STERN WARNING FROM THE TOP
New Anatolian, Turkey
April 13 2006
Breaking sharply from his usual reticence, President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer yesterday issued a very severe warning against both Islamist
fundamentalism and separatism, both of which he warned are escalating
in Turkey.
Speaking at a conference at the Turkish Military Academy, the
president, criticized by both the media and Parliament for being
silent in the face of raging controversies, issued thinly veiled
criticism at various political groups ranging from the ruling Justice
and Development (AK) Party to the Kurdish-dominated Democratic Society
Party (DTP).
His harshest criticism was reserved for the divisive Semdinli case,
which he said the justice system had wrecked because of reckless
statements, as well as stressing that the army has become subject to
an unfair controversy.
“Attempts to defame our glorious army are irreconcilable with
rationality and patriotism. The protection of the army’s prestige is
one of the major duties of the government,” he said.
On secularism, Sezer said that it was “impermissible” that religion
would go beyond private life and individual space to become part of
the community life. “Certain limitations can be imposed to prevent
the abuse of religion and in order to protect the public life, trust
and interests of the public.”
Also implicitly criticizing the DTP, Sezer said that “certain people
who came to power through democratic means” had adopted wording that
sounded too close to the rhetoric of the terrorist group Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) . “This stands in direct conflict with the
position they hold and the essence of the system that brought them
there.”
Sezer said, on foreign policy, that nobody should expect Turkey to
accept unfair demands on issues of national interest, such as the
Armenian question and the Cyprus issue.
“We deeply regret that the Greek Cypriot side, which has created
obstacles at every step of the way to a Cyprus solution, is almost
rewarded by the European Union,” he said.
But he sounded more reconciliatory on the United States, saying that
the failure to see eye-to-eye on certain issues was not something
that would affect the overall sense of alliance. “It is our sincere
hope that the issues will be overcome,” he said, in reference to Iraq.

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NK TO HOLD LARGE MEETING AT PACE SUMMER SESSION
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 13 2006
During the meeting of heads of Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations
to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) with the head
of PACE Subcommittee on Nagorno Garabagh Lord Rassel Johnston, it
was agreed to hold a large meeting at the summer session. The head
of the Azerbaijani delegation Samad Seyidov told the correspondent
of the Europe bureau of APA at the session.
Seyidov said that it was also decided to discuss the Nagorno Garabagh
conflict at the joint meeting of delegations of both countries to
PACE at the next session.

PUSHING TURKEY TO THE EAST
Zeynep Gurcanli
New Anatolian, Turkey
April 13 2006
The location of Turkey at the crossroads of Europe and Asia has had
a huge effect on the political issues and direction of the country.
Depending on how international winds are blowing, Ankara is driven
sometimes to the West, and sometimes to the East.
Two years ago, due to the critical decision of the European Union
about whether or not to start membership negotiations with Turkey,
Ankara’s main overarching issue was how to harmonize the country with
the West. But when the talks were granted and Turkey felt secure over
the continuation of its relations with the EU, the Turkish public
immediately shifted its attention to other issues, like the future
of Iraq or a possible American attack against Iran or Syria. During
the latest get-together of Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul with
the Turkish press last week, the main focus of the journalists was a
concrete example of this trend: None of the reporters present used
the opportunity of an open floor to ask questions about relations
between the EU and Turkey. The only EU question came at the very end
of the meeting, as the last issue of interest to ask the country’s
top diplomat, after covering all the other foreign policy and domestic
issues like the future relations of Ankara with Teheran, the rise in
the terrorist activities of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the
possible effects on Turkey of the failure to establish a government
in Iraq, etc.
The statements and activities of Cabinet members of the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP) also helped this shift of
attention. Despite his busy schedule full of visits to European
countries during the early years of his premiership, Recep Tayyip
Erdogan seems to have changed his focus to the Eastern hemisphere,
mostly the Muslim part of the globe. When you look at the recent
foreign contact “balance sheet” of the Turkish prime minister, you
can’t help but notice the predominance of meetings with Muslim leaders,
both at home and abroad.
But this fact of lost public interest in EU relations can’t be
explained only by the Turkish government’s policies. The Europeans
also had a big effect in the change of focus of the Turkish people
with their attitudes.
Both Turkish and European politicians “sold” EU membership to the
Turkish public by saying that Turkey is a “civilized society.” All
the legal reforms carried through on the way to this were strictly
related to this aim. And the Turkish public accepted this painful
transformation to attain the goal already put by the founder of
modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, to reach the level of modern
civilization.
But while trying to transform themselves for the sake of EU membership,
the signals coming from the West created confusion in the minds of
the Turkish people. The main condition for being included at the
“European Club” was the democratization of the existing regime,
especially the legal system of the country.
But while Turkey shortened its custody period for suspects, Great
Britain changed its law to extend it after last summer’s terror
attacks against the London subway.
One of the main conditions of starting accession talks with the EU
was changing the Turkish Anti-Terror Law. But steps taken by the
Turkish government to democratize its anti-terror law coincided with
the resurgence of terrorist activities of the PKK. The terrorists,
openly getting directives from a TV channel, Roj-TV, broadcasting from
Denmark, an EU country, extended their sphere of activities from the
mountains and rural areas to the boulevards of big cities like Mersin
or Istanbul.
To fulfill another EU condition, Turkey opened the way for television
broadcasts in languages other than Turkish, namely in Kurdish. While
Ankara took this painful step, an interesting debate began in the
Netherlands about banning the use of foreign languages in the public
sphere – and one of the main foreign languages used in the Netherlands
is Turkish, due to the huge Turkish minority at this country.
To please the Europeans on the freedom of expression issue, Turkey
used every legal trick to free famous Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk from
charges about his words on the so-called Armenian genocide. But while
the Justice Ministry bent over backwards to get the suit dropped,
some European countries, like France, attempted to try an offense
against the Turkish consul general in Paris due to texts posted on
the official website of the Turkish Consulate General denying the
genocide accusations of the Armenians against the Ottoman Empire.
All the signals coming from the public clearly show that Turkey is
sliding towards the East. To change this tendency, the Europeans
should help their Turkish friends to take necessary steps to revive
membership enthusiasm within the Turkish public.

POSSIBLE US STRIKE ON IRAN MAY TOP ALIYEV-BUSH TALKS
AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
April 13 2006
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is expected to meet US counterpart
George Bush in Washington on April 28 for talks many say will
focus on the possible US campaign against Iran and the settlement
of a long-standing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh. This will be Aliyev’s first official visit to the United
States since he became president in 2003.
The details of President Aliyev’s visit were discussed during
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov’s meeting with Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice in the United States on Friday. Rice said that
during the visit, the two countries would continue the dialogue on
expanding strategic ties. Some Azeri experts say Washington is likely
to focus on efforts to draw Azerbaijan into an international coalition
against Iran over what the West describes as this country’s ambition
to develop a nuclear weapon.
The head of the President’s Office international relations
department, Novruz Mammadov, said that during meetings with the Bush
administration, the parties will discuss democratic development,
cooperation in the South Caucasus, energy and security issues and
combat against terrorism. Commenting on the statements by some
experts that the US-Iranian tensions will be tabled in Washington,
Mammadov said most political analysts tend to make certain allegations
without bothering to substantiate them. He said the repeal of Section
907 to the Freedom Support Act, which bans US government’s direct
assistance to Azerbaijani government, will be one of the priority
issues during President Aliyev’s meetings. Mammadov described the
document as being unfair. “This sanction should not be applied
against Azerbaijan. On the other hand, whether or not it will be
upheld is not a concern for us. We may not need assistance any more,”
Mammadov told Lider TV channel. The official said the legislative
process in the US is so complex that its government is apparently
unable to lift the section. “But the Azerbaijani president’s visit
may facilitate the process of repealing it,” he added. The head of
the President’s Office socio-political department, Ali Hasanov, has
brushed aside the allegations that the US-Iranian tension would be
discussed during the visit. “I don’t believe Iran will be the main
topic of the talks between the two countries. Our ties with Iran are
just as good as those with the United States. Iran is a neighboring
country and we share a common culture. Our citizens have close ties
with this country.” Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov dismissed
reports suggesting that Azerbaijan plans to be part of an international
coalition against Iran. “The reports are untrue.
Moreover, how can this happen in the absence of such a coalition?”
Azimov added that the country is not interested in joining such
a group even if it is formed in the future. The official did not
rule out that US-Iranian relations would be free of third-party
involvement. Online edition Day.az approached well-known politicians
and pundits to examine reasons for President Aliyev’s visit to the
U.S. and the feedback of the Azeri opposition which maintains that
the visit has not taken place so far due to alleged problems over
the Azeri leader’s legitimacy. Deputy chairman of an opposition
Democratic Party, Sardar Jalaloghlu, said the invitation to the head
of state to pay an official visit to the U.S. is explained by the
US-Iranian stand-off and the attempts by the Bush administration to
lure Azerbaijan into an international anti-Iranian coalition. “As for
the opposition’s reaction, the United States has already stated its
feedback on the 205 Azeri parliamentary election in a State Department
report. Besides, we understand that the problem with Iran is currently
much more important for the USA than democratization in Azerbaijan,”
said Jalaloghlu. MP Anar Mammadkhanov said the president’s visit to
the U.S. will undoubtedly be one of the most significant events in
the country’s socio-political life. “The visit has been expected for
a long time, especially considering the very high level of US-Azeri
ties,” he said. Mammadkhanov went on to say that a special emphasis
would be laid on the settlement of the Garabagh conflict during the
visit. “We recall that in late last year many analysts were predicting
that 2006 would be a watershed in the conflict resolution. I hope
that the outcome of the president’s visit to the U.S. will show how
realistic those projections were. As for the opposition’s reaction
to this, I have said on many occasions and can repeat now that there
is no opposition in Azerbaijan. I am not being sarcastic and am just
stating the facts. They are just a group of people that call themselves
opposition. What they will say about President Ilham Aliyev’s visit is
of no interest to the Azeri public or even their closest cohorts.” A
well-known political analyst Ilgar Mammadov said that after the
opposition’s failure in last year’s elections, the U.S. no longer
has any reason to postpone the Azeri leader’s visit. Moreover, the
US-Azeri relations are currently on a very high level, he said. “As
for the opposition’s feedback, its most intelligent representatives
will simply keep silent. But there will be others that will lambaste
the United States over this, which will be another ridiculous action
by the opposition and an attempt to pin the solution of their own
problems on others. Besides, it is not ruled out that during the visit,
the U.S. will suggest to President Aliyev that the authorities soften
their stance toward the opposition, which we will probably witness
upon his return from the United States,” Mammadov added.

PARLIAMENTARY DISCUSSIONS AROUND MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE PROGRAM TO BE DISCUSSED
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
April 13 2006
On April 12, RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan received the delegation
headed by Congressman Jim Kolbe, U.S. Chairman of the Appropriations
Foreign Operations Subcommittee and Ambassador John Danilovich, Chief
Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. John Evans,
Ambassador of U.S. to Armenia attended the meeting.
During the meeting issues concerning the implementation of the
Millennium Challenge Compact Armenia program were discussed. The 235
million dollars Millennium Challenge Compact program, which is focused
on the economic development and reduction of rural poverty, designs to
rehabilitate up to 943 km of rural roads, irrigation infrastructure
schemes, provide technical and rural credit assistance. The NA
President Artur Baghdasaryan highlighted the Millennium Challenge
Compact Armenia program from three main viewpoints: the development of
the marzes of Armenia – reduction of the disproportionate development
of the capital and marzes, deepening of democracy and the input of the
public monitoring mechanisms by the civil society. As the NA President
assessed, the program will greatly assist to the development of the
marzes, reduction of rural poverty.
During the meeting the Millennium Challenge Compact Armenia program
was also highlighted within the framework of 2007 and 2008 pan-national
elections as assistance to the development of democracy.
Conveying his thanks to the U.S. Government for the continuous
assistance to Armenia, the NA President highlighted the importance
of external assistance for the democratic processes in the country,
noting that “the economic development and deepening of democracy in
Armenia should proceed side by side.”
Mr. Danilovich and Congressman Jim Kolbe, touching upon the democratic
reforms and economic development of Armenia, noted the necessity
of political will, providing political freedoms, priority of laws
and publicity of the program implementation, holding the coming
pan-national elections in accordance with international standards
for deepening those reforms. In meeting those terms the program
will fully work. The Ambassador Danilovich emphasized once again
the resolve of the U.S. higher ranking political leaders and the
Millennium Challenge Corporation to be led with the main standards,
by which is conditioned the assistance to Armenia within the program.
The Ambassador Danilovich and Congressman Danilovich highlighted
the high awareness of the deputies of the National Assembly and their
participation in the monitoring of the implementation on the Millennium
Challenge Compact Armenia program. An agreement was reached to organize
parliamentary hearings in the National Assembly with participation
of Government members, NGOs, the Millennium Challenge Corporation,
U.S. Embassy and other parties concerned, during which a detailed
program will be introduced, the problems of public monitoring and
efficiency of program implementation will be discussed.
RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan asked to convey his greetings
to Mr. Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. Congress, and as there were
congressmen in the delegation, the NA President also touched upon the
problem of close relations and strengthening of the dialog between the
U.S. Congress and RA National Assembly, highlighting the involvement
of RA NA in the programs implementing upon the initiative of the
U.S. Congress Democracy Assistance Committee. Congressman Jim Kolbe,
U.S. Chairman of the Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee
promised to assist in that issue.
During the meeting other issues were also discussed.

KANALTURK TO AIR ARMENIAN FILM
Hurriyet, Turkey
April 13 2006
A private television station in Turkey, Kanalturk, will broadcast a
movie on the massacre of Armenians during World War I this week. The
subject is a controversial one with nationalists feelings running
high on the issue. Kanalturk has decided to show “Ararat” by Canadian
director Atom Egoyan, an ethnic Armenian, following a survey of
viewers which revealed that 72% of the participants wanted to see
the film.”We will show the movie with no cuts or censoring,”said a
spokesman on the issue.
The film’s showing, at prime time on Thursday, will be followed by
a roundtable discussion by Turkish and Armenian intellectuals and
historians on the killings during the last years of the Ottoman Empire,
the predecessor of Turkey.
Even though the Turkish government gave the go-ahead for the showing of
the film, which was released in 2002, an Istanbul company was forced in
2004 to drop plans to screen the movie because of potential protests
that would have required police presence in theatres. Turks have only
recently begun to discuss the Armenian massacres between 1915 and 1917,
one of the most controversial episodes in Turkish history.
Egoyan’s film deals with the estranged members of a contemporary
Armenian family, who are faced with both Turkey’s denial of genocide
and their own individual plight.

PACE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON NK TO HOLD A MEETING IN LARGE DURING SUMMER SESSION – MP SEYIDOV
Author: R.Abdullayev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 13 2006
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Ad Hoc
Committee on Nagorno-Karabakh will hold a meeting in large during
the summer session. MP Samad Seyidov, the head of the Azerbaijani
parliamentary delegation to the PACE, told a correspondent of Trend in
Strasbourg. He was commenting on the results of a meeting of the heads
of delegations of Azerbaijan and Armenia with Lord Russel Johnson,
the chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on 12 April.
It was also resolved to arrange a meeting of the representatives of
Armenia and Azerbaijan for discussion of the Karabakh conflict in
the course of the PACE session.

TURKEY SET FOR 9TH EU REFORM PACKAGE
New Anatolian, Turkey
April 13 2006
The Turkish government on Wednesday rejected criticism that it’s
lost enthusiasm for European Union membership, announcing a new
reform package which will further restrict the power of the military,
expand the rights of non-Muslim minorities and increase transparency
in public administrations.
The ninth EU reform package aims to increase the transparency of
political party funding, set up a parliamentary political ethics
committee, restructure the Human Rights Presidency to be a stronger
and independent unit, step up the fight against corruption, introduce
an ombudsman system to settle differences between individuals and the
state and amend the Settlement Law to end discriminatory laws against
migrant populations, including the Roma. The package includes the
ratification of the optional protocols to the International Covenant of
Civil and Political Rights and Protocol 12 of the European Convention
of Human Rights on the general prohibition of discrimination by public
authorities. The ratification of the revised European Social Charter
is also included in the package.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday
that Turkey is dedicated to pursuing reforms that are critical to its
goal of becoming a member of the EU. “Some say reforms have stopped,”
Gul told a televised news conference. “This isn’t true. We’re very
determined to go ahead with reforms,” he stressed.
Gul’s remarks, which included assurances that the government will
soon speed up the approval process of several necessary measures,
appeared to be an attempt at countering EU criticism that the pace of
reform in Turkey has slowed since the 25-member bloc opened membership
talks with Ankara in October.
The Turkish foreign minister said Parliament will soon pass bills that
will give civilian officials greater authority to inspect military
spending and others to increase accountability, transparency and
ethical rules for the administration of public institutions.
A bill aimed to “bring to a very minimum” instances in which civilians
can be tried by military courts will also be passed, Gul added.
“We’re very determined to take this reform process further,” said
Gul. “There’s no end to the improvements that will be made … Turkey’s
direction is greater democratization.”
In January, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said he was
“seriously concerned” about the pace of reforms in Turkey, and urged
Ankara to address the issue quickly to strengthen its membership bid.
Rehn said that he expected Ankara to tackle those points “without
delay so that toward the end of 2006 we’ll be able to give a more
positive assessment than we could give at the end of 2005” on Turkey’s
progress toward meeting EU membership criteria.
No change to Article 301 for the time being
Gul gave no indication that his government would change several key
measures that EU officials have called on Turkey to amend.
A particular area of concern is the revised Turkish Penal Code’s
(TCK) Article 301, under which some prominent intellectuals have
been put on trial for criticizing state institutions or “denigrating
the Turkish national identity.” The new reform package foresees no
further amendments to the penal code. Turkey’s best-known novelist,
Orhan Pamuk, was prosecuted under this law until the charges were
dropped earlier this year.
Gul said there will be fewer such prosecutions. He said that this
won’t come about through a change of legislation, but rather because
of an acknowledgement by judges and prosecutors that criticism of
state institutions doesn’t amount to insulting them.
“We need a change of mentality,” Gul said. “This process will take
time.”
EU officials have repeatedly called on Turkey to reopen the religious
seminary that used to train the Greek Orthodox minority’s religious
leaders and to restore property to minority Christian groups that
was seized by the state because of a decline in the size of their
congregations.
Gul said reforms will address problems faced by minority religious
groups, such as the Greeks and Armenians, and will provide their
associations with more rights. The related bill, however, doesn’t
foresee the return of, or compensation for, property owned by
non-Muslims that was confiscated by the state and sold to third
parties. Diplomats have said this matter can be addressed sometime
in the future under a different framework.
Gul didn’t mention of the reopening of Halki religious seminary,
but he promised that the government will keep up the reform process.
“Turkey’s direction is more democracy and improvement of individual
rights and freedoms,” Gul said, “These will further strengthen Turkey.”

PACE MONITORING GROUP’S VISIT SCHEDULED FOR MAY-JUNE – RAFAEL HUSEYNOV
Author: R. Abdullayev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 13 2006
Visit of the PACE reporter, Edward O’Hara to the South Caucasus is
scheduled for May-beginning of June 2006, the Azerbaijani PACE group
member, Rafael Huseynov told Trend.
“Preservation of the South Caucasus cultural monuments is one of CE
priorities. This particular organization has many times rejected the
Armenian initiatives to destroy the so-called ‘hichkars’,” Huseynov
said ,adding that due to the work of the Azerbaijani delegates CE
has received
several documents about the condition of the Azerbaijani cultural
monuments on the Armenian territories.
The above mentioned monitoring will start in the Armenian territories,
then it will move to Georgia, and to the occupied Azerbaijani lands
and other parts of Azerbaijan.
The exact date of the visit is now being discussed with the PACE
reporter. “According to the decision of PACE commission on science,
education and culture the monitoring will first take place in the
occupied lands, “Huseynov concluded.

ARMENIAN LIBRARY SHOWS PHOTOS OF IRAN, FRANCE
Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
April 13 2006
The Armenian Library and Museum of America, 65 Main St., Watertown,
will present “Illumination in Two Movements” by Naveed Nour. Naveed,
an international photographer of Persian heritage, presents two beats,
France and Iran, in a simple harmony.
To preview a sampling of the exhibit, visit “Trois Jours” and “History
Recalls” galleries at
The exhibit runs from April 2 to May 4. Gallery Hours: Thursday 6-9
p.m., Friday and Sunday 1-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Gallery discussions will be held Sunday, April 23, 2-3 p.m., and
Thursday April 27, 7-8 p.m.
For more information call 617-926-2562 or visit