizes the breakaway Turkish Cypriot
state in the north but not the internationally recognized Greek
Cypriot one in the south.
Turkey signaled its readiness to agree to open-ended negotiations,
but Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that he would not
accept conditions that go beyond the criteria applied to other
countries.
“If they try to impose any unacceptable conditions, it is not
possible for us to accept this,” he said in Brussels after lobbying
EU leaders. “We’ll definitely put this issue on ice and continue on
our way.”
Erdogan hitched his future to Turkey’s EU bid when his party swept to
power in November 2002. Substantial reforms were pushed through
parliament, including curbing the influence of the military and
improving human-rights protections.
A Western diplomat cautioned that a rejection of Turkey by the EU
could reverse the reform process and possibly weaken Erdogan to the
point where the military could stage a coup.
Most Turkish political analysts reject the possibility of a military
coup, but the consensus is that Erdogan needs to start EU talks on a
positive note to solidify his political power and keep the country
aligned with Europe and the U.S.
The main objections to Turkey’s membership have been that it is too
big, too poor and too Muslim. Politicians in France, Austria and
Netherlands have been particularly skeptical, warning of a flood of
migrant workers that would send Europe’s Muslim population soaring.
Turkey objects to permanent restrictions that would permit EU members
to restrict the flow of Turkish workers. Ankara argues that it should
receive the same treatment as other new entrants who have faced
restrictions for a limited time.
Turkey, which is a NATO member, has strong allies in Britain,
Germany, Spain and Italy. Leaders in those countries argue that
embracing a secular democracy that borders Syria, Iran and Iraq would
help build a bulwark against extremism and send an encouraging signal
for democracy in the Middle East.
“If we succeed in integrating an Islamic country, this would
tremendously increase our security,” Schroeder said.
Earliest entry is 2015
Turkey could not join the EU until 2015 at the earliest. The
negotiations will require an even greater transformation of its
economy and society.
Kurdish activists angered Erdogan earlier this week with a large
advertisement in European newspapers demanding greater rights.
“Until Turkey recognizes all its own citizens as full members of this
country, it is not ready for membership in a larger union of
democratic nations,” said a businessman, who would not give his name,
in Van, a predominantly Kurdish city in eastern Turkey.
Most diplomats and human-rights advocates argue that the best way to
continue the reform process in Turkey is to pursue EU membership.
“The EU accession process has already helped bring about significant
human-rights improvements in Turkey,” Jonathan Sugden, who monitors
Turkey for Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “A `yes’ . . .
would maintain that momentum.”
By Catherine Collins