TURKS STILL RULE EUROPE
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Oct 30 2006
If you are reading me for the first time, please read to the end before
sending me hate mail. Yes, it is provocative to claim such a thing. You
may be asking yourself, “How come this poor nation which has no major
contribution to Europe other than Turkish coffee, doner(shwarma)
and kebap can rule Europe?” But, at the end of this article you will
probably have some sympathy for me, of which I need a lot. Love me!
We, Turks, with our tiny GDP and large population, are ruling Europe
without doing anything. Absolutely anything…We watch our Ibo Shows on
Sunday nights, we curse to referees and football players on Saturdays,
invade Cyprus and kill Armenians for the rest of the week, and that
is enough for Turks to rule Europe…
You may be thinking that I am becoming sarcastic again, and yes,
you are right!
But honestly, weren’t the Turks a determining factor in the EU
constitution referendums in Holland and France? How about the German
elections? Let’s think about the coming French elections, too.
Meanwhile, what is happening in Austria?
So, what are Turks doing to humbly enjoy this much importance?
Nothing, a million zeros without any significant digits…
Think about the referendums across Europe: What if Turkey had asserted
its position as “If there is a ‘Yes’ for this constitution, we will
not be joining Europe and we will skip out on our plans to be in
the union.”. This move alone may result with 5 or 6 percent shift
between confronting opinions, which will be more than enough to get
the constitution approved.
In France, being anti-Turkish may earn you those crucial points to be
a president. Turkey saying that “We will increase our trade and aspire
to join EU if Sarkozy is elected. Oh meanwhile, Sarkozy privately
promised us to join Schengen by 2008” will probably neutralize
the Armenian game. Worse than that, it may cost Sarkozy the French
presidency… A dirty game to rule Europe!
How about Austria? The election billboards based on Turkey- EU
relations are helping the some political parties to increase their
share and hence power in the parliament. If someone can spice up
another “Armenian game” for Austria, Turkey can be one of the crucial
elements in determining the government in Austria.
But once again, what is the role of the Turks in this? Absolutely
nothing! The whole “European Turkey” discussion is going on with
little or no interference from the Turks. The European leaders promise
“carrots”, show their “Armenian”, “Cyprus”, and “Kurdish” sticks, but
at the end of the day, they become locked inside these carrot-stick
policies…
Actually, I have a much more radical, sarcastic theory. Turks determine
the governments in major parts of Europe. They are enjoying this power,
which the Ottoman Empire could only dream of.
There is also that paradox, I suspect, which may be quite real. The
road to the power is made up of several parameters. Generally, there
are not too many differences between political parties regarding
economic, military, and social policies. But the main differences
appear as Turks enter into any one of these parameters.
So being against a “European Turkey” becomes a key determinant for
power. But after grabbing power, a new picture emerges in which
there is the necessity to integrate Turkey into Europe somehow
(full/privileged membership), as we have seen with elected leaders
changing position like Merkel and possibly, in the future, Sarkozy.
This is not an indication of the changing ideas but real politik.
Think otherwise, when Turkey rejects being part of the EU, the EU
presses Turkey more for completing reforms and being part of a larger
EU. When Turkey completes the reforms and expects end results, the EU
will start discussing whether Turkey is part of Europe or not. This
discussion will annoy Turks and Turkey will once again suspend being
part of Europe, and again Europe presses and so on….
Why is Turkey hard to reject or accept? This has many answers, which
I do not have time to discuss…
During the power play, this real politik ebbs from the popularity
of these elected leaders, because of their way of manipulating the
public opinion to grab the power. And once again, Turks cost these
leaders their thrones.
Also, in this political game, Turks owe most to the Armenian
Diasporas, Greek Cyprus, and other anti-Turkish lobby groups. It
is a pleasure to sit in our homes, watching TV, and being able to
determine the governments in Europe by just being fantastic “Conan
the Barbarian”-like characters in the poor European voters’ mind.
It is a pleasure dear guys, especially Armenians, Cypriots, and
Christian Europeanists! Work more. If you do so, and if I like it,
I will buy you candy.
A flashback to the original question… In a Europe, where the
differences between political parties and their leaders become less
and less visible, what are the main parameters to determine those
crucial 4-5 points for the power? You cannot deny that Turks or Turkey
joining Europe is among one of them.
Do you still think I am provocative? I may be…but whether Turkey
is European or not, Turks still and probably will rule Europe and
European politics. Now, you can kiss my hand!
[email protected]

PUTIN SAYS LEVEL OF RUSSIA’S INVESTMENT IN ARMENIA “SHAMEFUL”
RIA Novosti, Russia
October 30, 2006
MOSCOW, October 30 (RIA Novosti) – President Vladimir Putin said
Monday the volume of Russian investment in Armenia is too low for a
strategic partner.
“We are in a humiliating third place – it is humiliating because it
is strange that Russia is not the largest investor in the economy
of its strategic partner,” Putin said at a meeting with Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan in the Kremlin.

AZERBAIJAN, PAKISTAN TIES STRENGTHEN
The Pakistan Newswire
October 28, 2006 Saturday
“Friendly Pakistan occupies a special place” in Azerbaijan’s foreign
policy, Novruz Mammadov, Head of Presidential AdministrationIs Foreign
Relations Department said.”Pakistan was one of the first to recognize
independence of our republic, and it did not establish diplomatic
relations with Armenia occupying Azerbaijani territories,” he noted.
Novruzov said visit by national leader Heydar Aliyev to Pakistan,
and that by Pakistani President Pervez Masharraf to Azerbaijan,
fostered strengthening ties, and created legal and contractual basis
for bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev’s successful visit to Pakistan has created new
opportunities to enhance in all fields and cooperation between two
countries demonstrating common stance on regional and global issues,
he said.

ITB ARMENIA OFFERS NEW “MULTICURRENCY” DEPOSIT
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 30 2006
YEREVAN, October 30. /ARKA/. The International Trade Bank (ITB)
offers its clients new “Multicurrency” deposit from October 1, 2006,
the bank’s press service reported that this type of deposits will allow
clients to make deposits in one or three currencies at the same time:
AMD, USD and EUR.
“The advantage of the multicurrency deposit consists in the fact
that over the entire period of validity of the contract, a client
has an opportunity to convert the funds on the deposit account from
one currency into another, and this decreases the risk connected
with exchange rate fluctuation,” Executive Director of the bank
Ara Kitbalyan.
At the same time, there are other, very essential advantages besides
this one. Firstly, this is the opportunity of saving deposit funds,
secondly, the opportunity of partial withdrawal, and thirdly, even
the opportunity to fully withdraw the funds by canceling the contract,
without losing added interest.
“The bank provides three types of multicurrency deposits – ordinary,
accumulation and accumulation deposits with the right of partial
return.
In all the three cases, 90 days later, after placing money on the
deposit account, a client can withdraw all the money with added
interests and cancel the contract.
The minimal amount of deposit totals AMD 200,000 or USD/EUR 500 for
the ordinary and accumulation deposit, and AMD 400 AMD or USD/EUR
1000 for the accumulation deposit with the right of partial return.
International Trade Bank – ITB(Armenia) was founded on the basis of
“Bank-Menatep-Armenia” in 1992 as the Yerevan branch of the Russian
bank Menatep. In April 2000, the bank’s share were purchased by
foreign companies, later joined in the Makarios (MG) Holdings GMBH,
and bank itself was renamed to ITB – International Trade Bank. In 2005,
the bank’s 99.91% shares were purchased by Makarios (MG) Holdings GMBH.
ITB’s total assets made up AMD 5.1bln as of 30 June, 2006, the credit
portfolio totaled AMD 2.98bln. The bank currently operates four
branches The Makarious Group Holdings GMBH joins about 60 companies
that are registered in Austria, Great Britain, Ireland, Switzerland,
Cyprus, and in a number of CIS countries. The group consists of banks,
leasing, investment and consulting organizations, the activity of
which is aim at implementing large-scale investment programs in the
spheres of construction, metal mining, timber, woodworking and textile
industries, and also trade and high technologies.
The economic interests of the Makarios group are not limited in Armenia
only by the banking sphere. The group has made large investments for
$22.5mln in the program of construction of the Northern Avenue of
Yerevan.

L’ARMENIE, PAYS MILLENAIRE, MARTYR ET FIER
Le Figaro, France
30 octobre 2006
“Armenie, mon amie” n’est pas une simple formule diplomatique. Elle
reflète une realite. Aucun nuage n’a jamais terni le ciel de nos
relations avec cette petite Republique (la plus petite de l’ex-URSS),
vieille comme le monde et reduite aujourd’hui au dixième de sa
superficie historique : 29 000 km 2 contre 300 000 aux temps du roi
des rois, Tigrane II, au I er siècle avant J.-C., lorsque le royaume
s’etendait de la mer Noire a la mer Caspienne, englobant le Kurdistan,
une partie de l’Iran et de la Mesopotamie, le nord-est de la Turquie et
la Cilicie jusqu’a Antioche. Huit siècles de destins entremeles, depuis
les Croisades, ont forge des liens indestructibles entre la France
et ce pays, fier d’etre le plus ancien Etat christianise au monde,
en l’an 301. Et le dernier roi chretien a perdre son royaume face aux
Arabes, en 1375, n’etait autre que le roi de Cilicie, un Franc du nom
de Leon V de Lusignan, mort a Paris, a la cour de France, en 1393. Ces
liens, l’histoire les a renforces. Le XX e siècle les a confirmes avec
l’accueil, sur notre sol, de 500 000 refugies du genocide perpetre par
les Turcs en 1915. Le XXI e siècle vient enfin de les consacrer : la
France est, aujourd’hui, le seul pays a avoir officiellement reconnu
et condamne le genocide, par la loi du 21 janvier 2001. L’annee qui
va leur etre consacree, ouverte symboliquement le jour de leur fete
nationale, le 21 septembre, et qui s’achèvera le 14 juillet 2007,
va nous permettre de prendre contact avec une culture d’une profonde
richesse, emanant d’une nation de moins de 3 millions d’habitants,
et de 8 millions d’exiles, membres d’une des diasporas les plus
solidaires du monde.
–Boundary_(ID_OYlBaazktoaTQTewlCYlSw)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KOMMERSANT SAYS MOSCOW WILL USE ARMENIA FOR PUTTING PRESSURE ON GEORGIA
Daily Georgian Times, Georgia
Oct 30 2006
According to the Russian business daily Kommersant Moscow will use
Armenia for putting pressure on Georgia.
The Newspaper issue of Monday morning views the forthcoming visit
of Robert Kocharyan, president of Armenia, to Moscow scheduled for
October 30-31. Robert Kocharyan is scheduled to meet Vladimir Putin,
Russian president, on Monday evening. The sides will presumably speak
about Georgia.
“Kremlin searches for methods to put pressure on self-confident
Mikheil Saakashvili, president of Georgia,” the newspaper reads.
The Kommersant does not exclude that Moscow will ask Armenia to
arrange ‘disorder’ in Samtskhe-Javakheti region, where about 200
ethnic Armenians live.
Georgian experts reckon that ‘disorders’ are not excluded in the
region as Armenia depends on Russia politically and economically. On
the other hand it is not profitable for Armenia to tense relations
with Georgia as the only way it is connected with Europe and Russia
goes through Georgia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NAGORNO KARABAKH PRESIDENT: “POSITION OF KARABAKH SIDE HAS NOT AND WILL NOT CHANGE”
Regnum, Russia
Oct 30 2006
“I believe that our servicemen fulfill their duties very well;
outcomes of the exercises evidently prove it once again. Our army
has risen to the occasion,” Nagorno Karabakh President, Supreme
Commander-in-Chief of the NKR armed forces Arkady Gukasyan is quoted
by a REGNUM correspondent as stating after planned military exercises
were over in Nagorno Karabakh.
Commenting on Baku reaction to the maneuvers and in particular on
statements “about Armenian forces’ concentration in Agdam section,”
Arkady Gukasyan said: “It is not worth seriously to relate
to Azerbaijani mass media’s statements because they constantly
spread propaganda. Our army should always be strong, ready for any
developments. The maneuvers have been aimed exactly at achieving the
goals”. Responding to question on meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani
foreign ministers in Paris, Arkady Gukasyan stressed: “We should be
optimists because if we loose belief in talks, war will be alternative
of talks that is undesirable for both us and Azerbaijan.
Surely, we all are interested in talks’ continuation. As for outcomes,
there is no sense to speak about them because our agreement may be
approved only after its all items will be coordinated. There is no
such result yet. The more often Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs will meet
the better it will be because every such meeting is a new chance to
coordinate items on which no consensus has been achieved yet.” At
that the Karabakh state head expressed hope that Nagorno Karabakh
participation in talks will be real soon: “We repeatedly stressed
that it is impossible to settle problem without NKR because there
are many questions which immediately concern Nagorno Karabakh.”
Arkady Gukasyan stressed; position of the Karabakh side “has not
change and it will not change.” “We know very well what we want. We
will not reject our independence and any obstacle in the problem is
unacceptable for us,” the NKR president said.

KOCHARYAN URGES PUTIN TO USE BILATERAL CONTACTS IN FUTURE
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Oct 30 2006
MOSCOW, October 30 (Itar-Tass) – Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to work out mechanisms
on using contacts between the two countries during Year of Armenia
to Russia.
Kocharyan said, “During Year of Armenia to Russia we implemented
everything. In addition, we’ve been made interesting proposals from
regions. We’d like these contacts to be effective in the future. It
would be pity if they did not yield concrete results.”
President Putin said Year of Armenia to Russia was successful. “In
general, we maintain humanitarian contacts at the highest level,”
he said.

LAVROV INFORMS PUTIN ON VISITS OF PRESIDENTS, UN SECRETARY GENERAL
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Oct 30 2006
MOSCOW, October 30 (Itar-Tass) – The presidents of Armenia, Angola
and Egypt, as well as the South Korean foreign minister elected UN
secretary general will visit Moscow this week, Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov told President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
“We shall have full top level political contacts,” he said.
The agenda of the president’s talks with the Armenian leader on Monday
would centre on trade and economic contacts, energy and transport.
“We expect that issues of Nagorno-Karabakh settlement within the
framework of the proposals put forward by you at the meeting with
the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be discussed,” Lavrov
said, adding that the “situation in the Transcaucasus as a whole will
be reviewed”.
“Tomorrow is a main day of the Angolan president’s visit. It is
planned to sign a whole number of bilateral documents at the level
of the government between ministries and companies. We hope that
this visit will help a more active implementation of the policy of
interaction with Africa that you have laid down by the recent visits
to this continent,” Lavrov said.
The state visit of the Egyptian president to Russia this week is
expected to have a “rich bilateral agenda”.
“You visited Egypt a year and a half ago, and the regular contacts with
the leader of this leading Arab country will allow paying attention
to problems of Middle East settlement in the light of Russia’s latest
initiatives,” Lavrov said.
He said that “the foreign minister of the Republic of Korea, who has
been elected UN secretary general and will take office on January 1,
2007, will visit Moscow this week”.
“We know him well, and it is important that he visits Moscow among
first capitals,” Lavrov stressed.
He said the visit “will provide a possibility to discuss the role
of the UN as a centre of collective decision making and collective
actions to resolve international problems”.

EUROPEAN UNION IS READY TO JOIN ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT
Author: I.Khalilova
TREND, Azerbaijan
Oct 30 2006
The next meeting of the EU-Azerbaijan Co-operation Committee took
place in Brussels within the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement.
The meeting focused on the interaction between Azerbaijan and European
Union in political, economical, humanitarian and other areas,
Trend reports with reference to the Economic Development Ministry
of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan was represented at the meeting by the Deputy Foreign
Minister, Mahmud Mammadguliyev, to discuss the political aspects
of co-operation and by the Deputy Economic Development Minister,
Mikayl Jabarov, to discuss economical issues. The delegation included
representatives of the Foreign Ministry, Economic Development Ministry,
State Customs Committee, State Committee on Management of State
Property and Azerbaijani Embassy in Brussels.
The event is held annually in Summer, but due to the continuation of
negotiations regarding the European Neighborhood Policy, the Azerbaijan
Government had abandoned the meeting until such time as the settlement
of the dispute was included in the National Plan. As was reported
by Trend previously, the European Union had refused to acknowledge
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within the document, and
therefore the decision was made not to hold the committee meeting
until the issue was settled.
The agenda of the meeting for the political block included the
development of human rights in the country and the development of
democratic institutions. The parties exchanged views on the solution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “EU inactively participates in
resolving this conflict. However, during the meeting, it was stated
that the EU is prepared to actively participate in the settlement of
the conflict,” the same source told.
The meeting also included economical topics on the macro-economical
situation in Azerbaijan and EU and bilateral co-operation with
regards to the trade. During the meeting, debates were organized on
the National Action Plan within the European Neighborhood Policy. The
Plan was proposed to be confirmed at the meeting of the EU-Azerbaijan
Co-operation Council on November 14 in Brussels.