TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP DEPENDS ON THE KURDS
by Harry Sterling, Citizen Special
Ottawa Citizen, Canada
April 10, 2006 Monday
Final Edition
‘The security forces will intervene against the pawns of terrorism,
no matter if they are children or women.”
With these chilling words Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
warned Kurdish families that women and children could be killed by
security forces if they continued to participate in anti-government
demonstrations in Turkey’s violence-wracked southeast region, homeland
to the nation’s large Kurdish minority.
Mr. Erdogan’s warning came following several days of clashes between
Kurds and riot police in various locations in the region. In the town
of Kiziltepe, thousands of Kurds took to the streets, hurling rocks
and Molotov cocktails at police. The local headquarters of Mr.
Erdogan’s Islamic-based Justice and Development Party, AK, were
set ablaze.
Three children died among eight killed during clashes with riot police
in the capital city of Diyarbakir. Three died elsewhere.
Mr. Erdogan claimed terrorists were deliberately using children to
gain sympathy. Kurdish representatives insisted the children were
innocent bystanders. The government praised security forces for their
“restraint” during the violence.
The anti-government riots erupted after recent funerals for 14 alleged
Kurdish insurgents from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, PKK, killed by
the Turkish military. A funeral rally in Diyarbakir, numbering 10,000,
erupted into a riot, with Kurds calling for “revenge.” Some mourners
waved flags of the banned PKK.
Local Kurdish leaders said the unrest was the worst in more than a
decade and denounced the government for its “policy of violence.”
They said the wide support for the demonstrations was symptomatic
of anger over the second-class treatment accorded Kurds, many
without jobs for years, others living in cramped temporary shelters,
thousands forced to flee their homes during fighting between the PKK
and military.
The European Union — which Turkey wants to join — has expressed
growing concern over the upsurge in violence. It has urged the
government to improve the cultural and linguistic rights of the
Kurdish community, a process that the Erdogan government had already
begun since coming to power three years ago.
However, some within the EU question the true commitment of Turkey
to continue reforms giving Kurds and other minorities greater human
rights. In their view, the dismantling of various restrictions on
minority rights has more to do with improving Turkey’s acceptability
to become a member of the EU than with any true desire to improve
the rights and conditions of Kurds — or other small minorities,
like the Armenians and Greeks.
Although the Erdogan government has now allowed the Kurdish language
to be used in the media, and in schools under certain circumstances,
critics say such apparent steps forward are essentially window dressing
to appease the EU. The violence of recent days will only reinforce
this viewpoint.
Unfortunately for Turkey, the issue of growing anti-foreigner,
anti-Muslim sentiment within European nations could further undercut
its EU prospects.
The populations of many countries, particularly France, Germany,
Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands, increasingly see Muslim Turkey’s
membership as threatening their countries’ traditional cultures
and values.
Former French president Valery Giscard d’Estaing bluntly opposes Turkey
joining, saying its membership could destroy the future integration
of EU countries. Germany’s new chancellor, Angela Merkel, appears
ambivalent about membership, seemingly favouring instead a partnership
of some kind. Britain however, remains in favour.
Although Mr. Erdogan’s relatively moderate and pragmatic policies
had lessened concerns over his party’s pro-Islamic roots — improving
considerably his government’s image, especially vis a vis Greece —
some recent developments cause concern among European and other states.
His government’s hosting of a senior Hamas leader, Khaled Mashal,
and an invitation to the radical Iraqi Shiite cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr,
hasn’t been appreciated by the U.S. or Israel, not to mention Turkey’s
secular-minded military, which is determined to prevent Islamization
of its country.
The widely publicized death threats made by Muslims over the Danish
cartoons and threatened execution of an Afghan Muslim convert to
Christianity, along with the violence in Turkey’s Kurdish region,
have provided further fuel for those questioning the compatibility
of a Muslim nation such as Turkey joining the EU.
However, some see the turmoil in Turkey’s Kurdish region as simply one
aspect of a much broader situation involving the evolution of Turkish
institutions toward authentic democracy and the Turkish government’s
commitment to guarantee fundamental human rights for all its citizens.
Paradoxically, this transformation is taking place when growing
numbers of Turks are questioning the value of joining the EU,
convinced European nations are trying to impose their own western
values on Turkey as the price of admission to the EU’s exclusive club.
The challenge for Mr. Erdogan is to convince his own countrymen and
those of EU states that it is possible to be both a good Muslim and
a defender of democratic principles at the same time.
But the Kurds must be full partners in that transformation if it’s
to truly succeed.
Harry Sterling, a former diplomat, is an Ottawa-based commentator. He
served in Turkey.

GENOCIDE HAUNTS SURVIVORS: TESTIMONIALS MARK 12TH ANNIVERSARY OF RWANDAN TRAGEDY
by Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star
Windsor Star (Ontario, Canada)
April 10, 2006 Monday
Final Edition
Her parents, grandparents, five siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins
were all murdered.
Later, when the extermination squads of the Rwandan genocide came
for her, Grace Mukasekuru — then 13 years old — survived by hiding
beneath the body of a murdered family friend and playing dead.
“I’ve seen so much that no one should ever have to see, at any age,”
said Mukasekuru, 25. “I’ve seen people get killed, I was lined up
waiting for my turn to get killed.”
Mukasekuru was an organizer on the weekend of a three-day memorial
commemorating the 12th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
For 100 days following the murder of ethnic Hutu president Juvenal
Habyarimana, extremist Hutu authorities organized the slaughter of
about 900,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Events this weekend included a gathering Saturday at the University
of Windsor, with testimonies from survivors of the Rwandan genocide,
the Jewish holocaust and atrocities in Armenia, Cambodia and Sudan.
Sunday, there was a prayer service at Assumption Church.
Organizer Hiram Gahima, 42, who lost his family to the genocide,
said holding remembrance ceremonies brings awareness, which can help
to end such atrocities.
“Genocide is a tragedy, it’s an evil we need to fight against and
never allow to happen again,” said Gahima, an engineer in Windsor.
“It happened all over the world. It’s still happening. We need to
stand up as a community, as one people, and fight this evil.”
The evil is etched in Mukasekuru’s brain. When she left Rwanda 11
years ago, bodies literally filled the streets.
“It was before they started burying people,” she said.
When the genocide began, her father and brother fled because the
Hutus were only killing the men. The restraint didn’t last long.
“They started killing everybody, the mothers, the kids,” said
Mukasekuru, who still has two siblings with her in Windsor. “That’s
when I lost my mom.”
It was a pitch black night when killers came to the house in which
she and others were hiding. The men said they would let their victims
live if they handed over their valuables. It was a lie.
“They started killing and killing,” Mukasekuru said.
“Everything became chaotic.”
In the chaos, she fell to the ground from a blow to the head. Lying
there, she watched the murder of a man who worked for her family.
“He fell on top of me, so I pretended to be dead,” Mukasekuru said.
“That’s how I survived — that’s how I survived that night. The rest
of the story is just a long story.”
She said it’s a tale that will never finish for her.
“The genocide ended 12 years ago,” she said. “But it doesn’t end
for me. Every day is a scar. Every day it is something I have to
deal with.”

US ENVOY PREDICTS AZERI-ARMENIAN ACCORD IN 2006
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
posted on April 10 2006
Baku, April 7, AssA-Irada
The US ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish has said an agreement
may be signed in 2006 to settle the long-standing Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh. He reiterated that the United
States is doing everything in its power to achieve a solution.
Harnish said this year is suitable to reach peace for two reasons.
“We have carried out the needed talks both with the two countries’
presidents and foreign ministers and the co-chairs, and worked hard
to achieve sustainable and fair peace. On the other hand, 2006 is
essential to strike such an accord since no political developments
will take place this year,” the ambassador said.
The diplomat stressed that the co-chairs of the mediating OSCE Minsk
Group have paid frequent visits to the region of late.

GAZPROM KEEPS ESTABLISHING CONTROL OVER SUPPLIES OF FOREIGN GAS TO EUROPE
Source: Vedomosti, April 07, 2006; Vremya Novostey, April 07, 2006
Agency WPS
The Russian Oil and Gas Report (Russia)
April 10, 2006 Monday
On April 6, Gazprom reached an agreement with Armenia on supplies of
gas to it until 2009 at a price of $110 per 1,000 cubic meters. In
exchange Armenia will yield the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline via which
gas is delivered to Europe to Gazprom.
Armenia does not have gas production of its own. In 2005, Gazprom,
the only gas supplier to this country, sold 1.7 billion cubic meters of
gas to Armenia. On Armenian market gas is distributed by ArmRosgazprom
established in December of 1997. In this company 45% stakes belong
to Gazprom and Energy Ministry of Armenia and 10% belong to ITERA.
On April 6, Gazprom signed an agreement with the government of Armenia
for 25 years. This agreement outlined principles for cooperation in the
territory of Armenia. The document stipulates that until January 1 of
2009 Armenia will buy gas at $110 per 1,000 cubic meters (until April,
Gazprom sold gas to the republic at $54 per 1,000 cubic meters). For
stability Armenia will pay Gazprom generously. ArmRosgazprom will
buy from the government of Armenia the 40-kilometer extension of
the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline being under construction and will
accomplish it and will also be the customer of construction of the
second 197-kilometer extension of the pipeline.
As a result of an additional issue of shares the stake of Gazprom
in ArmRosgazprom will grow from 45% to 75%. A spokesperson for the
Ministry of Energy of Armenia says that the agreement does not mention
the gas pipeline. A source close to Gazprom says that the agreement
about this is achieved but is not signed yet.
Armen Movsisyan, Energy Minister of Armenia, says that Gazprom will
also buy out the fifth energy generating unit of the Razdanskaya heat
and power station from the republic (four units are managed by RAO
EES Rossii) for $248.8 million and will invest $140 million more in
its accomplishment. Until April 14, Gazprom plans to sign preliminary
agreements of sale-purchase and until January 1 of 2007 it is going
to acquire the promised objects.
Analyst Valery Nesterov of Troika Dialog remarks that obtaining the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline Gazprom will control supplies of Iranian
gas, reserves of which are estimated at 28 trillion cubic meters, to
Europe. Now Iran exports gas to Turkey but potentially it may become
a serious competitor for Russian gas in Europe. One of the possible
routes for transportation of Iranian gas to Europe passes through
Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine. Nesterov says, “Any participation
of Gazprom in these projects will enable the company at least to
influence the transportation costs and the end price of gas.”
A manager of Gazprom presumes that Armenia may become a transit point
for Iranian gas to prevent its flow to Europe via Turkey. According to
the manager, it is possible to transport this gas to Europe through the
territory of Russia via the unified gas supply system of Gazprom. The
source concludes, “This will also allow reduction of our dependence
on Turkmen gas that Turkmenistan promises to sell to China.”
Gazprom is going to raise the price of gas for other CIS countries
too. Alexander Ryazanov, Deputy CEO of Gazprom, said earlier that
Azerbaijan and Georgia would have to buy gas at $110 instead of the
current $54 and $89 per 1,000 cubic meters respectively. For Belarus
for which Russian gas is the cheapest of all among the neighbors of
Russia now Gazprom promises to triple the price that now amounts to
$46.80 per 1,000 cubic meters. In any case, a manager of Gazprom
admits that the price for Belarus may be even lower if Belarusian
authorities keep their promise and give a 50% stake in the pipeline
company Beltransgaz to Gazprom. The source concludes, “The example
of Armenia proves that a compromise is possible.”

THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MAKES WORLD TELEVISION PREMIERE ON TVO’S HUMAN EDGE
Canada NewsWire
April 10, 2006 Monday 8:00 AM Eastern Time
TORONTO April 10
On Wednesday April 12 at 10 pm, TVO’s acclaimed Human Edge will present
the world premiere of The Armenian Genocide. Written, produced,
and directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Goldberg, this
fascinating point-of-view documentary explores what many believe to be
the first genocide of the 20th century. Between 1915 and 1923 over a
million Armenians perished under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. In the
hour-long film, Goldberg speaks with Armenian, Turkish, and American
scholars and historians to shed light on the historical events that
precipitated the genocide, and why the Turkish government of today
continues to deny such events ever occurred. The film also features
Kurdish and Turkish citizens in present-day Turkey who openly share
stories told to them by their parents and grandparents.
To facilitate further understanding of this hotly-debated subject,
the documentary will be preceded at 8 pm on the night of broadcast by a
panel discussion on TVO’s Studio 2. The current affairs show’s regular
international affairs panel of Janice Stein, director of the Munk
Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto; Globe and Mail
editor, Patrick Martin; and Toronto Star columnist Richard Gwyn will
help to place the Armenian genocide into context. Viewers will also be
able to follow the Studio 2 discussion online at
As of April 7, viewers will also be able to register in our online
discussion board at to express their views,
as well as access links to other relevant websites.
Now in its 17th successful season, Human Edge is TVO’s acclaimed
series of challenging, provocative, point-of-view documentaries from
around the world. Hosted by award-winning writer and broadcaster Ian
Brown, Human Edge provides viewers with windows into complex or touchy
subjects that make up the human experience to expand their horizons
and foster healthy debate. Executive producer is Rudy Buttignol.

PALMARèS DU 12 E CONCOURS INTERNATIONAL YEHUDI MENUHIN
Le Figaro
10 avril 2006
Distinctions
Le 12 e Concours international de violon Yehudi Menuhin, dont le
createur aurait eu 90 ans cette annee, s’est acheve, ce week-end,
a Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais), avec la victoire de nombre
de violonistes asiatiques et la participation de 43 candidats de
quinze pays.
Dans la categorie seniors (21 candidats de 16 a 22 ans), le premier
prix (7 000 euros) a couronne l’Armenien Hrachya Avanesyan, 19 ans
; le deuxième (4 500 euros) l’Americain Robin Scott, 19 ans ; le
troisième (2 500 euros) la Chinoise Shuai Shi, 16 ans ; le quatrième
(1 500 euros) la Coreenne Sulki Yu, 21 ans.
Dans la categorie junior (22 de moins de 16 ans), le premier prix est
alle a Sunao Goko (Japon) ; le deuxième a Fumiaki Miura (Japon) ; le
troisième a Yu-Chien Tseng (Taïwan) ; le quatrième a Robyn Bollinger
(Etats-Unis) ; le cinquième a Stella Chen (Chine) et le sixième a
Sirena Huang (Etats-Unis).
Fidèle a l’esprit de partage de Yehudi Menuhin, la competition va
au-dela d’un simple concours. Chaque candidat etait encourage a
rester pendant toute la duree des epreuves afin de profiter au mieux
d’activites parallèles, de stages et de concerts donnes notamment
par les membres du jury.
Le Concours a ete cree en 1983 par Yehudi Menuhin lui-meme et il
s’est d’abord deroule a Londres et Folkestone en Grande-Bretagne,
puis s’est transporte en 1998 et 2002 a Boulogne-sur-Mer.
–Boundary_(ID_PG7Vl4xxtflygmI3 S90SVw)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UN SYMBOLE DE L’AMITIE FRANCO-ARMENIENNE
par Charmot Francois
Paris-Normandie , France
10 avril 2006
Vendredi en fin d’après-midi, le depute-maire Jean-Louis Debre et
Edvard Nal Bandian, ambassadeur d’Armenie, ont plante un abricotier
dans le parc Francois-Mitterrand.
Entoures de nombreuses personnalites, parmi lesquelles le prefet et
le depute Jean-Pierre Nicolas, les deux hommes, qui ont aussi devoile
une plaque destinee a commemorer l’evenement, ont, l’un et l’autre,
rappele l’amitie qui unissait nos deux pays et nos deux peuples.
Une amitie qu’il convenait de materialiser de manière durable, en
cette annee de l’Armenie en France.
–Boundary_(ID_AU3NerCcEZQl3xQEyDnyww)–

SYRIAN LEADER HAPPY WITH YEREVAN TIES – ARMENIAN AGENCY
Noyan Tapan news agency, Yerevan
10 Apr 06
Damascus, 10 April: An Armenian delegation led by Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan arrived in Syria on 8 April.
Oskanyan met Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mu’allim to discuss issues
concerning bilateral relations and regional problems. In particular,
the sides focused on bilateral cooperation in international
organizations, the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict,
the situation in Iraq, relations with Turkey and other regional issues.
Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad received Oskanyan. The two discussed
regional problems, a source in the press service of the Armenian
Foreign Ministry said. Oskanyan described the current status of the
peaceful settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and mentioned
Syria’s role in the Middle East. President Asad expressed satisfaction
with the present status of Armenian-Syrian relations and stressed
the necessity of strengthening economic ties.
[Passage omitted: Oskanyan attended luncheon, celebrations of local
Armenian organizations]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PAPER DESCRIBES AS “CRIMINAL” HANDOVER OF PART OF POWER PLANT TO RUSSIA
Aykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
8 Apr 06
The Armenian opposition Aykakan Zhamanak newspaper has described as
“a criminal deal” the handover of the fifth unit of the Razdan power
plant to Russia.
In an article headlined “They have sold a cow at the price of milk”,
the paper said the deal was advantageous for the Russian and Armenian
authorities but not for Armenia.
“This deal lacks an economic component. Talks that in this way
Armenia will step up its energy security are a fairy tale. What kind
of security are they speaking about if almost 90 per cent of Armenia’s
energy producing facilities belong to a foreign state?” the daily said.
The unit will remain an Armenian property. Russia will pay 250m
dollars for it. However, of this sum, Armenia will pay 190m dollars
to the population to compensate for the rise in Russian gas price.
“It becomes evident that this deal is simply an unprecedented one
because of it making no sense,” Aykakan Zhamanak said.
Under an agreement between Iran and Armenia, Iran is to supply gas
to the fifth unit and receive electricity produced by it instead. In
accordance with the agreement, the fifth unit is to produce 3.5bn KWh
electricity annually, which is more than half of electricity produced
by Armenia last year, the newspaper added.

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT TO HOLD TALKS WITH US LEADER ON APRIL 28
EurasiaNet, NY
April 10 2006
In what some American analysts see as a US response to recent Russian
moves that strengthened Moscow’s Caspian Basin energy position, the
White House has announced that US President George W. Bush will hold
talks with Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev on April 28 in Washington.
“Azerbaijan is a key ally in a region of great importance and a
valued partner,” said a White House statement issued April 10. The
statement added that Bush and Aliyev “will discuss a range of issues
including democracy promotion and cooperation in the Caucasus, energy
diversification, and our common commitment to working together to
advance freedom and security.”
Despite the Bush administration’s characterization of Baku as a “key
ally,” US officials had been resisting the idea of a face-to-face
meeting between Bush and Aliyev, in large measure due to the tainted
elections held in Azerbaijan in recent years. [For background see
the Eurasia Insight archive].
US concerns about Azerbaijan’s spotty record on democratization,
however, appeared to diminish significantly following the early April
announcement that Kazakhstan would enhance energy cooperation with
Russia, the main US economic and political rival in Central Asia.
[For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Kazakhstan’s
agreements with Russia heightened concern about Astana’s participation
in the US-backed Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. [For background see
the Eurasia Insight archive]. US officials are also trying to arrange
a summit meeting, or potentially two, between Bush and Kazakhstani
President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Details of the Bush-Aliyev summit were reportedly discussed during an
April 7 meeting between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington.
Earlier the same day Mammadyarov outlined Azerbaijan’s policy goals
and concerns during an appearance at the Heritage Foundation.
Mammadyarov sought to dispel the country’s poor democratization
image. He insisted that democratization, the rule of law and the
protection of human rights are priorities now, in stark contrast to
the Soviet era when Azerbaijan was the subject of the Communist command
economy. However, he cautioned that the transformation would be slow,
citing the country’s lack of experience in democratization.
He also said that improving Azerbaijan’s “human capital,” would be
a gradual process, in part because it is a “generational issue.”
The Asian Development Bank recently projected Azerbaijani GDP
growth to total 30.5 percent in 2006 and over 27 percent next
year. But Mammadyarov acknowledged that relatively high inflation
rates, caused by the massive and rapid rise in oil and gas revenues,
posed a problem. To avoid the advent of so-called Dutch Disease, the
foreign minister said that the Azerbaijani government was promoting
agricultural ventures, particularly cotton and winemaking.
Azerbaijan is also investing heavily in infrastructure improvements.
A top priority, Mammadyarov stated, was the expansion of the country’s
road and rail network. Plans are focusing on a $320-million rail route
that would stretch from Azerbaijan, via Georgia, to Turkey and beyond
to Western Europe.
Mammadyarov additionally indicated that he would strive to call
increasing international attention to Azerbaijan’s position on the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue. [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive]. “We cannot now live with such 20th century phenomena as
forced border and ethnic changes,” he said. At the same time, he
stressed that a durable solution to the Karabakh conflict should be
based on negotiations. In recent weeks, some Azerbaijani officials,
including President Aliyev, have spoken of the possibility of resuming
armed hostilities if a political deal isn’t reached soon.
Editor’s Note: Washington-based writer Alex van Oss contributed
reporting for this article.