FINAL STATEMENT OF 8TH SUMMIT OF TURKISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES
Turkish Press
Nov 20 2006
ANTALYA – A final statement of the 8th Summit of Heads of State of
Turkish-Speaking Countries (held in southern city of Antalya) was
released on Friday.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer of Turkey, President Nursultan Nazarbayev
of Kazakhstan, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President
Kurmanbek Bakiev of Kyrgyzstan signed the final statement.
The statement underlined the importance of boosting cooperation among
Turkish-Speaking countries and in Eurasia region.
It stressed that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline were important projects at
the international platform.
“Improvement in international transportation between Turkey and
Turkish-Speaking countries will create new opportunities and contribute
to economy of regional countries,” it noted.
The final statement indicated that the Upper Karabakh issue, which was
an obstruction to lasting stability in southern Caucasus and regional
cooperation, should be solved through peaceful means in conformity
with Azerbaijan`s independence and its territorial integrity.
It stated, “solution of the Upper Karabakh issue will boost peace,
stability and prosperity in Eurasia.”
“Heads of state (of Turkish-Speaking countries) underlined the
importance of joint fight against terrorism, proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction, drug smuggling, weapon smuggling, human smuggling
and other organized crimes,” it stated.
The final statement noted that a global response must be given to
terrorism which became a global threat, stressing that any kind of
terrorism could not be justified.
Referring to the developments that took place in Afghanistan, Iraq,
Palestine and Lebanon, the statement indicated that activities and
initiatives aiming to ensure lasting peace and tranquility should
be supported.
“Turkish-Speaking Countries should work hard to boost cooperation
in the areas of economy, industry, agriculture, transportation,
communication and tourism,” the final statement underlined.
It said that Turkish-Speaking Countries should fully support activities
and initiatives that aimed to strengthen historic and cultural ties
among themselves.
Underlining the importance of Turkey`s EU accession process, the final
statement indicated that Turkey`s EU accession would contribute to
political, economic and social development in the region and strengthen
ties between the region and the EU.
It stressed that a comprehensive solution should be found to the
Cyprus issue under the roof of the UN, stating that heads of state
of Turkish-Speaking Countries assisted the UN`s initiatives in regard
to lifting of isolations imposed on Turkish Cypriot people.

ALIYEV SAYS ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL COOPERATION MUST BE IMPROVED AMONG TURKISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES
Turkish Press
Nov 20 2006
ANTALYA – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Friday that
economic and political cooperation among the Turkish speaking countries
must be improved.
Speaking at the 8th Summit of Heads of State & Government of
Turkish-Speaking Countries in the southern Turkish city of Antalya,
Aliyev remembered that Turkey was the first country recognizing
independence of Azerbaijan.
“Economy of Azerbaijan develops rapidly. We have left economic
difficulties behind. Other Turkish-speaking states also overcame the
difficulties,” Aliyev added.
“World is changing. The incidents occurring in our region require
new relationships and cooperation,” he recalled.
“Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline is a historic step. This will serve
economic development of the region. Inclusion of Kazakhstan to this
cooperation brings a new dynamism. Completion of Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum
natural gas pipeline means shipment of Azerbaijani gas to Turkey and
Europe,” Aliyev said.
Emphasizing that countries of the Caspian region have very rich natural
resources, Aliyev said, “these resources bring financial prosperity
to the region. The cooperation which was considered as a dream before,
is now realized.”
-ARMENIAN ISSUE-
Stating that there were problems that create uneasiness in Azerbaijan,
Aliyev said, “ongoing Armenian occupation on Azerbaijan`s territory
is the biggest problem of our country. This is also a problem of
the region. We favor resolution of the problem through peaceful
means. The problem must be solved in line with the principles
of the U.N.. European Organizations do not have any effect on
Armenia. Azerbaijan lost 20 percent of its territory in the ethnic
cleansing. More than 1 million people were made refugee in their
own country.”

PRESIDENT SEZER: WE ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE TO COOPERATION IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
Turkish Press
Nov 20 2006
ANTALYA – “We attach great importance to cooperation in the fight
against terrorism and the other threats that jeopardize development
of our region,” Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said on Friday.
Making the opening remarks of the 8th Summit of Heads of State &
Government of Turkish-Speaking Countries in the southern Turkish
city of Antalya, President Sezer said, “our countries have a sound
position in the international platform as the states that successfully
consolidate peace and stability in their region.”
“Our world has been living through a period of important changes.
Global changes also affect our region and countries. We need to pursue
long-term policies in this period without losing our own values,”
he said.
President Sezer noted, “our countries have the necessary will to
further improve their relations and cooperation on the basis of mutual
respect, equality and joint interests. Our relations have been based
on the principle of equality.”
Referring to economic and commercial relations, President Sezer said,
“we encourage our businessmen to speed up their investments in Turkic
republics. Also, we are pleased to see businessmen of those countries
investing in Turkey. On the other hand, Aktau-Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil
pipeline has been officially inaugurated as a result of our mutual
confidence, cooperation and determination. We are planning to open
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline by the end of this year.”
“One of the most prior targets of Turkish foreign policy is to make
Eurasia a geography of stability and cooperation. However, existing
problems obstruct regional stability and cooperation. Creation of an
atmosphere of peace, prosperity and cooperation in southern Caucasus
depends on finding a peaceful solution to the Upper Karabakh dispute
within the framework of Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity. We will
continue supporting Azerbaijan to this end,” he stressed.
President Sezer added, “besides international terrorism, fundamentalist
and separatist movements, illegal migration, illicit drugs and weapons
trafficking and the other organized crimes jeopardize development
of Eurasia. Turkey has suffered from terrorism for long years. Any
kind of terrorism cannot be justified. Therefore, we attach great
importance to cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the
other threats that jeopardize development of our region.”

FRANCE IS NOT WELCOMED IN TURKISH DEFENCE FAIR
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Nov 20 2006
* Turkish Defense Minister’s words prompt French official to leave
salon
ANKARA – Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, speaking at the opening
of the 8th Defense Industry Trade Fair, reportedly provoked French
Military Attache Lieutenant Jean Claude Gaey to leave the salon where
Gonul was speaking.
The French Military Attache Gaey was reportedly reacting in anger to
words spoken by Gonul which appeared to cast doubt on whether French
military officers had been invited to the trade fair:
“We were all upset by the parliamentary approval of the Amernian
bill in France. But we will of course continue our relations with
France in NATO and on other international platforms. We will come
together at other meetings too. The French Defense Minister is a
valuable government member. But the French Defense Minister has not
been formally invited here. We sent invitations to other countries.”
When a reported noted afterwards to Minister Gonul that the official
list of invitees included the French Defense Minister, Gonul responded
“I don’t know about the list you are holding; but when looked at the
list of people sitting to watch the cinevision, I was relieved not
to see the French in row 21. We don’t want to do the wrong thing.”
French Attache Gaey commented to reporters after leaving the salon
in the wake of Gonul’s speech: “An invitation came to me from the
retired General who heads the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation. But
after hearing the minister’s words, I realized that staying here for
meetings was useless. Which is why I am leaving.”
Earlier this week, Turkish General Ilker Basbug of the Turkish
Land Force asserted during celebrations for the founding of Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) that for now, Turkish and French
formal military relations had been “shelved.”
Turkey has been decreasing the level of the relations with France at
all sectors. Turkish consumer unions started to boycott the French
companies. Turkish media reported that France has prefered the
Armenians instead of Turkey.

BASKET OF GOODS BY ARF DASHNAKTSUTYUN
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 20 2006
Four ARF Dashanktsutyun members of parliament (Levon Mkrtichyan,
Hrair Karapetyan, Vahan Hovanisyan, Armen Rustamyan) drafted a bill
on the list and structure of the basket of goods in April but the
parliament has not discussed it yet. The discussion is postponed at
the request of the authors. Which is the lower standard of living as
defined by the ARF Dashnaktsutyun?
The ARF Dashnaktsutyun proposes 23 food products, 8 non-food products,
and 5-8 services. The ARF included bread, flour, noodles, cereal,
dairy products, vegetables, meat, etc. By the way, in the ARF model
of the basket of goods there is only an annual 36-39 kg of beef and
12-18 kg of fish. No pork, no chicken, no other kinds of meat.
The ARF Dashnaktsutyun prefers apples to all the other fruits. In the
basket of goods, there is no juice, lemonade or water. Drink water
from the faucet.
Of course, the ARF has included clothes and shoes in the basket.
Meanwhile, you cannot buy furniture or electric appliances. If yours is
the minimum basket of goods, you have to live on what you already have.
The authors of the project propose postponing the discussion of the
bill, on the one hand, and on the other hand, they propose starting
to apply the law on January 1, 2007.
This is only one side of the issue, however. According to different
estimations, the basket of goods costs an annual 30-35 thousand drams,
meanwhile, the minimum pension is three times less, 12 thousand
drams. The minimum salary is 15 thousand drams, and it is possible
that in 2007 it will become 20 thousand.

ARA ABRAHAMYAN IS FOLLOWING ATTENTIVELY
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 20 2006
The chair of the Murmansk branch of the Union of Armenians of Russia
killed on Thursday had great connections with Armenia, stated Ara
Abrahamyan, the chair of the Union of Armenians of Russia on November
20. The murder is in the focus of attention of Ara Abrahamyan, he had
a talk with the prosecutor, and arranged to meet with the officers
investigating the case every ten days. Today he says it is early to
express an opinion but he thinks that it was not a racial murder but
involved a clash of business interests. By the way, Arthur Harutiunyan
was said to own 70 percent of stocks of one of the Murmansk-based
banks. He ran realty and entertainment businesses.

COMPLEMENTARISM: NEXT STOPOVER IN ECUATORIAL GUINEA
James Badalyan
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 20 2006
While the Armenian government has remembered about the Strategy of
National Security and is hopeful to have this bill adopted in the
pre-election fuss, events are underway in the world which can make any
document redundant for Armenia, for the simple reason that they can
make Armenia generally redundant. This opinion may sound exaggerated,
but now even the smallest geopolitical event threatens Armenia,
and disappointment is becoming a usual thing.
The U.S. Senate adopted a bill on November 17, which supports the
membership of Georgia, Albania, Croatia and Macedonia to NATO. It is
interesting that support is not words but finance. The four countries
will get 20 million dollars for the development of security in the
process of membership to the NATO, and the greater share, 10 million
goes to Georgia.
It is so unfair. One guarantees the victory of the Democrats in the
Senate and others adopt a bill. Instead of adopting the first bill
on the Genocide of the Armenians who made so much effort durig the
election, the U.S. Senate again went in for defending the interests
of their country.
Ingratutude is striking. But it would be too good if we sustained a
moral defeat only. The problem is that the bill adopted by the Senate
disappoints not only the Armenian lobby in the United States but
also the entire political establishment of Armenia. This expression
is, of course, a complement for the community who sustain their
families rather than the state. But the problem is that in forgetting
about their own state, they were energetically teaching a lesson to
Sahakashvili saying that the United States would not support them in
the conflict with Russia.
Meanwhile, the bill adopted by the Senate is evidence to the
opposite. Of course, it does not mean that Georgia will be accepted
to NATO in the assembly of NATO on November 28 and 29. On the other
hand, however, the bill of the U.S. Senate will evidently support
Sahakashvili, both morally and financially, even if the Senate meant
to harm the Russians rather than to support Georgia, who were much
happier about the reelection of Kokoyti and the outcome of the
referendum on independence than the Ossetians.
However, it was a bad surprise for Armenia, which keeps saying that the
separate membership of the South Caucasus to NATO could be a serious
threat for the stable and peaceful development of the region, because
the presence of two security systems, NATO and the Organization of the
Collective Security Pact in the same region is impossible. It becomes
clear from the decision of the Senate that the vision of Armenia again
does not overlap with the logic of the geopolitical developments. And
this is threatened by an essential consequence. The point is that the
more the prospect of Georgia’s membership is becoming real, the more
independent and unrestrained this country’s relations with Russia will
be. In that case, they will start thinking in Russia that chauvinism
will no longer be instrumental in the relations with Georgia. In
that case, either Russia has to have no relations with Georgia or
should build a horizontal rather than vertical relation. The second
option is possible, because the first means for Russia to leave the
Caucasus, even if the Russian dominance is sustained in Abkhazia and
South Ossetia.
Russia does not need these territories as such, and Putin has announced
about this. These are attractive with their present status, as a tool
in the relations with Georgia. In other words, Russia, nevertheless,
needs the relation with Georgia, even more than Georgia needs this
relation. The problem is that Russia cannot turn its economic
dominance in Armenia into a real factor if it is not present in
Georgia. Consequently, the Kremlin will eventually agree to this
proposal to have at least economic presence in Georgia. And the
quality of the Russian-Georgian relation actually deprives Armenia
of the last chance of Armenia to be useful, or at least handy in any
matter in the region.

THE PRESIDENT OF AN ESTABLISHED STATE AND THE DEFENSE MINISTER OF A FAILURE STATE
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir, Armenia
Nov 20 2006
On November 17, while discussing the Strategy of National Security
with the scientists at the National Academy of Sciences, the defense
minister of Armenia, the secretary of the Council of National
Security Serge Sargsyan made several statements which contradict to
the statements of the president of Armenia.
Serge Sargsyan stated that he disagrees that Armenia is an established
state. He this disagreed with the scientists who proposed including
the fact of being established in the Strategy. “Perhaps I will be the
happiest person in the world when already the entire society and also
the world rather than individuals state that the Republic of Armenia
is an established state,” Serge Sargsyan announced. As a point of
view, his words are not strange, and even if we go deeper into it,
we will find out that the defense minister is right, and Armenia
is far from being an established state. After all, this is also the
state built by Serge Sargsyan, and he surely knows what kind of state
he was building. But the problem is the state, the defense minister
considers a failure state, whereas the president considers it as an
established state.
“Armenia is a country with sustainable development… The Diaspora has
had an invaluable contribution to the establishment of the state,”
this is an extract from the address of the president on the 15th
anniversary of the independence of Armenia. It becomes clear from
Robert Kocharyan’s words that the president considers Armenia as an
established state, otherwise he would not describe the contribution
of the Diaspora to having an established state as invaluable. In
addition, the president emphasizes the role of the Diaspora in the
Present Perfect Tense, and since the defense minister used to study
philology at the university, he cannot have difficulty perceiving.
Even if one is not a philologist, it is evident that the president of
Armenia and the defense minister have a major controversy regarding
governance in the state they are ruling. And the issue is a core one.
The problem is the problems the state is facing. An established
state has other problems than a failure state. And the difference
between the problems gives rise to a difference in their solution and
approaches to governance in general. Consequently, if the two persons
in charge of the security of the state have such opposite opinions,
it is at least strange what problems each of them is attending to.
The logic is that public officials with different ideas and
consequently different approaches should be unable to work together
in the top government for many years. It means that either Robert
Kocharyan fails to implement his ideas in government or Serge
Sargsyan. Or if they have been working together and without complaining
from each other for so many years, it is interesting to know what
brings them together. If they have different ideas on the state,
perhaps they shared personal problems. In the long run, the problems
connected with the future of the state did not hinder Serge Sargsyan
and Robert Kocharyan to work together because they did not try to
understand these problems and solve them because otherwise they would
have realized the major difference in their ideas. It means that the
formula of their work is to consider state inferior to their private
life. In terms of the private life, Robert Kocharyan and Serge Sargsyan
have perhaps pursued the same problem – to remain in power for life.
In this respect, it is interesting that in September Robert
Kocharyan awarded Serge Sargsyan and said, “Therefore, stressing the
reinforcement of the statehood, we have to mention the persons who
have their personal contribution to the establishment of the Armenian
statehood…” Serge Sargsyan was awarded for contributing to the
established state. Meanwhile, considering that the defense minister
considers the state as a failure state, the president awarded him for
something he did not do. Even if we suppose that Robert Kocharyan
thinks otherwise, it’s all the same – Serge Sargsyan should have
rejected the award and say he cannot be awarded for something he did
not do. If neither Robert Kocharyan, not Serge Sargsyan acted so,
it means the award was given for something else than state building.

YERKRAMAS NEWSPAPER GIVEN GOLD MEDAL FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY ON OCCASION OF ITS 10th ANNIVERSARY
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 20 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The 10th anniversary of the
Yerkramas newspaper of Armenians of Russia was marked on 2006 November
15 with a festive concert. The event was opened with speeches of
official guests who congratulated the newspaper’s editorial staff
and its readers on the occasion of the jubilee. In particular,
a representatie of the Embassy of Republic of Armenia to Russian
Federation read the greeting message of Ambassador of RA to RF, Armen
Smbatian to the newspaper, that read: “Ten years ago you started a
project that you realize with obstinacy deserving respect.
You managed to gather a team of co-thinkers and many interested and
attentive readers… Today the Yerkramas newspaper has obtained an
individual face, has determined its position, worked out its style.
It has also managed to become not only an objective mirror of life
of Armenian community of Russia, but also an arena for dialogue for
representatives of various nationalities, ages and religions.”
In connection with the jubilee, RA Minister of Education and Science
Levon Mkrtchian, RA Consul General to RF South Federal Okrug Ararat
Gomtsian, President of Society of Friendship and Cooperation with RA
Viktor Krivoruckov, Chairman of public movement For Self-Governance
of Workers, President of Association of Russian-Armenian Business
Cooperation Levon Chakhmakhchian and others also addressed written
congratulations to the Yerkramas newspaper of Armenians of Russia.
On behalf of the Elite of the World International Charity Fund of
World Humanity (President of the Fund is count Peter Sheremetev),
the editorial staff of Yerkramas received a gold medal For the Sake
of Humanity given to juridical persons and organizations having made
a considerable contribution to life to the advantage of the society
and having created a publicly useful work, as an expression of honor
and gratitude by the people. Yerkramas newspaper’s editor-in-chief
Tigran Tavadian on behalf of the International Armenian Cossack Union
(ataman Major-General Sergei Madatian) was also awarded order For H®nor
and Loyalty named after Lieutenant-General, prince Valerian Madatov,
hero of Patriotic War of 1812.
–Boundary_(ID_00akSwT0d7n7GCkrkq3ZKw)–

ARA ABRAHAMIAN: ARMENIA SHOULD COOPERATE WITH DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF RUSSIA
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 20 2006
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. There is no problem of political
or economic character in relations between Armenia and Russia. Ara
Abrahamian, Chairman of the Union of Armenians in Russia, Chairman of
the World Armenian Congress (WAC), said this at the November 20 meeting
with journalists at the Union of Writers of Armenia. In his words,
“Armenia should cooperate with different countries of the world, but
not at the expense of Russia, not to the detriment of its relations
with Russia.” According to A.Abrahamian’s observations, the West
wishes to create an atmosphere to contribute to “Armenia’s stepping
back from Russia.” “We should realize, whether it proceeds from our
interests to step back from Russia,” he declared. In A.Abrahamian’s
words, to break off contacts is easy, but to establish is difficult
and before renouncing Russia it is necessary to discuss the new
partners’ proposals.
Commenting upon the fact of Armenians’ murders committed lately
in Russia, A.Abrahamian said that they do not have an emphasized
anti-Armenian character: “They kill Armenians not for their
national belonging, but due to the color of their hair and other
circumstances.” He assured that five minutes after each incident he
is informed about the details, discusses the formed situation with
Armenian lawyers, gets in touch with representatives of law enforcement
bodies and tries to draw their special attention to the incident.
Touching upon the murder of Artur Haroutiunian, Head of the Union
of Armenians in Murmansk, A.Abrahamian said that it is still early
to draw a conclusion and they should wait until the law enforcement
bodies disclose those guilty. He did not exclude that the murder can
be connected with A.Haroutiunian’s business activity.