TURKEY FOR RAPID REHABILITATION OF AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY – SEZER
Author: M.Tagiyev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Oct 2 2006
Turkey is proud to witness Azerbaijan developing successfully and it
will occupy a reserved place in the World Policy, Turkish President
Ahmet Sezer stated at the Turkish Parliament.
‘Turkey wants the formation of stability and friendship in the
South Caucasus. In this context Ankara continues with its efforts to
establish a peace, stability and confidence in this region,” the Head
of State stressed.
With respect to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, he said that Turkey supports the rapid rehabilitation
of the Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The Turkish President also stated that his Country is interested in
the provision of the political stability in the Eurasian region. The
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline that was put into
exploitation in July 2006 is a notable and obvious example of
successful regional co-operation. “Thanks to Kazakhstan involvement ,
the project pipeline will soon stretch to Central Asia,” Sezer stated.

CYPRUS STATE OF DENIAL: NOTHING LIKE PEACE TO KEEP CNN AWAY
by Nikolas K. Gvosdev
The National Interest Online, DC
Oct 2 2006
Cyprus hasn’t been grabbing news headlines lately. Sure, there is
concern about the possible derailment of Turkey’s EU-accession process
because Ankara still won’t deal with the government of the Republic
of Cyprus, which it chooses not to recognize as being legitimate. But
other than that, it’s not on the list of the hotspots of the world’s
“frozen conflicts”-waiting for war to break out in the Caucasus is
much more interesting.
It is an indictment, however, of the “squeaky wheels get the grease”
approach to conflict resolution. The United States and the Europeans
have not put a great deal of effort behind efforts to get Cyprus
“solved” because there is no pressing urgency, or so it is said.
But the failure to take advantage of a number of windows of opportunity
to get a workable bi-zonal, bi-communal federation up and running on
the island (and to get Turkish troops out, and to remove the Cyprus
question as a roadblock for Ankara’s EU aspirations) has not gone
unnoticed in the region.
There are four lessons to be “unlearned” from Cyprus-all of which
will make our task of ending other regional conflicts all the more
difficult.
Lesson number one: Don’t resettle your refugees. After the 1974
invasion of the island, the government in Nicosia made a tremendous
decision. Refugees would not be permanently confined to squalid
camps and kept in perpetual limbo (guaranteeing the emergence of
second and third generations of refugees), as had happened with
the Palestinians. No, resettlement would occur by creating new
neighborhoods (with refugees acquiring the ability to eventually own
property) and by directing investment to create job opportunities
(rather than have people on a perpetual dole). The end result: no
“showcase” camps filled with desperate, radicalized people. The
international community, however, has interpreted this to mean that
there is no problem at all. This is why in more recent conflicts
governments have quite cynically allowed and encouraged refugees
camps to develop and become permanent; nothing better than to parade
before international observers the dispossessed. And usually, the
refugees-encouraged to vote as a bloc-give their ballots to the
political forces most disinclined for compromise or moderation. The
“refugee factor” is an important reason for the lack of progress in
settling the conflicts in Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Lesson number two: Highlight ethnic conflict. When the “green line”
separating the Greek and Turkish areas of Cyprus opened in 2003, the
world media was prepared to televise the predicted violence; that
once Greek and Turkish Cypriots encountered each other, “age-old”
ethnic hatreds would flare up, leading to dramatic clashes. For the
last three years, millions of cross-zonal visits have taken place with
almost no incidents. There’s nothing like peace to keep CNN away. The
Kosovar Albanians, in contrast, have adopted a more successful
strategy-by having extremists continue to target the minority Serbs,
the argument is made that accommodation is impossible and independence
(and separation) the only solution.
The third lesson: Don’t compromise. The government in Nicosia could
have used its veto to prevent EU accession talks with Turkey from
ever starting, on the grounds that Ankara’s refusal to recognize
the government of an EU-member state and its continued deployment
of 40,000 troops on the island constitute an illegal occupation of
European territory. It didn’t. It signaled that it would even support
Turkish membership in the EU and wouldn’t act as the proxy for those
central European states who don’t want Turkey in the EU but don’t
want to provoke Washington by scuttling Ankara’s European bid.
Nicosia gambled that its moderation would lead to some reciprocal
gestures on Turkey’s part. Those hopes have been, so far, dashed.
The lesson the rest of the region is learning is that might makes right
and that compromise is a sign of weakness. Nowhere in the region are
rivals prepared to make the concessions necessary to move forward on
long-term peace arrangements.
Finally, the Cypriot case shows that the vaunted “European approach”
is, so far, zero for one. This thesis is that the incentive of
joining the EU-with all the economic benefits entailed plus the
protections provided by EU institutions-can motivate political leaders
to reach a settlement. (The “EU approach” is the one advocated
by former secretary of defense, Frank Carlucci, in these pages
?id=11962 “The Crucial
Final Step”, rests on the assumption that competing Serb and Albanian
interests in Kosovo can be reconciled via EU membership for both Serbia
and an independent Kosovo state.) So far, that approach has not worked
to reunite the island nor caused Turkey to modify its stance. And the
extent to which the EU backs away from its commitments (to recognize
the territorial integrity of the island under the government of the
Republic) only erodes confidence that any EU-based settlement can in
fact be trusted to be implemented.
Failure to reach a final settlement for Cyprus, with all of its
positive conditions, makes it that much harder to believe that the
more difficult cases-Kosovo, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and even
Iraq-will prove easier to resolve, especially when leaders in those
states and entities conclude that there’s no benefit to be gained
from being moderate and reasonable.
Nikolas K. Gvosdev is editor of The National Interest.

FRANCE DAYS IN ARMENIA BEGAN
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.10.2006 15:07 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ France’s Days in Armenia started in Yerevan October
2. According to Armenian Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Hasmik
Poghosyan, these will expand the format of the Armenian-French cultural
ties. As H. Poghosyan underscored, exhibitions at the National Picture
Gallery of Armenia marked the opening of the Days.
French Ambassador to Armenia Henry Cuny noted the Days of France
in Armenia immediately after the visit of President Chirac are
symbolic. “Before departure for the fatherland French President Chirac
was highly content with his stay in Armenia,” the Ambassador said. The
diplomat added that the Square of France, opened in Yerevan lately,
is surrounded by concert halls, museums and musical establishments
again confirms the Armenian-French cultural and art cooperation.
In Cuny’s words, within half a month works of French classical and
avant-guarde artists and photographers will be exhibited in the
Armenian capital. Days of France in Armenia will last till end of
November 2006.
Some ten art and photo exhibitions, several theater performances,
a festival of French films, classical music concert, as well as
fashion show are planned, reports Novosti-Armenia.

FINNISH FM CHAIRING AT EU ASSURES ‘WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY’ IS STILL OPEN
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Oct 2 2006
The Finnish Foreign Minister, Erkki Tuomioja, who leads the European
Union’s ‘trio’, stated in Yerevan on 2 October that the EU supports
the efforts taken by the OSCE
Minsk Group regarding the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and stated that ‘the window of
opportunity’ for the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
is still open, Trend reports citing Mediamax.
Addressing a news conference in Yerevan, Tuomioja announced that
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who will begin touring the region
on October, visited Helsinki last week and informed the EU on the
situation and informed the EU Chairmanship on the situation of the
negotiation process.
“The window of opportunity for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict
is still open and we ask both parties to take this opportunity,”
Tuomioja stated.

ARMENIA POSTS 0.3% DEFLATION IN SEPT
Interfax, Russia
Oct 2 2006
YEREVAN. Oct 2 (Interfax) – Armenia had deflation of 0.3% in September,
the National Statistics Service told Interfax.
Consumer prices rose 2.3% in January-September.
Prices for food, including alcohol and tobacco, fell 0.9% in September
compared with August. Nonfoods went up 0.2% while service charges
fell 0.5%.
Average monthly price growth was 0.3% in January-September 2006,
compared with a reduction of 0.4% in the same period of last year.
The state budget targets 3% inflation for the full year in 2006.
Prices fell 0.2% in 2005.

RZA VEZIRI: IT IS UP TO AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT EXPLOITATION OF GOLD DEPOSITS BY ARMENIANS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 2 2006
Armenian government, foreign companies, US State Department,
British Foreign Ministry, and UN have not reacted to the protest
of the Azerbaijan International Mining Operating Company (AIMOC)
against exploitation of gold deposits in Armenian-occupied Azerbaijan
territories, Rza Veziri, AIMOC president told the APA exclusively.
Mr.Veziri said they have not concrete evidences to appeal to the
International Court. The photos taken from satellite do not prove
any excavation.
“Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry criticizes us for passivity.
I signed only an economic contract with Azerbaijan. It is up to the
government to investigate the matter,” he said.

TURKEY’S ACCESSION TO EU NOT TO POSE THREAT TO ARMENIA – KOCHARIAN
by Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
September 30, 2006 Saturday
Armenian President Robert Kocharian said on Saturday Turkey’s accession
to the EU will pose no threat to Armenia.
“The system of values such as the freedom of movement and open borders
accepted in Europe should spread on Turkey’s policy, too,” he said.
“All these issues should be taken into account not at the last stage
of Turkey’s accession to the EU, but in the beginning,” he said.
“We are interested in having a more predictable, safe and democratic
neighbor,” Kocharian said.
He pointed out that “in fact, Armenia-Turkish relations are not
formed.”
“The heads of the neighboring countries should communicate with each
other not by means of letters, but of diplomatic embassies they should
have, by means of constant consultations and foreign ministries’
contacts,” he said.

ARMENIAN GAMES OF THE DINOSAUR
By Taha Akyol
Turkish Press
Oct 2 2006
MILLIYET- Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria once described
French President Jacques Chirac this way: ‘Chirac, the tired old
dinosaur who seems increasingly uncomprehending of today’s world.’
Zakaria was explaining that Chirac couldn’t understand how China
has grown with its market economy. Doesn’t Chirac’s attitude on the
so-called Armenian genocide confirm this view? The tired old dinosaur
who can’t grasp the understanding of history, science and freedom in
today’s world is behind old-fashioned political games. He’s taking
steps to win over Armenia for France in the Caucasian region. This
region is of course very important with its geopolitics and oil,
but Chirac trusts Armenia and declares enmity against Turkey and
Azerbaijan.
Last December 19 French historians published a declaration on ‘Freedom
for History.’ About 700 scholars signed it. They repeated this when the
law on punishing denial of the so-called Armenian genocide was debated
in the French Parliament in May. The declaration said the following:
‘History is not a religion. The historian doesn’t accept dogma,
doesn’t have respect for any prohibition; this can be inconvenient,
but history is not ethics. Historians don’t condemn or glorify,
they explain. History is not the slave of current events.’ The same
law is being considered now. Historian Jean-Pierre Azema compares
the determination of history by law to the Soviet interpretation of
history. France has accepted a law that the good parts of colonialism
will be explained in history books.
Some will ask whether the Armenian question is being debated in
Turkey. As soon as the decision to cancel the conference on Armenia
was made, I criticized the decision on TV. Many people criticized it.
The issue is discussed in Turkey, but banned in France. French
politicians of Armenian origin said the following: ‘Turks massacred
Armenians because the Armenians cooperated with France. Don’t forget
that Armenia used to be a French colony.’ These words aim at French
people who like colonialism, but they are a big lie. Armenia was never
a colony of France. It is a lie, but important. It reflects the hatred
of Armenians and French arrogance. This hatred and arrogance is behind
the law on the so-called Armenian genocide.

CHIRAC PUTS NEW HURDLE ON TURKEY’S ACCESSION
EurActiv, Belgium
Oct 2 2006
In Short:
French President Jacques Chirac believes that admission of the Armenian
genocide should be a precondition for Turkey’s entry to the EU.
Brief News:
The comments by Chirac come only few days after the European Parliament
decided not to make recognition of the Armenian genocide a precondition
to Turkey’s EU accession, in its report voted on 27 September (see
EurActiv, 28 September 2006).
When asked, if Turkey had to recognise the mass killings of Armenians,
between 1915 and 1917 under the Ottoman Empire, to join the EU,
Chirac said: “Honestly, I believe it does. Each country grows by
acknowledging its dramas and mistakes of the past.”
The French Parliament is to discuss a law making denial of the Armenian
genocide punishable with up to a year’s imprisonment and a fine of
45,000 euro, on 12 October 2006.
A Turkish-embassy official in Belgium did not want to comment on
Chirac’s statement.
The statement comes at a time when EU-Turkey negotiations face a
slowdown, due to unresolved issues, such as Cyprus and freedom of
speech, which have hindered further progress so far. The Commission
is to publish its progress report on Turkey on 8 November 2006.
ac-puts-new-hurdle-turkey-accession/article-158403

A NUMBER OF ARMENIAN OPPOSITION PARTIES UNITE INTO UNITED ANTI-CRIMINAL MOVEMENT
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. “The Armenian people is facing the
danger of losing its statehood. Open criminalization of all spheres,
including political one, is taking place in the country.”
This was mentioned in the Anti-criminal Movement Declaration signed
by a number of opposition parites on September 28.
According to the declaration, the criminal bodies that appeared in
the power pyramid started a large-scale process of centralization
of criminogenic financial resources. RA citizens are unprotected
in their country. Innocent people become victims of periodically
committed murders and terrorist acts: “These criminal actions are the
consequence of unconcealed arbitrariness and direct encouragement of
Kocharian-Sargsian duet,” the declaration read.
According to the document authors, task number one of the current
authorities is to do everything for reproducing the current regime at
the forthcoming elections. For this purpose Serge Sargsian’s grouping
was formed with R.Kocharian’s direct sponsorship from most corrupted
officials and business leaders having criminal roots. The grouping
“under the cover of the Republican Party of Armenia, by bribing and
blackmailing state officials, intimidating the society, media and
politicians, creates conditions for coup d’etat.”
According to the declaration, “the most part of the Armenian citizens
did not give themselves up to the criminal-oligarch elements and will
not permit to endanger the Armenian people’s future.” The document
authors are sure that criminal elements can be forced out of the
country’s public and political life only with joint resolute efforts.
The parties having signed the document declared that they united into
a united anti-criminal movement.
As of 16:00 the document was signed by 13 parties, including the
Homeland and Honor, Nor Zhamanakner (New Times), National Unity,
People’s Party of Armenia, Constitutional Law Union, Hanrapetutiun,
Social-Democratic Hnchakian and others. Representatives of the
Democratic Party and the Democratic Homeland party also expressed
willingness to join the document.
Nor Zhamanakner Party Chairman Aram Karapetian told journalists that
the declaration is open for another political forces to sign it and
to join the movement.