Turkish foreign minister rules out early elections, views fight against PKK
Anatolia news agency
7 May 06
Ankara, 7 May: “Early elections and presidential election do not
take place in our agenda. Rules and time schedule for elections are
clear. We will not waste our time with such things,” said Turkish
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul on Saturday
[6 May].
Speaking at a congress of the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) in Altindag town of Ankara, Gul said: “Since interest rates
dropped, we could save nearly 100 quadrillion Turkish lira in the
last three years. Now, we are able to allocate money to public
services. These are great achievements. But there are some circles
who feel uneasy about our achievements.”
“The terrorist organization PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] is also
uneasy about these. Therefore, it has given rise to its acts of
violence. Our security forces have been trying to do everything
in their power to prevent such acts. Also, we have been working on
new laws with the aim of providing a more influential fight against
terrorism. We will never make concessions from democracy, fundamental
rights and freedoms,” Gul added.

Azeri analysts warn of terrorist threat from Iran
Yeni Musavat, Baku
5 May 06
Text of Cavid Turan’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat on
5 May headlined “Iran might carry out terrorist attacks in Azerbaijan”
and subheaded “Experts say the authorities should take urgent measures”
Iran has no intention of backing down on its uranium enrichment
programme and is continuing to issue ultimatums to countries opposing
its nuclear ambitions. As has been reported, the mullah regime has
said it will carry out heavy strikes against countries in the sphere
of US and Israeli interests.
Iranian officials have openly said that they will attack Azerbaijan’s
oil fields, the Baku-[Tbilisi]-Ceyhan [oil pipeline] and some other
strategic facilities. We reported in our earlier issues that Iran’s
defence minister even gave a list of targets to [Azerbaijani President]
Ilham Aliyev during his visit to Baku.
Given that even the USA, a world superpower, is vulnerable to the
terrorist threat, there is no point in saying that Azerbaijan is
capable of preventing this threat.
Military analyst Azad Isazada says that every threat from Iran should
be taken seriously. Isazada does not rule out that such groups also
exist among the large number of Iranian citizens doing business in
Azerbaijan [as published]. He said that subversive acts are realistic.
The threat of subversive acts is extremely serious, Isazada said,
adding that Azerbaijan is not prepared for these acts. At this stage,
Armenians will also support Iran in order to bring Azerbaijan to its
knees. At the same time, Russian intelligence might carry out terrorist
acts as well in order to knock Azerbaijan out of the West’s orbit,
Isazada says.
Independent expert Zafar Quliyev believes that the terrorist threat
is realistic.
“I do not think that these acts might target Azerbaijani
citizens. On the contrary, Iran is trying to win the hearts and
minds of Azerbaijanis. Terrorist acts might target oil facilities,
government buildings and foreign embassies,” he said.
The analyst believes that Azerbaijan is not prepared enough to prevent
these acts.
“As the military option [between the USA and Iran] is becoming more
and more realistic, security measures should be stepped up. Both
Azerbaijan’s territory and the buildings of international organizations
should be protected.
“On the other hand, the US-led anti-Iran coalition should shoulder
this responsibility if Azerbaijan joins this coalition,” Quliyev says.
Lawyer Osman Kazimov also believes that Azerbaijan is going to face
a terrorist threat.
“Given that Iran is behind most of the terrorist acts carried out in
the world, terrorist acts on Azerbaijan’s territory are realistic if
a war breaks out,” he said.
Kazimov thinks that Azerbaijan is not capable enough of preventing
the terrorist threat.
“Because Iranian intelligence is very capable and experienced in
terrorist attacks. But Azerbaijan’s main special services, which
can prevent terrorist acts, have so far focused on the political
rivals of the authorities. We know from our experience that terrorist
organizations ‘exposed’ at various times had contacts with special
services. I mean these services bury their own ‘problems’ themselves.
“Therefore, our special services should give up their traditional
work style and focus on this in order to prevent the experienced
and professional Iranian intelligence service from carrying out
terrorist acts.
“We should work hard with people. Complex measures should be taken,
especially in regions bordering on Iran, and counterintelligence
work should be stepped up. Security should be tightened at strategic
facilities, oil pipelines, government buildings and public catering
facilities.
“Apart from that, we need to use the support of countries which are
really friendly with us. We should not hesitate to use the support
of the US special services,” Kazimov said.

Georgia considerably increases wine supplies to Turkey – PM
by Tengiz Pachkoria
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 6, 2006 Saturday 10:18 AM EST
Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said Georgia would considerably increase
its wine supplies to Turkey.
Nogaideli and Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen reached an agreement
to this effect in Batumi on Saturday.
“I know that Georgian wines are one of the best wines in the world.
As of today their supplies have been small, but I hope that Georgia
will considerably increase its wine supplies to Turkey,” the Turkish
minister said after the meeting.
Nogaideli told journalists he had discussed with Tuzmen “a series of
important issues related to trade and economic relations between the
two countries, including measures to increase Georgian wine supplies
to Turkey.”
Nogaideli and Tuzmen also attended a ceremony to begin the construction
of an international airport in Batumi. Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashavili also took part in the ceremony.
Turkey ranks the first among Georgia’s partners. Georgia’s foreign
trade accounts for 15 percent of trade with Turkey.
Sale of more than 1,000 litres of Moldovan and Georgian brandies
and wines has been halted in Moscow as a result of the inspection
conducted by the federal consumer rights protection service’s Moscow
department in 19 stores.
Russian consumer rights’ watchdog has no grounds for lifting the ban
from the import of Georgian and Moldovan wines, at least for the time
being, chief sanitary doctor Gennady Onishchenko said.
“We are keeping under permanent control all imported alcohol
products. All wines, not only those from Armenia, Abkhazia and
Azerbaijan, but also from Russia, are tested,” he said in an interview
on the Mayak radio station last Wednesday.
“Violations of sanitary norms are found in all wines, including
Russia-made ones. We have problems with some batches of wine from
Russia, Chile, Argentina and some other countries,” he said.
In his comments on the results of tests of Moldovan and Georgian
wines by a French independent laboratory, he said, “These tests from
the point of view of control are not of interest to us.” “Moreover,
when we got wine samples for preliminary control, they matched all
standards. But when we took alcoholic beverages from retail companies
for tests, violations were found.”
“If these tests have been conducted and the French are ready to
have these wines, they are welcome. This is of no importance for our
national control,” he said.
Rospotrebnadzor imposed the temporary ban on the import of wine
and wine products from Georgia and Moldova on March 27, as they
do not comply with Russia’s sanitary and epidemiological norms and
requirements.
Georgian parliament speaker Nino Burdzhanadze described the ban on
the imports of Georgian products slapped by Russia as “an attempt of
political and economic pressure”.
“We regard Russia’s decisions to ban the imports of crop production,
wines — and now the Borjomi mineral water — as Moscow’s attempt to
put political and economic pressure on Tbilisi,” Burdzhanadze told
reporters. “Russia’s decisions are assuming the character of economic
embargo against Georgia.”
The Georgian Glass and Mineral Waters, the leading producer of Borjomi,
released a report on Thursday, according to which Russia has accounted
for some 50 percent of Borjomi imports.
According to company representatives, “the mineral water from the
Borjomi valley is certified in accordance with the toughest European
requirements and meets them.”
Deliveries of Borjomi to Russia stopped from Friday.
Meanwhile, the mineral water of Georgian origin is still on sale at
Moscow supermarkets.
The water is available at the Ramstor and Perekryostok stores, and
a number of drugstores, and many retail outlets have not received
instructions so far to take Borjomi off their shelves.
On Thursday, chief sanitary officer Gennady Onishchenko urged head
of the Federal Customs Service Alexander Zherikhov to take measures
to stop the sale of Borjomi because of its poor quality.
In the course of the checks the Rospotrebnadzor Federal Service for
the Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Welfare has run pursuant
to the resolution on “tighter control over the production and sale
of mineral and drinking water,” it revealed numerous facts of sale
to the population of table water that did not meet the established
indicators of quality and safety while its labels did not confirm to
mandatory requirements for the information for consumers.
As of May 3, 2006, the Borjomi mineral water of Georgian origin made
up the bulk of the samples that showed negative results.
Rospotrebnadzor’s Moscow department reported that of the 69 Borjomi
samples analysed in April, and 68 /or 98.6 percent/ failed the
quality test.
Tests have revealed that 56 batches of inspected Borjomi containing
a total of 19,553 liters fail to conform, in various combinations,
to the established requirements for organoleptic indicators, ionic
composition, and safety norms (permanganate oxidation and fluorine
content).

Russian specialists try to identify big object on A-320 crash site
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 6, 2006 Saturday
MOSCOW, May 6 — Russian specialists are in the process of identifying
a major object measuring tens of meters, spotted on the sea bed in
the area of the Armenian A-320 jet liner’s crash near the Russian
Black Sea resort of Sochi, sources in the TETIS PRO Ltd. company
said with reference to its executive director, Sergei Biryukov,
who is running the underwater search work on the site of the disaster.
Biryukov commands the search operation from a tugboat with the use
of the experimental search and examination complex Kalmar, equipped
with a multi-beam sonar.
The company said “since the spotted object may prove a piece of rock,
several dives and the use of a small-size TV camera may prove necessary
to understand what exactly has been found.”
A TETIS PRO Ltd. official said the search complex Kalmar had been
developed under a contract with the Russian Navy.
“At the moment of the A-320’s crash an experimental sample of the
Kalmar complex was in Novorossisk, where it was undergoing preparations
for state certification tests before entering service in the Russian
Navy,” the company’s official said. “By agreement with the naval
command specialists joined the search for the fuselage of the A-320
liner.”
The Kalmar complex was designed to search for and examine underwater
objects at depths up to 600 meters.
It consists of a multi-beam sonar capable of spotting objects on the
seabed and a small-size remote-controlled underwater apparatus for
the visual examination of found objects.
Another deep sea diving apparatus created by the same company, the
Tiger, proved very effective in the operation to rescue the AS-28
mini-submarine off the Kamchatka Peninsula in August 2005.
TETIS PRO Ltd. was founded in 1991. The company is focused on the
development, manufacture and supply of equipment for professional
diving companies and service companies, including breathing
apparatuses, underwater communication equipment, divers supply
equipment, tools for commercial diving and some others.
TETIS PRO Ltd. products are manufactured according to state
standards. The company has a certificate of the Russian Shipbuilding
Agency for development, manufacturing and repair of military equipment,
including equipment for underwater technical jobs.

Turks publish appeal against French Armenia bill
Agence France Presse — English
May 5, 2006 Friday 2:34 PM GMT
PARIS, May 5 2006 — Several Turkish organisations published an open
letter in French newspapers Friday calling on the National Assembly
not to back a bill that would make it a punishable offence to deny
“the existence of the 1915 Armenian genocide.”
Proposed by members of the opposition Socialist Party (PS), the bill
has a first reading before the parliament on May 18.
If approved, it would authorise a maximum five years in prison and a
fine of 45,000 euros (57,000 dollars) for any person who denied that
the massacres of Armenians in World War I were a genocide.
The same punishment is on the statute books for people who deny that
the Jewish holocaust took place.
“If it were to be adopted, such a law would forbid any ulterior debate
among historians wanting to shed light on the responsibilities of
the parties to these tragic events,” the Turkish organisations —
including unions and business groups — said in their letter.
The bill follows on from a 2001 French law which officially recognised
the massacres as genocide.
According to the new bill’s sponsor PS deputy Didier Migaud, the
original law was insufficient because it did not include any way of
punishing negationists.
The 2001 law, which infuriated Turkey, was passed when the PS had a
majority in the National Assembly. The new bill could only pass with
support from the government, which seems highly unlikely.
There has been much critical discussion recently in France about
so-called “historical” laws which seek to authorise an official
version of past events.
In January President Jacques Chirac asked for a controversial law
recognising the “positive role” of colonialism to be struck off the
statute books.
Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered in
orchestrated killings between 1915 and 1917 by Turks, as the Ottoman
Empire, modern Turkey’s predecessor, was falling apart.
Turkey categorically rejects the claims, saying 300,000 Armenians and
at least as many Turks died in civil strife when the Armenians took
up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with Russian
troops invading Ottoman soil.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
05-05-2006
Minister Oskanian Receives Jean-Louis Laurens
Council of Europe Director General
of Political Affairs
On May 5, Minister Oskanian received Jean-Louis Laurens, Council of Europe
Director General
of Political Affairs who was in Armenia to take part in the conference
“Armenia and Council of Europe: Five Years of Membership”.
The interlocutors briefly touched upon the five years of Armenia’s
membership in the Council, focusing on the process of fulfilment of the
commitments assumed by Armenia.
Jean-Louis Laurens highly valued cooperation between the Council of Europe’s
Yerevan Office and the Armenian Foreign Ministry.
The sides exchanged thoughts about regional processes, as well as issues on
the agenda of 116th Session of the Committee of Ministers to be held on May
18-19 in Strasbourg.

EXTRA: Two passengers turned away from doomed Armenian flight
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
May 3, 2006 Wednesday 11:38 AM EST
Two passengers who were due to fly to Russia on the Armavia Airbus
A-320 that crashed Wednesday failed to board the plane because of
faults with their documents, the Armenian airline said.
The Armenian and Georgian were first thought to have been among 113
people presumed killed when the jet went down in the Black Sea near
the resort of Sochi while flying from the Armenian capital Yerevan.
Search operations in the area found no survivors.

Investigators probe causes of Armenian air accident
Agence France Presse — English
May 6, 2006 Saturday
Experts met Saturday with the air traffic controller who was on duty
at Sochi airport in Russia when an Armenian plane crashed, killing 113,
on Tuesday night, to look into what caused the disaster.
The specialists “decyphered the recorded conversations between the
pilots and air traffic control,” a spokeswoman for Armenian Civil
Aviation told AFP.
She did not give any further details on what the conversations
revealed, stating only that “the investigation is continuing.”
Initial data from the enquiry suggest that bad weather caused the
accident.
The Armavia Airlines plane, an Airbus A320, probably either came
down when heavy rain forced a loss of speed, or was actually struck
by lightning, according to Dmitri Adbachian, a former Soviet pilot
who now heads an Armenian association of aviation specialists.
The bodies of 32 of the dead passengers have been taken to Yerevan,
Armenian Civil Aviation confirmed, with a further seven to be sent
on Saturday night.
Rescuers have so far only found 51 bodies and seven of these have
not yet been identified, Sergei Aristov, Russia’s deputy transport
minister, said on television.
“The search will continue until it is deemed to be hopeless”, Aristov
said. He nevertheless asked relations of the dead who had come to
Sochi to return to Armenia.
In addition to the crash near Sochi, another Armavia A320 was destroyed
early on Friday morning when a hangar at Brussels airport caught fire.
Armavia announced Saturday that it would replace the two planes it
lost this week by leasing new ones from Airbus, one of which would
“probably” be an A319.
The company is also taking delivery of a new Airbus made in 2005 at
the end of this month, so that its fleet will effectively be increased
by one to six aircraft.

Bereaved families to return home with water, sand from crash area
by Dmitry Nezdorovin
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 6, 2006 Saturday 09:54 AM EST
SOCHI, May 6 — Russian Deputy Transport Minister Sergei Aristov has
recommended to relatives of people who died in the recent air crash
near Sochi to return home.
He promised that all documents concerning their loved ones would be
prepared and mailed to families.
The A-320 plane of Armenia’s company Armavia that was en route from
Yerevan to Russia’s sea resort of Sochi crashed into the Black Sea
during a landing approach in the night of May 3, killing all 113
people on the board.
No bodies could be found in the sea over the past 24 hours.
Fifty-three bodies have been recovered in search operations, 42 of
which have been identified.
“The work will be continued until a decision is made to wind up the
search operation because of its hopelessness,” Aristov said.
About 180 people are staying in Sochi since the news of the demise
of the plane came to them.
Their initial shock of realisation of the loss appears to have blunted,
but the smell of sedative medicines fills Sochi’s hotels where the
bereaved have been put up.
Armenia’s Ambassador to Russia Armen Sambatyan said that families
of the unfound dead would take home the seawater and sand from the
crash area.

Bodies returned home to Armenia after Black Sea plane crash
Agence France Presse — English
May 5, 2006 Friday 2:34 PM GMT
YEREVAN, May 5 2006 — The first bodies of passengers killed when an
Armenian Airbus crashed into the Black Sea were flown back to Yerevan
early Friday, an airline spokesman said.
All 113 passengers and crew on the flight from the Armenian capital
are thought to have died when the Airbus A320 plunged into the sea
early Wednesday as it tried to land at Sochi, southern Russia, in
bad weather.
A total of 53 bodies have so far been fished out of the water and 37
have been identified, including that of an air hostess.
Of these, 26 were returned to the Armenian capital Yerevan early
Friday on board a Russian emergency ministry aircraft, a spokeswoman
for Armenian airline Armavia said.
Relatives of the victims had earlier overwhelmed the authorities in
Sochi when they began the grim task of identifying their loved ones
from photographs taken of the bodies, including that of a child.
Hopes for an orderly process quickly evaporated when relatives rushed
all at once to view the photos posted in a Sochi hotel.
Two people passed out and doctors attempting to comfort relatives
with drinks of water and sedatives ran out of drugs.
“We don’t have any more sedatives and we have the whole night ahead
of us,” said one nurse.
The repatriation of the bodies of victims already identified
was briefly delayed by a shortage of coffins, according to Andrei
Agajanov, a spokesman for the Armenian airline Armavia, which owned
the ill-fated plane.
“I hope that all the other families can recover the bodies. The
important thing is to be able to bury the victims so that there is
a place where you can go to cry,” said Arman Davtian, a 20-year-old
just returned from Sochi where the remains of his brother have been
identified.
For another grieving man, his eyes red through crying and fatigue,
the search for a brother-in-law continues.
“The victims’ bodies are unrecognisable, horribly disfigured. A mother
wouldn’t know her own son,” the young man said.
Russian authorities intend to carry out DNA tests on the corpses which
cannot be otherwise identified, said Russian Transport Minister Igor
Levitin in Sochi.
Some people who arrived at Yerevan airport late Thursday to reclaim
their relatives’ bodies left again in angry mood after being informed
of the delay which meant the plane carrying the victims remains would
not arrive until Friday.
Friday is a day of national mourning here and in Russia with religious
services planned throughout the Armenian diaspora.
The Armenian state will grant 3,300 dollars to victims’ families who
can expect another 20,000 dollars each in insurance payouts.
The two “black box” flight recorders have been located, Levitin said.
Neither the Russian Black Sea fleet nor the Northern Fleet was fully
equipped to retrieve the recorders, he said, and appealed for help
from foreign countries in raising them from the seabed.