Turkish Daily News
Oct 7 2006
Week of building bridges with Europe
Saturday, October 7, 2006
Three European capitals — Brussels, Paris and Berlin — talked about
Turkey this week. With the anniversary of the start of talks with the
European Union, Turkey was on the agenda for an entire week with its
politics, arts, and hopes for the future.
Gila Benmayor
Three European capitals — Brussels, Paris and Berlin — talked
about Turkey this week. With the anniversary of the start of talks
with the European Union, Turkey was on the agenda for an entire week
with its politics, arts, and hopes for the future. I could only
participate in the Brussels leg of the “Turkey@Europe” program
organized by the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association
(TUSÝAD).
The week of “conquering Europe,” led by TUSÝAD’s honorary president
Bulent Eczacýbaþý, its executive board director Omer Sabancý and
introduction committee president Umit Boyner seems to have reached
its goal, if one looks at the picture in Brussels.
The interest shown in the meeting, which took place in the European
Policy Center Hall, was so high that some of the audience could not
be seated.
And who attended that meeting?
Former British Foreign Minister Jack Straw, European Parliament
member and former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard, the European
Commission’s Enlargement Director Michael Leigh, European Parliament
member Joost Lagendijk and Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime
Minister Abdullatif Þener, among others.
Foreign speakers were particularly sensitive about two issues:
Article 301 and Cyprus.
Lagendijk, who’s set to marry a Turkish girl in the near future,
underlined double standards concerning this article in two European
countries.
One of these double standards is the proposal the French Parliament
will vote on Oct. 12, which would criminalize denying claims of an
Armenian genocide. The other one is the pressure applied on Dutch
parliamentary candidates of Turkish origin to force them to accept
Armenian genocide allegations.
According to Lagendijk, both France and the Netherlands’ attitude
is a violation of freedom of expression.
Another surprise which came in that meeting was State Minister
Þener’s speech delivered in “French.”
The minister, who read out the text in front of him quite well,
surprised those in the meeting hall.
However, it soon became apparent that the minister — who learned
French in his student years and even wrote a doctoral thesis in
French — can read that language very well but cannot speak it
spontaneously.
Þener, who stumbled when addressed by Enlargement Director Leigh in
French, clearly demonstrated the weakness of our educational system
in teaching foreign languages.
Indeed, foreign languages are the most important tool for building
a bridge to Europe.
The other instrument is undoubtedly music. I am writing so under
the influence of that spectacular night I witnessed in Brussels.
The final activity of the Turkey@Europe program was a concert given
by the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra with director Gurer
Aykal at Bozar Palace, which hosted the Female Sultans exhibition
from Turkey a couple of years ago.
The orchestra of the Borusan Group — the main sponsor of the
International Istanbul Music Festival for 10 years — played pieces
from Schubert, Mozart and Ferit Tuzun.
Some 1,200 guests were present at Bozar Palace that night. Judging
by the applause, the audience had an unforgettable night.
The final piece chosen by director Aykal was extremely significant:
“Habudiyara,” composed by Ferit Tuzun.
Like I say, if language is one way to build bridges, music is the
other.
The state of German and Austrian support:
The European Stability Initiative (ESI) announced the results of a
survey on Turkish membership shortly before German Chancellor Angela
Merkel’s visit to Turkey.
According to the results, 81 percent of Austrians and 69 percent of
Germans oppose Turkish membership.
Germans who earlier opposed Turkish membership on the basis of
cultural differences are now citing Islam and honor killings as the
bases of their objection.
However, according to ESI’s findings, some among the social
democrats of Austria are positive about Turkish membership, such as
Vienna’s mayor and the governor of Salzburg.
However, nobody from Turkey has contacted these people
Romania and Bulgaria, which are to join the club in 2007, are
organizing campaigns emphasizing the cultural wealth of their
countries, but Turkey has done nothing.
We are simply sitting and making no effort.
We can’t win the minds and hearts of Europeans with only TUSÝAD’s
conscientious initiatives.
–Boundary_(ID_4WF/JUqorohxOC3vq0il8 A)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkish Daily News
Oct 7 2006
Ankara warns Paris not to risk its friendship
Saturday, October 7, 2006
Turkey’s people will perceive the adoption of controversial
‘genocide’ bill as a hostile attitude on the part of France, the
Foreign Ministry says, as the prime minister will today discuss the
problem with French businessmen in Istanbul
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News
Turkey has reminded France of the importance it attributes to
bilateral political and economic ties between the two countries as
well as of the sensitivity of Turkey’s people regarding a highly
contentious bill that penalizes any denial of an Armenian “genocide”
at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.
“The Armenian issue has poisoned bilateral ties in the past, but
the bill will inflict irreparable damage to our relationship,”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Namýk Tan said on Friday, referring to the
vote at the French National Assembly scheduled for Oct. 12 at the
request of the main opposition Socialist Party, the bill’s architect.
The spokesman clearly warned that the move could jeopardize
“investment, the fruit of years of work, and France will — so to
speak — lose Turkey.”
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer sent a letter this week to his French
counterpart, Jacques Chirac, on the issue and Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoðan will discuss the problem on Saturday with French
businessmen in Istanbul, Tan said.
Though the conservative majority in the French Assembly opposes the
bill, Turkey fears many opponents will not vote against it for fear
of upsetting France’s 400,000-strong Armenian diaspora ahead of
elections next year.
“The Armenian lobby should abandon backstage games and come up with
concrete arguments supported by historical facts,” diplomatic sources
earlier said, referring to Ankara’s proposal last year to establish a
joint committee of Turkish and Armenian experts to study allegations
of an Armenian genocide in the final days of the Ottoman Empire.
–Boundary_(ID_gJCoGFNyIPa+seJFgxazRg)–

Exhibition Dedicated to the Armenian Armed Forces
History to Be Held in Greece in 2007
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.10.2006 15:34 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 3 Secretary of the National Security Council
at the RA President, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan, who is on a
working visit to Greece, attended the 14th Defendory International
exhibition of defense systems. As RA Defense Minister’s Spokesman,
colonel Seyran Shahsuvaruan told PanARMENIAN.Net, Serge Sargsyan also
attended the pavilion of Armenian-Greek LT PIRKAL where he met with
the Greek administration of the enterprise.
The Armenian delegation visited the military academy of the Greek
land forces to meet with the teaching staff and cadets. Besides, the
delegation members attended the military museum of the Greek Ministry
of National Defense. Upon completion of the meeting the sides agreed
on organization of an exhibition dedicated to the history of the RA
Armed Forces.
October 4 the Armenian delegation met with Greek Defense Minister
Evangelos Meimarakis to discuss the Armenian-Greek military relations
and achieve agreements on expansion of cooperation in military
education and peacekeeping. Serge Sargsyan also met with the Armenian
community of Greece.

Life of RA Police State Guard Department Chief Attempted in Yerevan
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.10.2006 16:33 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Life of Aram Zakaryan, the chief of the department
of the state guard of the RA Police, was attempted yesterday in
Yerevan. As reported by the press service of the RA Office of
Prosecutor General, yesterday evening at 10.10 p.m. local time
an unknown fired on Aram Zakaryan, who was in his garage, and
escaped. Zakaryan was wounded in the chest. A criminal case in
compliance of Article 34 and Article 104 of the RA Penal Code was
initiated.

Turkish State Minister Warned EU Not to Meddle in Turkish-Armenian Relations
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.10.2006 17:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish State Minister Abdullatif Sener yesterday
warned the European Union not to meddle in Turkish-Armenian bilateral
relations. “French President Jacques Chirac said that recognition
of the Armenian Genocide should be a precondition to Turkey’s
EU membership. An Armenian bill is being discussed in the French
Parliament introducing fines and prison terms for those who deny the
Armenian Genocide. It is not possible to accept such an attitude. This
is against the cultural atmosphere the EU is trying to create,” Sener
said. Stressing that Armenia is not a European and a third party for
the EU, Sener said “it is meaningless to bring this matter up as part
of Turkey’s EU membership process.” The Turkish State minister went
on with his warning, saying, “Whether it is an EU member or another
country, everybody who is trying to influence Armenia’s policy from
the outside should give up their endeavors. Chirac’s remarks are
insincere,” reports The New Anatolian.

Washington and Moscow Unanimous on RA Future Presidentia Contender
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.10.2006 18:01 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S.’s informal opinion is that Serge Sargsyan
will be the next President of Armenia, military and political expert
Richard Giragossian said in Yerevan. According to him, the incumbent
Defense Minister suits both Washington and Moscow. “Only he can secure
the stability of the state. This is the most important thing for
us. Democracy in Armenia will develop step by step, without shocks
and it’s convenient for all. The opposition is too weak to come to
power and all the more to secure stability,” the American expert said.

Armenia Lucky Not to Have Oil and Gas
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.10.2006 18:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia is lucky not to have oil and gas, U.S. expert
Richard Giragossian said in Yerevan. In his words, the states with big
supply of energy resources are totalitarian and poor as a rule. “The
only exception is Norway, which discovered oil after establishing a
well formed political system and sustainable economy. So, from this
viewpoint Azerbaijan has a gloomy outlook,” he said.
At the same time the U.S. expert remarked that in the 21st century
fiber-optic cable will be more important than oil pipelines. “The
future of the world is high technologies and IT development. The
problems of cyber security are being put in the forefront,”
Giragossian said.
He also remarked that the political and commercial benefit from
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline fully depends on the Kazakh
oil. Presently the oil-bearing zone of the Persian Gulf is the most
important strategic task for the U.S. Caspian region is a secondary
and not a very important task. According to the expert, under such
circumstances Azerbaijan will move towards East and Central Asia
rather then towards Europe.
Georgia moves in the opposite direction, that is towards Europe. Thus,
Armenia may remain alone, in the role of Russia’s only ally, what can
jeopardize the national security. Armenia is most likely to face the
West,’ the expert said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Army Best in Post Soviet Space
PanARMENIAN.Net
05.10.2006 18:36 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ This year Georgia followed by Azerbaijan will fix
the biggest budget, military and political expert Richard Giragossian
said in Yerevan today. When speaking of the military constituent of
security he remarked that “the Armenian and Nagorno Karabakh’s Armed
Forces are very strong, both in armament and morally. “The Armenian
army is the best one in the post soviet space, but Armenia should be
ready for a higher level and start reforms and modernization of the
army so as not to allow the Azeri army become stronger in 10 years,”
he said.
When touching upon the American-Turkish cooperation the expert remarked
that during many years it was rather successful and close. “However
after the Iraqi war the situation has changed and now the U.S. State
Department collaborates with the Turkish government rather than with
the Defense Ministry,” he said. As for Iran, Richard Giragossian
considers that Iran is neither Iraq nor Afghanistan. Language of
weapon should not be used for talk with this country.

TURKISH MPs THREATEN TO EXPEL 70,000 ARMENIANS FROM TURKEY
Armenpress
PARIS, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS: A group of Turkish parliamentarians
in Paris threatened they would press for expulsion of thousands of
Armenian citizens living and working illegally in Turkey if France
adopted a legislation criminalizing the denial of the Armenian
genocide.
One of the group, Sukru Elekdag from the main opposition Republican
Democratic Party was quoted by Reuters as saying that some
70,000 Armenian citizens work and live in Turkey without proper
permissions. He said they all would be forced out of the country if
France adopted the law.
The French National Assembly is set to discuss the bill in question
on October 12. In May when the bill was presented by the opposition
Socialist party, Turkey recalled its ambassador in Paris.

TURKISH-ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS AWARDED NORWEGIAN PRIZE
Armenpress
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS: The editor of a Turkish-Armenian
magazine was Wednesday awarded the Norwegian Bjornson prize, worth
100,000 kroner (15,200 dollars), for highlighting massacres of the
Armenian minority by Ottoman Turks in 1915, DPA reported.
Agos’ editor Hrant Dink has frequently written on the subject that
continues to generate controversy in Turkey today, and has had
frequent run-ins with Turkish authorities. The prize will be handed
out at a November 24 ceremony in the Norwegian west coast city Molde,
the Norwegian news agency NTB reported.
The prize is awarded by the Bjornson Academy, established in 2003 to
protect freedom of expression.
Previous winners were Vivian Fouad and Samir Morcos from Egypt for
their efforts to promote ties between Muslims and Christians, and
Esma Redzepova from Macedonia who has championed the rights of the
Roma people.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress