ARTUR AGHABEKIAN: SOONER OR LATER TURKEY WILL RECOGNIZE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 24 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 24, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. It is more Turkey
that should understand that sooner or later the whole world, every
state will recognize the Armenian Genocide. RA Deputy Defence Minister
Artur Aghabekian gave assurance in his interview to journalists on
April 24, at the memorial complex of the Armenian Genocide victims. He
mentioned that today steps aimed at the recognition of the Genocide
are taken even by the states that are to some extent guilty with their
indifference, their participation for the Genocide in Turkey. “I think
Armenia’s right diplomacy, right conduct will also awaken the states
that have been indifferent in the years of the Genocide and remain
indifferent today,” RA Deputy Defence Minister said. In response
to the question, whether Turkey will recognize the Genocide, Artur
Aghabekian said: “Turkey will have to recognize the Genocide. If it
does not recognize today, it will do this tomorrow, how can it deny
the historical justice?”

RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS NOT AN END IN ITSELF, HISTORIAN EMPHASIZES
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 24 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 24, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Parallelly with the
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide committed at the
beginning of the previous century by the Ottoman Turkey we should also
raise the issue of Armenian demands. Political scientist-specialist
on international affairs, doctor, professor Stepan Stepanian, Head
of the Department on the History of the Armenian Cause and Armenian
Genocide of the Institute of History of RA National Academy of
Sciences, expressed such an opinion at the April 21 meeting at the
Pakagits club. The political scientist mentioned that 18 countries
have already recognized the Armenian Genocide, among which there are
such big states as Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Canada. Stepanian
gave assurance that this process will continue. However, according
to him, the recognition of the Genocide is not an end in itself and
the time has already come when the Armenians should raise the issue
of compensation on the international arena.
According to the historian, the recognition should be used for
overcoming the consequences of the Genocide. Stepanian mentioned the
largest loss, the murder of 2 mln Armenians, is irreversible but the
other consequence is the lost territories that should be returned to
the Armenian people spread throughout the world up to this day. “The
demands of Armenians are legal and we should not conceal them and
make the recognition of the Armenian Genocide an end in itself, he
declared. S.Stepanian gave assurance that Turkey will never recognize
the Genocide. “This country, in essence, with its barbarian policy,
its attitude towards non-Turkish nations has not changed at all,
moreover, it has become more brutalized. If I was asked about the
biggest lie in the world I would say that this is the denial of the
Armenian Genocide by the Turks. I do not think that any one can make
Turkey give up this policy,” he declared. Answering questions about
Russia’s role in the issue of the Genocide, Stepanian mentioned
that, of course, this country had interests of its own but Russia
has never contributed to the Genocide. Meanwhile he mentioned that
the retreat of the Russian army contributed to the big slaughter
of Armenians. According to Stepanian, many of Armenian historians
think that the voluntary movement was unnecessary for Armenians as
this enraged the Turks for even more. However, in the Armenians’
affirmation, the voluntary movement saved many people both in the
Eastern and Western Armenia. As for the Turks, they, according to
Stepanian, had worked out a program of exterminating Armenians long
ago. This is a program of establishing a “Big Turan” that exists up
to this day and Armenia hampers its realization at present. He called
“disgraceful” the Treaty of Moscow concluded on March 16 1921 between
Russia and Turkey, according to which part of the Eastern Armenia
was given to Turkey and Karabakh to Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile the speaker said that at that time Armenia was ruled by
the Dashnaktsutiun party “which carried out a coup in February 1921,
seized the power and held it until the treaty was signed”. Touching
upon the Treaty of Sevres, Stepanian said that according to the treaty,
only one part of the territory of Western Armenia was included in the
independent Armenian state. According to him, the Treaty of Sevres was
concluded by representatives of Dashnaktsutiun government in August
1920 and in December 1920 the Dashnaktsutiun government signed the
Treaty of Alexandropol with Turkey, Article 9 of which invalidated
the Treaty of Sevres.

HAMLET GASPARIAN: THEY IN AZERBAIJAN AGAIN CHERISH ILLUSIONS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 22 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Instead of seeing reality and
perceiving what they have heard, they in Azerbaijan again cherish
illusions. The RA MFA spokesman Hamlet Gasparian stated this when
commenting, at the request of the mass media, on the response of the
Azerbaijani MFA spokesman Tair Taghizade to the statement of the RA
Foreign Minister Vartan Osaknian that “if Azerbaijan recognizes the
right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to determine independently its
future status, Armenia is prepared to discuss seriously the issues
of eliminating the war consequences.” The Azerbaijani MFA spokesman
positively assessed V. Oskanian’s statement, noting at the same time
that they understand “self-determination” of Nagorno Karabakh as the
“highest autonomy” within Azerbaijan. In the words of Gasparian,
recently the Armenian foreign minister has had several occasions to
clearly express Armenia’s position, according to which reaching a
mutual agreement presupposes the recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh
people’s right of self-determination by Azerbaijan, which will be
followed by discussion of the issues related to the war consequences
elimination. “We would have been content with the precedence if the
Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs had positively responded to
the statement of the Armenian foreign minister by considering it as
constructive. It would really promote positive developments regarding
this issue. However, it became clear from the comments that the cart
has not moved from its place at all. As soon as someone speaks about
the right of self-determination of the Nagorno Karabakh people, they
in Azerbaijan start to wallow in the Soviet nostalgia, cherishing
the dream of “highest autonomy,” Hamlet Gasparian underlined.

GREGOIRE’S WARNINGS ON CHINA, EDUCATION NEED TO BE HEEDED
Centralia Chronicle, WA
April 24 2006
In her address last week at a meeting of the Chehalis Rotary Club,
Gov. Chris Gregoire had some words of warning about education we
should heed.
Gregoire is big on improving education in this state, from preschool
to post-graduate.
In discussing early childhood education, for which she is an ardent
advocate, Gregoire told a story. When she was a child, she said,
her mother used to tell her to clean up her plate because children
in China were starving (for some of us, it was starving Armenians or
others). The lesson was that we shouldn’t be wasting when others were
starving and by us not wasting there would be more for them.
But now the focus has changed, Gregoire said. “The story today is,
‘If you don’t do your homework, that child in China will get your job,’
” Gregoire may well be right.
China, which remains the most populous country in the world, is
coming on strong as an economic competitor, its economy growing by
leaps and bounds.
Leveling the trading playing field with China will help create new
markets for our goods there, as Gregoire was striving to achieve
for this state in a recent trade mission to that country. Further
opening of the Chinese market will in turn create more jobs in the
United States.
But with education levels and skilled work forces increasing in China
and Asia, more jobs and potential jobs in this country will flow there
if we don’t bolster education in this country so that we can compete.
That’s why efforts to raise education standards, including this
state’s Assessment of Student Learning testing that Gregoire also
strongly supports, is so important.
On another subject, the governor indicated she is well aware of the
magnitude of the methamphetamine drug problem in our area and the
state. She noted meth is particularly insidious and dangerous because
“unlike any other drug, we do not have the ability to get people
off” it.
In connection with that, she mentioned a disturbing trend in meth
that many may not be aware of – an increased tendency of women to use
the drug as a dietary aid. That is insanity. Once they are hooked on
this highly addictive drug, the number of people who can get off it
permanently is abysmally low.
SATSOP PLAN: Also when she was here last week, Gregoire embraced a
plan to convert the abandoned Satsop nuclear power plant project near
Elma to a job training facility that could be operated by Centralia
College. Gregoire toured the college’s Center of Excellence for
Energy Technology.
In a presentation to the governor, Barbara Hins-Turner, executive
director of the center, said the energy industry will need thousands
of replacement workers as baby boomers start to retire in the next
five to eight years. Hins-Turner has been working with both industry
leaders and labor representatives in the region on a plan to convert
the 1,800-acre Satsop site into a training facility for future
employees in the power generation field. That would be fitting.
Gregoire said the plan “sounds like it has a lot of promise. … The
whole region will benefit” from Satsop as a job training site.
The energy industry has been aware of the declining work force
for years and “The cold, hard truth is that we’re going to suffer
a tremendous brain drain,” said Steve Milistefr, a representative
of the Bonneville Power Administration who was at the college with
Gregoire. He also lauded the college for its efforts to provide more
trained workers to fill the gap.
“Centralia College is starting to put some action behind this, and
things are starting to happen.”
Jim Walton, president of the college, said he hopes to have a Satsop
job training facility operational in two years, including on-site
dormitories.
He commended Gregoire for her interest, noting that support at her
level of government adds impetus to the Satsop plans.
In the end, then, it appears something positive will come out of the
costly boondoggle of trying to build nuclear power plants at Satsop.
Who knows, some day employees might be trained there for jobs at
nuclear power plants, which this country will likely need more of at
some point to become more energy independent.

RUSSIAN AND AZERI HISTORIANS CONSIDER SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AS “MYTH”
Today, Azerbaijan
April 24 2006
Armenians claim in address of Turkey on recognition of so-called
Armenian genocide in Osman Empire are unreasonable.
As Trend reports, TRT channel programs show that the last period of
existence of Osman Empire was reflected not only in Turkish documents,
but also in works of Azeri and Russian historians.
In fact, British Empire and tsar Russia incited Armenia to “restore
their state in Western Anatolia” and the latter started slaughtering
Turk population, said Professor Israfil Mamedov, former member of
National Academy of Sciences of Armenia (up to 1990).
“I calculated that up to one million soldiers, including Armenians,
were fighting Turkey those years,” – Mamedov said.
Russian historian Igor Pechenev, who long time worked in Soviet
archives, confirmed his statements. In his book entitled “History
of Armenian people” Pechenev writes: “During the World War I, two
million Turks were killed due to genocide committed by Armenians.
Russian military forces included 200 thousand Armenians famous for
their particular cruelty.”
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LEBANON: ARMENIANS MARK ANNIVERSARY OF MASSACRES IN TURKEY
Ya Libnan, Lebanon
April 24 2006
Beirut- Lebanese Armenians marched on the main coastal highway in
Beirut, Lebanon today to mark the 91th anniversary of massacres in
Turkey that began in April 1915 and in which hundreds of thousands
of Armenians died.
Armenian communities around the world are marking the killing of of
Armenians, on April 24 each year with marches, vigils and rallies
to demand recognition from the world community, and reparations
from Turkey.
According to pan Armenian Network , “during the period of 1915-1923,
1.5 million of Armenians were killed. The Armenian Genocide was
recognized by Russia, France, Canada, Lebanon, Uruguay, Cyprus,
Argentina, Greece, Belgium, Sweden, Slovakia, Netherlands, Vatican,
Italy, Germany, Lithuania and Poland as well as over 30 states of
the U.S.”
Turkey claims the number of deaths is inflated and says the victims
were killed in civil unrest.
In Lebanon there is a sizable Armenian community of about 400, 000,
almost 10 % of the population . Most of the Armenians immigrated to
Lebanon from neighboring countries .
Here are some pictures of the Armenian march of April 24th in Beirut
courtesy of AP:
Photo: Lebanese Armenians wave a banner and hold Armenian flags as
they march on the main coastal highway north of Beirut
Photo: A Lebanese Armenian woman holds a banner during a march in
Antelias , north of Beirut to mark the 91st anniversary of massacres
in Turkey that began in April 1915 and in which hundreds of thousands
of Armenians died.
Photo: Lebanese Armenians hold a banner as they march on the main
coastal highway of Antelias, on the northern entrance to Beirut.
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SCHOLAR DETAILS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HORROR
By Mark Melady Telegram & Gazette Staff
[email protected]
Worcester Telegram , MA
April 24 2006
There were official protests but nothing was done to help.
Simon Payaslian, CHAIR OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE STUDIES AT CLARK UNIVERSITY
WORCESTER- The first genocide of the 20th century wiped out half of
the world’s Armenians and drew a response from the West that would
become the sorry standard for the horrors to come in the death camps
of Europe, the killing fields of Cambodia and throughout Rwanda.
“The major powers responded to the human catastrophe of the Armenians
by trying to ignore it as much as possible,” Simon Payaslian, chair
of Armenian Genocide Studies at Clark University, said on the eve
of today’s 91st anniversary of the Armenian genocide. “There were
official protests but nothing was done to help.”
On April 24, 1915, several hundred Armenian intellectuals, political
leaders and businessmen were rounded up in Constantinople (Istanbul),
arrested and eventually killed. The date marks the beginning of a
genocide that eventually killed 1.5 million Armenians, but Mr.
Payaslian traces the roots of the genocide to Muslim massacres of
Christian Armenians in the 1890s that took as many as 200,000 lives.
“At Friday prayers in the mosque, Muslims were encouraged to attack
Armenians,” Mr. Payaslian said. “After prayers let out, a bugle would
sound from the minarets for the attack to begin, and then a bugle
would sound for the attack to end.”
Soon after the onset of World War I in the fall of 1914, Armenians by
the thousands were ordered out of their homes and force-marched to the
Russian border to help provide for the Turkish military. “They were
told once the war is over you will come back,” Mr. Payaslian said,
“but once forced out of your house, there is no returning.”
For the next two years, hundreds of thousands of Armenians would be
uprooted from their homes and sent into the Syrian desert. It was a
centrally planned and tightly orchestrated ethnic cleansing, Mr.
Payaslian said.
“First, all the Armenian community leaders would be arrested,”
he said. “In the name of military conscription, men from age 16 to
40-45 would be taken away. Then came an announcement that in 15 days
all Armenians would be removed. They could sell whatever they could
sell and take whatever they could carry. With only women, children
and the elderly left, it was very easy for officials to begin the
forced deportations.”
Along the way, the refugees were robbed, beaten and murdered. Some
went insane. Many died of starvation or exhaustion. About 200,000
survived the march, Mr. Payaslian said, and set up refugee camps
near cities such as Beirut, Damascus and Aleppo in Northern Syria,
where Mr. Payaslian’s grandparents landed.
In 1915, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Henry Morgenthau Sr., said,
“The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost
insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race
in 1915.” American consuls in Turkey repeatedly used terms such as
“extinction” and “destruction of the race” in their cables back home,
Mr. Payaslian said, to no avail.
The U.S. government still does not officially recognize the genocide
and Mr. Payaslian doubts it ever will, out of deference to Turkey’s
strategic importance to American interests in the Middle East.
Turkey has steadfastly denied genocide ever took place, blaming
Armenian deaths on the Russians and the war, despite pressure from
European countries that will determine Turkey’s admission to the
European Union.
Mr. Payaslian believes Europe and America could have stopped the
Armenian genocide with military force. “Ultimately, it was not in
the geo-political interests of the U.S. or Europe to do so.” By the
end of World War I, the importance of oil was well established. Mr.
Payaslian said a rear admiral assigned to the region reported back
to Washington that America should not jeopardize its access to Middle
East oil sources for abstract humanitarian principles.
“Especially in the case of the Armenians,” Mr. Payaslian said. “Most
of them were already dead.”

ARMENIANS GIVE PATRICK THUMBS UP DESPITE TIES TO GENOCIDE DENIERS
Hub Politics, MA
April 24 2006
Despite the loose ties to a group that has lobbied on behalf of the
Republic of Turkey and their denial of the Armenian genocide, Deval
Patrick is still considered an ally of the Armenian community.
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Deval Patrick attended a State House
event yesterday marking the 91st anniversary of the Armenian genocide –
just days after the Herald exposed his ties to a lobbyist working to
block U.S. recognition of the Turkish government’s slaughter of 1.5
million Armenians.
The Herald reported Wednesday that a Washington, D.C., fund-raiser for
Patrick was hosted by Bernie Robinson, a consultant to the Livingston
Group, a lobbying firm that took in millions of dollars from the
Turks to fight a congressional plan to recognize the genocide.
Yesterday Patrick spent roughly an hour at the commemoration ceremony
hosted by Rep. Peter Koutoujian (D-Waltham). Patrick didn’t speak,
but Sharistan Melkonian of the Armenian National Committee said his
presence reinforced the belief of the Armenian community that Patrick
is an ally, not an adversary.
“He has a history of very strong support around the issue that most
Armenians care about, like human rights and civil rights and justice,”
Melkonian said.
In a letter to the Herald, Patrick said “reports of my association
with those who deny the Armenian genocide are completely false.”
Patrick also took umbrage with gubernatorial rival Attorney General Tom
Reilly, who told the Herald that he “wouldn’t want to have anything
to do with” anyone associated with such a firm. Patrick said he was
“disappointed to see my political opponents trying to exploit this
tragedy.”
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TURKISH MEDIA: WASHINGTON NO LONGER TRUSTS AKP GOVERNMENT
Middle East Media Research Institute, DC
April 24 2006
The American-Turkish Council’s annual conference, which took place
in Washington, D.C. in late March 2006, reflected the current chill
in Turkish-U.S. relations. While in previous years this conference
was always attended by leading Turkish and U.S. government figures,
businessmen, and military figures, this year it was marked by sparse
participation. Most of the Turkish officials in attendance told the
press that Turkish-U.S. relations were in much worse shape than they
had previously believed.
Two emissaries sent by Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan on a
fence-mending mission to Washington following the ATC conference also
failed in their mission. The emissaries, PM Erdogan’s personal advisor
Cuneyt Zapsu and AKP Party Deputy Chairman and MP Saban Disli, came
under fire from senior U.S. officials with whom they met on April
7, 2006 at the American Enterprise Institute. During the meeting,
the U.S. officials expressed their anger regarding several issues:
the AKP government’s unpredictable policies, Turkey’s February 2006
hosting of a Hamas delegation, and the release of the anti-American
and antisemitic Turkish film Valley of the Wolves – Iraq, which had
the endorsement of high level AKP figures at the level of the wife
of the PM, cabinet ministers, the parliamentary speaker, and other
dignitaries who attended the film’s festive opening gala.
The U.S. officials also told Zapsu and Disli that the U.S. had
considered the AKP government unreliable since March 1, 2003, when it
had rejected a parliamentary motion to allow U.S. forces passage to
northern Iraq through Turkey – which damaged the U.S.’s war plans and
resulted in U.S. losses. Zapsu argued in response that since there was
no alternative to the AKP in Turkey, the U.S. would just have to live
with it for the next six to seven years – and that it should utilize PM
Erdogan instead of trying to have him removed. These remarks provoked
an onslaught of criticism by Turkish politicians and the Turkish media.
Despite 50 years of strategic Turkey-U.S. alliance, ever since the
AKP came to power Turkish polls have shown continued erosion of these
relations. A recent study found that the vast majority of Turks harbor
anti-American sentiment and see the U.S. as a major threat to Turkey.
Following are excerpts from the Turkish media on the crisis in
Turkey-U.S. relations:
The ATC Conference “The AKP Has Lost All its Credit in the U.S.”
In a March 29, 2006 column titled “A Saddening Picture in Washington,”
Asli Aydintasbas wrote in the centrist, secular Turkish daily Sabah:
“[…] For many years, [ATC meetings] were important summits, with
the participation of leaders from the Turkish government, business
circles, and the [Turkish] General Staff.
American senators, a few cabinet secretaries, countless generals,
U.S. bureaucrats, and business executives used to fill glamorous
ballrooms for the banquet.
“This year, the meeting was almost empty, with low representation
from both the U.S. and Turkey. […] This is the sign of a ‘confidence
crisis’ in the bilateral relations. At lunch yesterday, I spoke to an
important American official who told me that everyone [in the U.S.]
was tired of talking about the so-called Turkish-American strategic
partnership, and that clearly there were problems. He was not attending
the ATC meetings, but he had much to complain about: the film Valley of
the Wolves – Iraq, [1] the visit (to Ankara) by the Hamas delegation
[…] and the possible legalization of the Koran classes by the
[AKP] government. He said not a single positive thing about the AKP
government. He was afraid that Turkey would become another Malaysia.
“[Clearly] his perception was that [Turkey] was adamant about becoming
more fundamentalist [i.e. Islamist] than Western. […] This was the
sad picture in Washington D.C. […].
“[…] As happens every year, the resolution on the so-called Armenian
genocide will again be on the agenda in April. Turkey can no longer
be certain of the Jewish lobby’s support. Some foresee that this year
the U.S. senators might be coerced [to pass it]. If that happens,
the 50-year friendship between the U.S. and Turkey will be a thing
of the past.”
In an April 3, 2006 article titled “The AKP’s Credit Diminishes in the
U.S.,” Yasemin Congar, Washington correspondent for the mainstream,
secular Milliyet, wrote:
“[…] Those who came from Turkey to Washington for the annual
ATC meeting reflected their pessimism in saying: ‘The state of
[U.S.-Turkey] relations is much worse than what we had thought.’ […]
In fact, nothing was new; the Americans conveyed to their Turkish
counterparts the mounting discomfort they felt about the already
well-known issues, as follows: Sharp reactions regarding the February
visit by Hamas… the movie Valley of the Wolves – Iraq and the
general anti-Americanism in Turkey, for which they blame the AKP […]”
“Hamas Visit Equals [Turkey’s] March 1 Rejection”
Congar continued, “A high-level American official told a Turkish former
politician who visited him, ‘As far as we are concerned, the Hamas
visit equals [Turkey’s] March 1 [2003] rejection of the motion [to
allow U.S. forces passage to northern Iraq through Turkey]. The Turkish
source told us that he had left this meeting with the understanding
that ‘the [U.S.] attitude to the AKP and to the Hamas visit was much
worse than previously thought.’ A leading Turkish businessman who
held a series of meetings with Americans said, ‘We saw that the AKP’s
credit here [i.e. in the U.S.] is fast disappearing.’ […]”
U.S. Ambassador Wilson’s Statements Differed from Official U.S.
Statement
Congar wrote: “I asked U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson: Did
your private statements, which differed from the official U.S.
statement, lead to the misconception in the Turkish public opinion?’
[…He] emphasized that it was natural to convey certain views on
certain issues to the government without sharing them with the press.
He said, ‘If the Hamas visit was one of those, so be it.’ In reality,
[Wilson’s previous] statements had recently been the topic of intense
discussions within the Bush administration, and many [U.S.] officials
were concerned that failing to respond strongly [regarding the Hamas
visit] so as to avoid strong reactions from Turkish public opinion
was compromising the effectiveness of the messages given [by the
U.S.] to the AKP government. [2] […]”
Congressman Robert Wexler: “We Were 100% Against Turkey Talking
to Hamas”
On March 30, Asli Aydintasbas of Sabah wrote: “[…] Important
[U.S.] officials to whom I spoke called the Hamas visit a ‘second
March 1 incident.’ Turkish officials who could no longer be certain
of the support of the Jewish lobby were talking with fear about the
possibility of the U.S. Senate passing the Armenian genocide resolution
this year. […] U.S. Congressman Robert Wexler, [whom I went to
see,] is chairman of the Turkish caucus in Congress, and considered
‘the voice of Turkey’ within Congress. Wexler, who will be visiting
Turkey next week to meet with PM Erdogan, is our No. 1 lobbyist…
“These were his words: ‘[…] On the issue of Hamas, as I wrote to
your PM, it was an unfortunate decision [by Turkey] to be the first
Western country to meet with that organization. It is impossible to
comprehend how this could benefit Turkey. For the first time in a
long time, the U.S. and Europe are on the same page about this issue,
and they are against any contact with Hamas. On the subject of Hamas,
the U.S. position is very clear. We were 100% against your talking to
Hamas. […] Some say that [the AKP’s hosting of the Islamist Hamas]
is due to an [Islamist AKP] reflex. […] Democratic countries like the
U.S., England, and Turkey do not host terrorist organizations […]’
“[I asked,] Would you also react the same if Muqtada Al-Sadr came
[to Turkey]? [3] [He said,] ‘This would be extremely negative. Al-Sadr
plays a direct role in the killing of U.S. soldiers in Iraq. It would
be like you inviting bin Laden, or us inviting Ocalan [from the PKK].'”
AKP Emissaries Meet with U.S. Officials in Washington U.S. Officials
to AKP Leaders: “We Don’t Trust AKP Government!”
AKP emissaries Zapsu and Disli, who were sent to mend the strained
U.S-Turkey relations, ended up further exacerbating tensions. Their
controversial visit was extensively covered by all the Turkish media.
Following are excerpts from the coverage:
Quarrel in Washington
On April 9, 2006, Asli Aydintasbas wrote in Sabah: “[…] The polemic
between the advisors and Richard Perle and another Pentagon official
[at the AEI] was harmful and damaging. In the presence of journalists,
Americans saying ‘We don’t trust the AKP government’ and the Turkish
side responding ‘And you [the U.S.] are talking to the PKK’ will open
diplomatic wounds. […] This can be called the wrong method and the
wrong officials.
“[…] The Turkey-U.S. crisis, which has not been resolved [since March
1, 2003] and even became chronic after the Hamas visit and Valley of
the Wolves, cannot be solved by sending ‘advisors.’ […] After three
years of experience with the AKP, the Americans are upset, and think
‘you give us private messages [and promises] and then go and do the
opposite.’ […]
“Now Turkey and AKP must decide: For its national interests, does it
want a close friendship with Washington, or does it prefer, in the
name of having a ‘multi-axis foreign policy,’ a cordial relationship
based on lowest common denominator? The choice belongs to Turkey,
and not to the U.S….
“[…] The American side is not interested in a ‘media flirtation’
with the AKP government, but wants a ‘state-to-state,’ organic alliance
[with Turkey] that includes economic and military ties. [The U.S.] is
inclined to ‘downgrade’ its relationship with a Turkey that they no
longer trust. Yet despite its negative psychology towards the AKP,
[…] no one in Washington wants to lose Turkey […]. [They want]
a strong, democratic, secular, and Western Turkey that can continue
its friendship with the U.S. and stay on the path towards Europe – all
of which is in the interest of both the Bush administration and Ankara.
[…]
Fight Over Hamas
On April 8, 2006, Yasemin Congar of Milliyet quoted the tense
interactions at the AEI meeting between officials from the White House,
Vice President Cheney’s office and figures close to the Pentagon,
and AKP’s Disli and Zapsu, as follows:
“Zapsu: We got your message on the Hamas issue loud and clear… Here,
we are arguing over the method rather than the essence. I certainly
would meet with [Hamas] if there was a one in 1,000 chance that [Hamas]
might change; I would meet with them again. It would be naïve to say
that there are no talks at all with groups that have killed people.
“AEI official: So, should we meet with the PKK, because there might
be a one in a 1,000 chance that they might change too?
“Zapsu: Aren’t you […] meeting [with the PKK]?
“Pentagon official: No, the U.S. government does not meet with the PKK.
“Disli: We came to have a friendly dialogue. But if you ask us
[questions] using [the same] language as […] PKK representatives,
we cannot.
“[U.S. official]: In March 2003, we understood that we could not
trust Turkey… We can love and respect you as a country and as a
people, but, government to government, there may not be a relationship
of trust.
“Zapsu: Saying ‘we understood that we cannot trust Turkey’ is not the
right approach. The U.S. government must live with this [Turkish]
government. We [i.e. AKP] are leading the polls with 42.7%. As the
AKP, we will be in power for another six to seven years. Wouldn’t it
be wiser if we sorted out these misunderstandings, and misjudgments?
[…] We need the U.S. and the U.S. needs us.[…] This man [i.e. PM
Erdogan] is honest; he is sincere in his beliefs. You must take
advantage of him. He enjoys wide popularity. […] Instead of trying to
knock him down, instead of sweeping him down the drain, use him. […]”
Emissary Disli: U.S.-Turkey Tensions are ” Provocation by Jewish Lobby”
On April 8, 2006, the centrist, secular daily Aksam reported:
“[…] A Turkish Foreign Ministry official evaluated the tensions
in Washington as the manifestation of the great anger felt by the
White House towards the AKP. He said: ‘It is clear that they [the
Americans] are reacting to the [AKP] government.’ On the other hand,
[the AKP’s] Disli said that the incident was a provocation by the
Jewish lobby. […] Disli told Aksam: ‘There is an attempt to create
an atmosphere that relations with the U.S. are severed, that they
are finished. The Jewish lobby is behind all this.'”
U.S. Ambassador “Changed His Statements After He Went to Washington”
The report continued: “[Turkish] Foreign Ministry sources drew our
[Aksam’s] attention to the fact that Ambassador Wilson had given
softer messages on the issue of the Hamas visit ‘but changed his
statements after he went to Washington. We know that the U.S.
administration’s reaction to Wilson caused the change.’ [4]
“Another Foreign Ministry official told us: ‘After the [Turkish
parliament’s] March 1 [2003] rejection of the motion [to allow U.S.
forces passage to northern Iraq], the element of trust in our bilateral
relations with the U.S. diminished. […]”
Wife of Turkish PM Attended Gala Opening of Valley of the Wolves –
Iraq, Praised Film Tearfully and Emotionally
Aksam continued: “During the talks in Washington by Zapsu and
Disli, there was criticism also against [the Turkish PM’s wife]
Emine Erdogan’s praise for Valley of the Wolves – Iraq. Zapsu said
that some Washington circles had asked them how they would react if
First Lady Laura Bush had [seen and] praised the [anti-Turkish film]
Midnight Express. Zapsu said: ‘Such a comparison would be wrong.'”
(It is noteworthy that in a recent interview with Robert Pollock of
The Wall Street Journal, PM Erdogan refrained from condemning, or
even criticizing, this “religiously and racially divisive” film that
depicts Americans “murdering and dismembering Iraqis, to steal their
organs for Jewish markets.” Instead, Erdogan justified the making of
this film, and its popularity, by saying that it was “based on media
reports” and “TV images.” [5] )
Disli: “The PKK is a Terrorist Organization […] This Kind of
Comparison [to Hamas] Is Completely Ugly”
On April 10, the Turkish Islamic daily Zaman, which is owned by
Turkish Islamic leader Fethullah Gulen, reported:
“In their joint statement, Zapsu and Disli said: ‘We emphasized
that a fairly elected political party can never be seen [as] equal
to a terrorist organization. The PKK is a terrorist organization
responsible for the killings of thousands [of mainly soldiers and
police officers], whose participation in an election is impossible;
therefore, this kind of comparison between two friendly countries is
completely ugly. We also said at that particular [AEI] meeting that
the U.S. has broken many promises to us about [helping] our struggle
against the PKK, which is sheltered in northern Iraq – a factor which
fuels the anti-Americanism in Turkey.'”
Hurriyet: AKP Misled [Turkish] Public Opinion on Hamas Visit
On April 9, 2006, Turkish columnist Oktay Eksi of the mainstream,
secular Hurriyet wrote: “It is understood that Washington has written
Tayyip Erdogan off […] Erdogan should really be nervous. […]
Obviously, the information that the AKP gave the public following Hamas
leader Khaled Mash’al’s visit in February did not reflect the truth.
“As you will remember, they [i.e. the AKP] had claimed that both the
U.S. Embassy in Ankara and Israel were informed of the visit [in
advance] and said, ‘Ignore the public expressions of displeasure;
they [i.e. the U.S. and Israel] were agreeable.’ Apparently, there
was nothing given or taken or agreed upon… And now, Washington has
told Zapsu and Disli […] that the U.S. no longer trusts the AKP.
“In fact, love turning to hatred between the U.S. and the AKP is
nothing new. It has happened before… with the U.S. feeling betrayed
after the rejection of the March 1 motion… [and] on July 4, 2003,
when the U.S. trampled the honor of the Turkish Armed Forces and our
nation by arresting 11 Turkish soldiers and officers in Suleymaniye
and put sacks over their heads… [when] Tayyip Erdogan declared that
Israel was a ‘terrorist state’ when Hamas leader Yassin was killed;
when he used a similar term [i.e. “genocide”] for the U.S. attack on
Fallujah; [when] he kept [former] U.S. Ambassador Eric Edelman waiting
for months for an appointment – all these were incidents that brought
about this result. […]”
Unofficial AKP Mouthpiece Yeni Safak: The American Enterprise Institute
is Home to Warmongers [and] a Bloodthirsty Group On April 9, 2006,
columnist Fehmi Koru of the Islamic daily Yeni Safak wrote:
“[…] The AEI is the home of the worst warmongers in the U.S. All
the pretexts for the assault on Iraq were planned and decorated with
lies and deceptions by AEI ‘experts,’ and they were carried out by
bureaucrats and politicians with AEI origins.[…]
“There is no way of convincing this bloodthirsty AEI group, that has
brought nothing but blood and tears to the Middle East. They have lost,
and they want others [i.e. the AKP] to pay for it… […]”
“An Open Warning to the US!”
In an April 9, 2006 column titled “An Open Warning to the U.S.!”
Cuneyt Ulsever wrote in Hurriyet: “There is a survey that studied a
concept that has recently preoccupied Turkey: A survey on nationalism
has been conducted by Bilgi University and the Infakto Research
Workshop on behalf of Tempo magazine. […] The field work was
conducted […] February 18-28, 2006. […] I will issue a serious
warning to our American friends [emphasis in original] about one
aspect of the findings of this serious study.
“One of the questions asked was: ‘Which of the following [countries]
poses the greatest threat to our nation’s security?’ Pay attention
to the fact that the question is not about ‘love-hate’ or
‘appreciation-criticism.’ […] The [Turkish] citizens were asked
about the very sensitive issue of ‘perception of threat.’ […] The
resulting picture of the ‘perception of threat’ by the Turkish public
is as follows:
“U.S.: 35%; a probable independent Kurdish State in Northern Iraq:
25.8%; Greece: 9.5%; EU: 5.5%; Israel: 4%; Iraq: 3.5%; Iran: 1.5%;
Russia: 0.3%; Other: 1.1%; None of the above: 1.9%; Don’t know: 8.2%.
“It must be noted that the Turkish people’s perception of ‘an
independent Kurdistan’ is also [closely] related to the perception of
the U.S.’s role as the party responsible for this and provoking this.
Therefore, you can conclude that 60.8% of the respondents perceive
the U.S. as a ‘threat.’ […]
“I hope that the U.S. leaders who have expectations from Turkey as
part of their Middle East policies will carefully examine and analyze
these findings.”
————————————– ——————————————
[1] The anti-American and antisemitic Turkish blockbuster Valley of
the Wolves – Iraq is the most expensive film ever made in Turkey,
and has drawn the biggest crowds, and has also been selling very
well in Turkish communities in Europe and in Arab counties. The film
depicts Americans as barbaric murderers who rape and kill Iraqis,
with an American Jewish doctor dismembering them to supply organs for
Jewish markets. While Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan had the film privately
screened for him, his wife Emine Erdogan attended the February 2006
gala opening, sitting with the film’s very popular lead actor and
Turkish Parliamentary Speaker Bulent Arinc. After the screening,
an emotional and tearful Mrs. Erdogan praised the film, and Speaker
Arinc called it “very realistic.”
[2] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 1114, “Hamas Visit to Turkey
Deepens Secular-Islamist Rift” (see “U.S. Ambassador Wilson:
“Hamas Criticism – of Certain Groups in the U.S., Including
Leading Jews – Not U.S. Official View”) March 14, 2006,
ries&Area=turkey&ID=SP111406.
[3] After the Hamas delegation’s February 2006 visit to Ankara,
Iraqi Prime Minister Designate Ja’fari came to the Turkish capital
at the invitation of the AKP government. It was announced at that
time that the Turkish government had also extended an invitation to
Shiite leader Muqtada Al-Sadr, who is expected to come in a few months.
[4] Turkish Daily News, April 10, 2006: “[…] the U.S. Ambassador
to Turkey Ross Wilson said the visit was ‘disappointing’ and
stressed that some members of Congress asked where Turkey is
heading. ‘They were expressing concern, and even beyond concern, their
anger.’ They said, ‘We cannot accept that a country like Turkey,
which suffered much from terrorism, let this happen’ Wilson was
quoted as saying during a meeting last week [in Washington].” See:
ies&Area=turkey&ID=SP111406.
[5] The Wall Street Journal, March 18, 2006.
ives&Area=sd&ID=SP114506
–Boundary_(ID_4 zu1DrBbfhDmwFa6xXPbqw)–

“JUGHA CEMETERY”
Open Democracy, UK
April 24 2006
Photographs of the Armenian medieval cemetery at Jugha, the largest and
most precious of its kind, before and after its systematic destruction.
gha_3470.jsp
“It has become one of the most bitterly divisive issues in the
Caucasus – but up until now no one has been able to clear up the
mystery surrounding the fate of the famous medieval Christian cemetery
of Jugha in Azerbaijan.
The cemetery was regarded by Armenians as the biggest and most
precious repository of medieval headstones marked with crosses –
the Armenians call them “khachkars” – of which more than 2,000 were
still there in the late Eighties. Each elaborately carved tombstone
was a masterpiece of carving.
Armenians have said that the cemetery has been razed, comparing its
destruction to the demolition of two giant Buddha figures by the
Taliban in Afghanistan. Azerbaijan has hit back by accusing Armenia
of scaremongering, and of destroying Azerbaijani monuments on its
own territory.
Now an IWPR contributor has become the first journalist to visit
the site of the cemetery on Azerbaijan’s border with Iran – and has
confirmed that the graveyard has completely vanished…”
See
pc_state=henpcrs&s=o&o=caucasus_jugha.html
and
,,135 09-2144112,00.html .