EU REBUKES TURKEY ON REFORM PACE
By Dan Bilefsky International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune, France
Sept 4 2006
BRUSSELS European Union lawmakers on Monday sharply criticized Turkey
for its slow pace of reform and warned that failure to make progress
in a dispute over Cyprus risked bringing entry negotiations to a halt.
The toughly worded report by the European Parliament’s powerful
foreign affairs committee also cited insufficient progress on freedom
of expression and raised concerns about the country’s treatment of
religious minorities, the Kurdish population and women.
The European Parliament must approve whether a candidate country
can join the EU and its views are seen as an important barometer of
a country’s membership prospects. Negotiations are expected to last
up to 15 years.
“The European Parliament regrets the slowing down of the reform
process,” said the report, written by Camiel Eurlings, a Dutch
conservative. He chided Turkey for “persistent shortcomings”
and singled out Cyprus as a key stumbling block. The Parliament’s
impatience reflects a growing wariness in the EU of the risks of
further enlargement and of Turkey’s candidacy in particular.
The possibility of Turkey’s eventual admission was a significant
factor in the rejection of the EU’s constitution in France and the
Netherlands, where voters remain anxious about admitting a large,
agrarian Muslim country.
Olli Rehn, the EU’s expansion commissioner, recently warned that
Turkey was heading toward a “train crash” with the EU.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive, will publish its
assessment of Turkey’s membership progress on Oct. 24 amid growing
concern that the momentum for reform has dramatically slowed since
entry talks began last year. Turkey has, for example, been slow
in enacting a promised law guaranteeing the property rights of the
Christian minority, while a controversial article of the penal code
used to prosecute writers and intellectuals remains on the books.
The deepest immediate division between Turkey and the Union is
Turkey’s failure to open its ports and airports to traffic from part
of Cyprus. Eager to avoid inflaming Turkish public opinion ahead of
presidential elections in May and parliamentary elections in autumn
2007, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has insisted that Turkey
will not recognize the Greek half of the divided island until the EU
lifts trade barriers against Turkish Cyprus, which is recognized by
Turkey alone.
Speaking after a two-day EU foreign ministers meeting on Saturday,
Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja of Finland, whose country holds the
EU’s rotating presidency, warned that if Turkey failed to sign a
protocol extending the EU customs union to Cyprus, “it will create
a serious situation.”
Echoing his concerns, the Parliament’s report Monday called on Turkey
to recognize Cyprus by the end of 2006 or face possible suspension of
its entry talks. “A lack of progress in this regard will have serious
implications for the negotiation process and could even bring it to
a halt,” the report said.
Mehmet Dulger, chairman of the Turkish Parliament’s foreign affairs
committee and a prominent member of the governing AK party, said in
an interview that Turkey was determined to speed up reforms.
But he added that Turks were increasingly frustrated with the demands
placed on them by the EU and that the constant criticism by Brussels
was creating a backlash. “All of these requirements placed on Turkey
create the impression that the EU will never be satisfied, no matter
what Turkey does,” he said.
He added that the EU had exacerbated the Cyprus problem by admitting
the Greek part of the divided island before the conflict had been
resolved.
Referring to Turkey’s progress on human rights, the report praised
recent acquittals of scholars and novelists like Orhan Pamuk, who had
been prosecuted for “insulting Turkishness.” But it cited concerns
over cases such as that of an Armenian-Turkish editor, Hrant Dink,
who was recently given a suspended six-month jail term for saying
that Turkey, under the Ottoman Empire, had committed genocide against
Armenians during World War I.

ABRAHAM IS A GERMAN. IBF MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION WITH NEW NATIONALITY AS OF NOW
EastsideBoxing.com
Sept 4 2006
04.09.06 – Markus Beyer has lost a title – but without having
competed in a fight… the super middleweight champion can no longer
call himself the “only German boxing champion.” From this time on a
second German is in possession of a world championship belt – Arthur
Abraham. For a long time the Armenian-born with the worldwide hardest
punch of all middleweight boxers had to wait for his naturalization
document and the passport with the golden eagle.. Today both documents
have been handed over to him at the resident´s registration office in
Berlin Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf – the 26th year old Sauerland-boxer
had to relinquish his Armenian nationality instead.
Arthur Abraham: “I was born in Armenia, my roots are there – but I
grew up in Germany”, says the IBF champion being under contract to
the Sauerland team since 2003. “Here I made something of myself.
Therefore I owe everything to Germany. I like living here. Germany
is my home and that´s final.”
Markus Beyer smilingly accepts the title loss. “I´m pleased for
Arthur”, the super middleweight champion says. In October he has to
provide for the greatest challenge of his career by competing against
Mikkel Kessler in Kopenhagen. “Now there are two German boxing world
champions. And we hope that´s final.”
A statement of the German Olympic Sports Association (DOSB) has
been necessary for the complicated procedure of granting the German
nationality. This has been granted but it has run into difficulties.
Athletes resident in team sports have top priority to the DOSB
concerning naturalization. Therefore “single combatants” like Arthur
Abraham have a harder time of it. Finally Berlin´s domestic senator
Ehrhard Korting gave helpful support. He himself fought for the
champion successfully.
The champion is going to defend his title on 23rd September in
Wetzlar. The defence against the Colombian Edison Miranda having been
planed for last Saturday in Oldenburg had to be postponed because of
Abraham´s illness. After the walk in a string quartet will play the
German national anthem in honor of Abraham. “Einigkeit und Recht und
Freiheit (unity and justice and freedom)” – and Arthur may enjoy this
moment with a complete new feeling.
–Boundary_(ID_B/jCH35tCrmWZa8bDazqtQ)–

A COUNCIL WILL BE CREATED ON LEVEL OF AZERI AND UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTS
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006
During the official visit of Ukrainian President Victor Yushenka to
Azerbaijan, it is expected to create a Council on the level of heads
of the two countries, Azerbaijani ambassador to Ukraine Talat Aliyev
told in his interview with AzTV,Trendreports.
According to him, the Council will be headed by the presidents
themselves and will come together once a year. Both presidents have
decided to meet once a year to discuss the development of the relations
between the two countries in the spheres of policy, economy, culture,
humanitarian and other spheres, he added.
Besides, Aliyev mentioned the joint declaration that will be signed
during the visit on the level of presidents. This document will
reflect general approaches of the two countries towards international
problems, as well as Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
joint fight with separatism and terrorism, and joint activities in
resolving energy problems, the ambassador underlined.

AZERI FOREIGN MINISTRY ASSIGNED AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA TO MAKE NOTE TO RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
Author: À.Ismayilova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006
Azeri Foreign Ministry assigned Azeri Ambassador in Moscow is to
write a note of protest to the Russian government as a result of the
interview with Arkady Gukasyan, head of breakaway “Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic” Government, broadcasted by Russian State TV channel “Russia”,
Trend reports quoting Tahir Tagizadeh, Chief of Press & Information
with the Foreign Ministry.
On 2 September TV channel “Russia” broadcasted a report on the
celebration of “Independence Day” of self-proclaimed “Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic”.
–Boundary _(ID_uhltoi85UhVJdQs9l33KgA)–

ALIYEV ATTENDS ISLAMIC CONFERENCE YOUTH FORUM FOR DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev left for one-day visit to Turkey to
attend the opening of permanent headquarters of the Islamic Conference
Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation, APA’s Turkey bureau reports.
At the Ataturk International Airport, Azerbaijani head of state was
met by Istanbul governor Muammar Guler, Istanbul local authority head
Gadir Topbash and several other officials.
President Aliyev had talks with Turkish Premier Rajab Tayyib Erdogan
in his resident in Chiragan palace.
Following the meeting, the head of state attended the solemn
inauguration of the permanent headquarters of the Islamic Conference
Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation at the Istanbul World Trade
Center. The opening ceremony also brought together OIC Secretary
General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, OIC members, some European government
representatives as well as UN, Council of Europe, ISESKO and other
international organizations.
The Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation
and the Istanbul World Trade Center concluded an agreement on the
permanent headquarters.
The ceremony continued in the Dolmabakhcha palace then. The Youth
Forum president Ali Sarikaya, secretary general ElshadIsgenderov,
Istanbul local authority head Gadir Topbash, OIC Secretary General
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Turkish Parliament president Bulent Arinch,
Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Turkish Prime Minister
Rajab Tayyib Erdogan addressed the ceremony. Mr.Erdogan thanked to
President Aliyev for his support for the establishment of the Forum.
Mr.Aliyev also addressed the ceremony.
Reminding his participation in the official inauguration of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline in Istanbul and then
in Ceyhan a month ago, Azerbaijani President said he is pleased with
attending the inauguration of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for
Dialogue and Cooperation.
“Youths constitute great part of the populations of the most of the
Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation members.
Youth are the most active layer of the society and are great force.
The interactions among our young people will give strong impetus
to our cooperation and also give a great gift to strengthening of
Islamic solidarity,” the President underlined.
He underlined that like most countries, Islamic countries suffer
terrorist attacks.
“Azerbaijan suffered over 30 terrorist acts committed by Armenian
terrorist organizations early in the 90s of the last century which
claimed lives of at least 2,000 innocent people. Azerbaijan has been
suffering Armenian aggression for many years. Our historical monuments,
mosques, schools, historical sites remaining in the Armenian-occupied
territories have been destroyed.20 percetn of our territories are
under occupied, and we have over one million refuges and internally
displaced persons as a result of this aggression and ethnic cleansing
policy. We have always been the suffering side,” Mr.Aliyev underlined.
He also stressed Azerbaijan is one of the active OIC members adding the
latest session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in Baku,
“Baku will host the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers soon. We
are making efforts to ensure close interaction among our countries.”
The persons contributing to the Youth Forum have been awarded.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was also awarded. The President
returned to Baku this morning.

SPEECH BY ALIYEV AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF PERMANENT HEADQUARTERS OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE YOUTH FORUM FOR DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006
Esteemed Chairman of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey,
Esteemed Ministers!
Esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen!
First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to my brother,
Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan for inviting me to
the opening ceremony of the Permanent Headquarters of The Islamic
Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation.
It is a great pleasure to be in Turkey again. When I was coming here,
I remembered the similar event that occurred in Turkey a month and a
half ago. One month and half ago in Istanbul, the strait, and later
in Ceyhan, we came together to inaugurate the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline.
Today, we are marking the opening of the Permanent Headquarters of
the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation.
These two events may be not directly linked to one another, but I
think the fact that both ones have occurred in a short period of time
is pretty symbolic.
Operation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline will increase our
economic power, and strengthen our positions in the region. It will
bring us even closer to each other, and, as a result, will increase
our states’ economic and political weight. At the same time, the
successful activities of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum will
strengthen our positions in humanitarian sphere. It is not a secret
that powerful economy, huge potential is a major condition and a firm
basis for any business, and we must use this firm basis to convert
material values into human ones. At this point, start of activity
of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum is of great importance, and
I consider this event as the most remarkable of those occurred over
the past years in the Muslim world.
The organization has been very successful at the start. All the
organizational problems have been solved for the short period of
time, and the Youth Forum has started to work very actively. Today,
activity and future plans of the Forum have been widely discussed. It
has great programs and plans. I don’t doubt that all the plans will be
realized. At the same time, I would like to note that joint activity
of the Muslim youth is also of great importance for our future.
Youth occupies greater part of the populations of the member-states of
the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Youth is the most active
and powerful strata of the society. Cooperation between our countries’
youth will help us bring our activity up to a higher level, and will
make an important contribution to strengthening Islamic solidarity.
We have to represent ourselves to the world more comprehensively,
as we really are.
In some cases, false or, I can say, dangerous image of the Islamic
countries and Islam religion is formed in the world. From time to
time, we witness deliberate or casual manifestations of that, but
this is the fact. We have to demonstrate to the world that Islam is a
peaceful religion. Islam can never be associated with terrorism. It is
we who are subjected to terrorism. In Azerbaijan, nearly 30 terrorist
acts killing over two thousand innocent civilians were committed by
Armenian terrorist organizations in the early 1990s.
Azerbaijan has been under Armenian occupation for many years. All our
historical monuments have been destroyed in the occupied territories.
Our mosques, schools and historical buildings have been razed to the
ground. Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is violated. The aggression
against Azerbaijan has led to occupation of 20% of its lands, and over
1 million people living in a refugee or internally displaced status.
All this is reality. We have always been the side subjected to
terrorism. We want justice to be restored. We want to have our
territorial integrity restored, and we will do achieve it as the
norms of international law, justice is on our side. We must be more
active, and use all possible means including political, economic and
democratic, and all others to obtain justice. And the role of youth
in this cause is really great.
It is with great satisfaction that I want to mention the Youth
Forum-initiated publication of the book about the Karabakh conflict,
for the first time, translated into the Arabic language. It shows
that the work of the Forum already gives practical results, and this
fact is worthy of praise. Actually, making youth better organized
and educated is the matter of paramount importance to the Muslim world.
Our young people should be actively involved in all progressive
processes taking place in the world. They should be well educated, and
have the access to advanced technologies. In Azerbaijan, we pay great
attention to this problem. All of the middle schools in Azerbaijan are
being equipped with computers having the access to the Internet for
our children and youth can watch and participate in the processes
taking place in the world. We have to play an important role in
forming a strong generation of youth, and we have to do a lot for that.
Encouraging education, sports, healthy life style on one hand, and
active involvement of the youth in socio-political life on the other
hand, are what will strengthen our countries, and solidarity of the
member-states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
The time will come when today’s young people will hold leading posts in
our countries, will run our countries. The very fate of our countries
will depend on their activities. It is very important that our young
generation be not only highly skilled, well-educated and modern-minded
but also remain devoted to our national and religious values, and
be grown up in the spirit of patriotism to ensure development of our
countries in the years to come.
I welcome the founding of the Forum, consider it as a very important
thing, and I am convinced that its activity will bring us closer,
and, as a whole, will consolidate the Organization of the Islamic
Conference.
Azerbaijan is a very active member of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference. Just recently, we have brought together the member-states’
foreign ministers in Baku. Within the few next days, tourism ministers
of the member-states will gather in Baku. In a word, I think our
activities in this direction are very important, and we are trying
to bring our countries much closer to each other.
Our political relations are on a very high level, but it is important
that our countries cooperate closer in economic sphere as well.
Dear friends, I am sure that great work will be done by the Youth
Forum, and there will be great results. Today, we have given our
blessing to the Forum, and demonstrated our support to it. Besides,
I would like this support to be reflected in the process of the Forum
organizing. To this end, the government of Azerbaijan has decided on
transferring $100 million to the Forum’s budget. I am sure this small
contribution will create a good basis for your activities to be more
successful. In the future, of course, all of our countries will provide
support to strengthen material and technical basis of the Forum.
I once again congratulate all of you on this wonderful event. I
express my love to the brotherly people of Turkey.
Thank you.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN FM TO MEET WITH WORKERS OF CULTURE
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 4 2006
YEREVAN, September 4. /ARKA/. Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
is to meet with Armenian workers of culture on September 5 to discuss
issues related to the upcoming 3rd Armenia-Diaspora forum, the press
and information department, RA Foreign Office, reports.

EP TO VOTE ON TURKISH REPORT TODAY
Turkish Press
Sept 4 2006
Press review
The European Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission is expected
to vote on a report on Turkey this evening. The report prepared
by Dutch Christian Democrat Camiel Eurlings will be re-debated and
voted in September by the full EP. The draft report calls on Turkey
to speed up its reform process, especially on the issues of freedom
of speech, religious and minority rights, civilian-military relations,
women’s rights, unions, and cultural rights. Condemning the terrorist
PKK attacks, the report also urges Turkey to begin good neighborly
relations with Armenia and to open its ports and harbors to Greek
Cypriot ships, adding that including the Greek Cypriot administration,
recognition of all EU countries during the negotiation period is
compulsory.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMINVESTBANK RENAMED INTO ARMBUSINESSBANK CJSC
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 4 2006
YEREVAN, September 4. /ARKA/. The Central Bank of Armenia renamed
“Arminvestbank” into “Armbusinessbank” C.J.S.C. The Press Service of
the CBA informed ARKA News Agency that such decision was made by the
head of the CBA on August 25, 2006.
“Armbusinessbank” C.J.S.C. (former “Arminvestbank”) was registered
on December 10, 1991.
Ukrprombank (Kiev) obtained 35% shares of the bank’s authorized
capital (1680 shares worth AMD 840 million) in 2006, and “Christi
Management” company, founded in accordance with the legislation
of British Virginia Islands, purchased 30% shares of the bank’s
authorized capital, and in August, ODO “Alpha Garant” insurance
company, founded in accordance with the legislation of the Ukraine,
obtained 35% shares of the authorized capital of the bank.
As of June 30, 2006, assets of the bank amounted to AMD 10,8 billion,
total capital – AMD 2,6 billion, net profit – AMD 60,4 million and
balance profit – AMD 154,1 million. ($1= AMD 394,52).

BOYUKKAYA: THE OSCE MG DELAYS THE SOLUTION OF THE NK CONFLICT WITH GROUNDLESS REASONS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006
“It is difficult to comment on the Turkish Parliament’s decision to
be made tomorrow on deploying peacekeeping forces to Lebanon.
Secret ballot will take place and some our colleagues are expected to
vote against the government’s proposal. However I think the parliament
will approve the proposal,” Aleddin Boyukkaya, OSCE Parliament Assembly
member and Turkish ruling AKP party parliamentarian from Istanbul told
APA Turkey bureau. He stated the necessity of deploying peacekeeping
forces to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zone.
“We had influenced the region for 600 years and Turkey should not be
uninvolved in there matters,” he said.
He also commented on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.
“Azerbaijan cannot possibly make a trade-off, because its territories
have been occupied. There is also genocide against Azerbaijanis.
Azerbaijan wants to liberate its territories and to establish a fair
peace, he said.
“OSCE cannot impose sanctions, it can only reach a consensus.
Azerbaijan should be active in this process. We must oppress
Armenians. Azerbaijani parliamentarians expressed their position
neatly in the latest meeting in Brussels. We share the same view.
Armenia still wants to hold a referendum in Nagorno Garabagh. It is
not possible. They want to confuse the society. The OSCE Minsk Group
delays the solution of the conflict with groundless reasons. We must
control the process,” the parliamentarian said.
Mr.Boyukkaya also mentioned Lebanese Armenians’ protest against the
arrival of Turkish peacekeepers.
“Armenians know that if Turkish peacekeeping forces come to Lebanon,
the processes will change there. That is why they are so dissatisfied
with this matter,” he said.