TURKEY BROKEN OFF BETWEEN LIBERALS AND CONSERVATORS
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 27 2005
Armenian Genocide conference has revealed contradictions in the
Turkish government.
In spite of all the obstacles a scientific conference devoted to
the Armenian Genocide of early XX century took place in Istanbul on
September 24 – 25.
The conference was conducted against the background of mass protests;
however the conference’s participants wish to understand their own
country’s history. “We cannot allow the discussions to be limited to
mutually contradicting opinions: whether the genocide took place or
not. We should try to realize what happened in 1915”, stated a famous
historian Halil Bektay.
“Turkey’s desire to enter into the European Union requires notable
democratic processes. However, there are certain powers in Turkey,
as well as in any society, that are against democracy”, said a
conference’s organizer Murad Begle. In his words, “some of them are
afraid to lose power and authority”.
According to a lot of politicians, the conference’s conduct is an
unprecedented phenomenon, which can change the situation in Turkey,
as well as influence on Armenian – Turkish relations.
To note, there is some uncertainty both in the relations between
Ankara and Brussels and in the Turkish political field, which is
pregnant with weakening of the position of the powers striving for
Turkey’s amendments and further growth of nationalism. One can affirm
nothing has changed within 40 years, at least Turkey’s attitude towards
Armenia and Armenians. Speaking up for the conduct of the Armenian
Genocide conference Turkish Foreign Minister does not give up the
idea of working out strategy of confrontation to the international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

AZIMOV: “AZERBAIJAN HAS NEVER DEMANDED CHANGE OF OSCE MG MANDATE”
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 27 2005
“The aim of the Vienna meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group Co – Chairs
will be exchange of information on the course of the process and
the current state of the Karabakh settlement,” stated Azeri Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov in the interview with APA agency.
In his words, meetings of the kind are conducted regularly. While
commenting on the issue referring to transferring part of OSCE MG
authorities to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,
Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister said Azerbaijan had never demanded
change of the OSCE MG mandate. “We are not even going to make such
demands. Azeri top officials have repeatedly pointed out the importance
and need for OSCE Minsk Group activities”, stated Azimov.
In his words, the OSCE MG Co-Chairs speak up for launching the
activities within a limited format: “We understand them and welcome
the approach. From the point of view the current stage of the conflict
settlement is in working out preliminary principles and organizing
discussions for coming to a political arrangement on an agreement’s
preparation. The format might be widened at the next stage”, added he.

NO DISCUSSION OF ISSUES DIRECTLY CONCERNING ARMENIA ENVISAGED AT PACE AUTUMN SESSION
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2005
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The plenary sittings of the autumn
session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will
be held in Strasburg on October 3-7. There are no issues directly
concerning the South Caucasian region and particularly Armenia on
the draft agenda.
As Tigran Torosian, the head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE,
the NA Deputy Chairman informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent,
a meeting of heads of delegations of South Caucasian countries:
Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan is scheduled for October 4, on the
initiative of Rene van der Linden, the PACE Chairman. The four-side
meeting is dedicated to democratic developments in the region.
Besides, a separate meeting of parliamentary delegations of Armenia
and Azerbaijan connected with problems of the PACE Ad hoc Committee on
Nagorno Karabakh Issue, isn’t excluded during the session days, either.

OSKANIAN AND RUSHAYLO DISCUSS PROCESS OF CIS REFORMS
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2005
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues concerning the process
of CIS reforms, events to be organized within the framework of CIS
and Armenia’s participation in them were discussed at RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian’s September 28 meeting with Chairman of CIS
Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushaylo who
is in Armenia on a working visit. The executive secretary presented
the current situation in the organization, problems connected with
formation of the budget and the system.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and
Information Department, the interlocutors highly estimated the results
of the CIS Kazan summit, in particular, the interest of the member
states in the further development of CIS.
Attaching importance to humanitarian cooperation within the framework
of CIS, the parties touched upon the future programs in this sphere.

TURKISH PREMIER REFUSED TO JOIN EU RESOLUTION CONSIDERING ARMENIAN KILLINGS AS GENOCIDE
Pravda, Russia
Sept 28 2005
20:29 2005-09-28
Turkey’s prime minister on Wednesday rejected a European Parliament
resolution calling on Ankara to recognize the mass killings of
Armenians around the time of World War I as genocide.
The EU lawmakers said in their resolution that recognition of the
1915-1923 killings as genocide should be a prerequisite for Turkey
to join the European Union.
Armenians say that 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks
around the time of World War I, which Armenians and several nations
around the world recognize as the first genocide of the 20th century.
Turkey denies that the massacres were genocide, saying the death toll
is inflated and Armenians were killed in civil unrest as the Ottoman
Empire collapsed, the AP reports.
Speaking to Turkish reporters in Abu Dhabi, Erdogan also reiterated
his view that the EU has to admit Turkey or risk being branded a
“Christian Club.”
“What will the EU achieve by admitting Turkey? It will become a bridge
between the 1.5-billion strong Muslim world and the EU. It will start
an alliance of civilizations,” he added.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES TALKS WITH TURKEY
Expatica, Netherlands
Sept 28 2005
STRASBOURG – Despite concerns about Cyprus and human rights, the
European Parliament on Wednesday formally approved opening negotiations
with Turkey for membership in the European Union.
In a resolution adopted by 365 votes in favour, 181 against and
125 abstentions, the Parliament officially declared that accession
negotiations between the E.U. and Ankara can start on October 3,
as foreseen.
However, European deputies also approved, by a narrow margin,
a proposal by centre-right wing factions to postpone the vote on
approving the protocol extending Turkey’s customs union with the E.U.
and all its members, including Cyprus.
Although Turkey approved the customs
union with all 25 members, it added an appendix which said that this
did not signify recognition of the Greek-led government of Cyprus.
The appendix, the Parliament declared in the resolution, “cast serious
doubts on (Turkey’s) willingness to fully implement all provisions”
of the customs union protocol.
The European Commission is therefore to assess at the end of 2006 if
Ankara has fully implemented the protocol. If not, it could lead to
a cessation of the negotiations.
Turkey occupied the northern part of Cyprus in 1974 in protest at
a Greek-Cypriot coup on the island and is the only country not to
recognize the Republic of Cyprus. Ankara recognizes the Turkish-
Cypriot north of Cyprus as the island’s only legitimate government.
The European Parliament also voiced its concern about criminal
proceedings against Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, who has been charged
with public denigration of Turkish identity for telling a newspaper,
“Thirty thousand Kurds were killed here, one million Armenians as
well. And almost no one talks about it.”
It also raised questions about an article in the Turkish penal code
that criminalizes “acts against fundamental national interests”.
In the debate before the vote, British Minister for Europe Douglas
Alexander, speaking on behalf of the E.U. presidency, said Turkey
still has a lot to do to reach European standards.
However, he noted that thanks to its desire to join the E.U., Ankara
had already achieved impressive progress.
E.U. Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said that the bloc needs
a stable, democratic and increasingly prosperous Turkey that accepts
European values, which is why it was decided to start accession talks.
“The E.U. expects the full implementation of the additional protocol,
including (the removal of) all obstacles to the free movement of
goods,” Rehn said.
Several deputies called on Ankara not to wait until the end of
accession negotiations – which could last up to 15 years – before
recognizing Cyprus.
Social-democrat faction leader Martin Schulz of Germany’s SPD party
said, “It can not be that a country applies for membership but does
not recognize all member states.
Speaking in favour of Turkey’s accession to the E.U., British
parliamentarian Andrew Duff said, “It is extraordinary that those who
have profited so much from E.U. integration in terms of prosperity,
security and liberal democracy should refuse to extend these prizes
to Turkey.”
Duff also argued that the Cyprus issue could not be resolved if Turkey
is not allowed to join the Union.
However, another British deputy, Roger Helmer, supported the proposal
of conservative German politician and possible future Chancellor
Angela Merkel, who has called for a privileged partnership for Turkey,
rather than full E.U. membership.
The key condition, he said, should be “democratic accountability”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA NA UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTS IN THIRD READING AND COMPLETELY DRAFT CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2005
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. At the September
28 special sitting, the RA National Assembly adopted in the third
reading and completely the draft on making amendments to the RA
Constitution unanimously, with 90 “for” votes. With the same number
of votes, the Parliament made a decision by which the RA President is
proposed to put the above-mentioned draft on the referendum. Members
of the “Ardarutiun” (Justice) and “National Unity” factions, who were
present at the sitting, didn’t participate in the vote. Since the
discussions started, the “Ardarutiun” faction has stated about its not
participating in discussions in all readings of the draft. The previous
day, “National Unity” made a statement, according to which the boycott
of the referendum was conditioned by disproving of their proposals.

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF PUPPET AND CHILDREN’S THEATER TO BE HELD FOR FIRST TIME IN ARMENIA
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2005
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. An International
Festival of Puppet and Children’s Theater will be organized for the
first time in Armenia within the framework of the “Hayfest” third
international festival to be held from September 28 through October
6 in Yerevan. This year 6 Armenian and 3 foreign theaters will
participate in the Puppet Festival, including Novokuznetsk “Skaz”
theater, Czechia’s “Ludem” theater and London Theater of Academy
of Arts.
As Ruben Babayan, Art Director of Hovhannes Tumanian Puppet Theater,
mentioned in his interview to Noyan Tapan’s correspondent, the
organization of the International Festival of Puppet Theater is
an unprecedented fenomenon in Armenia. According to him, the first
Yerevan Puppet Festival will be registered in the information center
of “Yunima” (international organization of puppet theaters) where
all festivals of the kind held in the world are registered.
Ruben Babayan also said that after this festival, in the second half
of October, the All-Armenian Puppet Festival will start in Armenia.

BRUSSELS’ SINCERITY ON TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP
Journal of Turkish Weekly
Sept 28 2005
The European Parliament called Turkey to recognize the Armenian
allegations before the EU talks. The EP lawmakers issued a nonbinding
resolution saying recognition of the killings as genocide should be a
prerequisite for Turkey to join the EU. The MEPs, and parliamentarians
in the national parliaments in the EU spend hours and hours on
the 1915 events. The French Prime Minister, Austrian CUD leader
and many more EU politicians focus on the 1915 Armenian Relocation
Campaign and try to force Turkey to recognize the Armenian ‘genocide’
allegations. If you read the European newspapers, you may think
that the Armenian issue is the most vital problem of the European
peoples. However all the thingshappened during the First World
War before the EU and Turkey. It was Ottoman Empire years, and it
is really difficult to understand the connection between Turkey’s
EU talks and the 1915 Relocation Campaign. One may argue that the
European politicians are very sensitive about the human rights abuses
during the war and conflicts. However the same European politicians
say nothing about the Armenian occupation in Azerbaijan. Almost 20
percent of Azerbaijan has been under Armenian occupation for more
than a decade. About 1 million Azerbaijanis have been refugees, worst
than the Bosnian tragedy. Thousands of Algerians were massacred by
France forces, many were tortured, yet the French politicians refuse
to apologize from Algerian people. Paris is even reluctant to admit
1945 Massacres. French Prime Minister says “let’s leave all these
issues to the historians. This is not our business but historians'”.
However the same French leaders urge Turkey to take political
decisions. Turkey called Armenia to establish a joint committee to
discuss the historical disputes, but Yerevan strongly rejected the
offer. No EU leader did make any pressure on Yerevan to shift the
Armenia’s decision.
Many Turkish Cypriots were massacred in Cyprus during the 1960s
but the European parliamentarians do not ask anything about that to
their Greek Cypriots MEP sitting near them. The EU accepted the Greek
side as the only representative of the island though there are two
societies and two different states on the island. And now they ask
Turkey to recognize the Greek Cyprus as the only Cyprus Government.
They created the problem and they expect Turkey to solve it by
sacrificing Turkish Cypriots.
It is obvious that the European politicians are not sincere enough in
both Armenian and Cyprus issues. There could be two reasons for their
partial attitudes: First they are very sensitive on the Christians’
problems and they simply ignore the Muslims in Europe. As a matter
of fact that there is no significant differences between Greek
and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus but religion. The EU accepted the
Christian Cypriots and kept the Muslims ones outside. Similarly when
the Christian Armenians massacred the Muslims during the First World
War and during the Karabakh War no EU parliamentarian condemned the
Armenians. The Armenian warriors committed a genocide in Khocali,
and the Armenian ASALA terrorists massacred more than 40 Turkish
diplomats during the 1970s and 1980s, and the European parliaments
just focus on the Armenian casualties of almost a century ago.
If the EU politicians are not racist or religiously-discriminative
they should be anti-Turkish. In that case they give no importance to
the Greeks or the Armenians but they simply do not want to see Turkey
inside. If this is the case, the anti-Turkish EU politicians abuses
the Greek and Armenian problems.
If the EU wants to be a superpower, the EU should be based on universal
values. The EU leaders and politicians should at least be honest and
sincere. They should not hide behind the Cyprus and Armenian problems.
Please remember, not the Ottoman Empire but Turkey is the candidate
for the EU, and you are not the MPs of European imperialism but of the
modern European Union. By sabotaging Turkey’s EU talk, the anti-Turkish
groups also undermines the EU’s interests, and ethnic-religious harmony
in the EU countries. More than 15 million Muslim EU citizens and all of
the Muslim world are aware of these dirty plays. You deceive nobody. By
the way the EU’s double standards and politic games to prevent Turkey’s
membership by indirect ways will cheer up Osame Bin Laden. He knows
that he can abuse the differences between civilizations as far as the
EU continues to its existing policies towards the Euro Muslims. There
are 5 Muslim states in the EU and none of them is EU member.

ISSUE OF BUILDING KAPAN-MEGHRI MOTORWAY’S TSAV-SHVANIDZOR SECTION REMAINS OPEN
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2005
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. A number of representatives
of Armenia’s mass media and NGOs paid a visit to Syunik marz on
September 24-26 to conduct a monitoring of the situation at the
Tsav-Shvanidzor section of Kapan-Meghri Motorway. Earlier it was
envisaged that the indicated section of the road would pass through
the Shikahogh Reserve. This would destroy most of Mtnadzor Forest and
cause irreparable damage to nature. However, the community intervened,
which made the Armenian government take a decision on July 10, 2005,
under which the initial project was changed and the road was to bypass
the reserve – through the village of Shishkert.
The monitoring was conducted within the framework of the campaign
against the construction of the motorway through the Shikahigh
Reserve with the support of the World Wildlife Fund and the Critical
Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), with the information NGO Ecolur
being in charge.
According to Ruben Mkrtchian, Director of the Shikahogh Reserve, no
construction work is being done in the territory of the reserve. The
work at the Tsav-Shvanidzor section is underway, even though slowly.
The builders explained it by their bitter experience – sometimes a lot
of effort is made to transport the equipment to an out-of-the-way place
and later they have to move it from the area beacuse of some changes to
the project. The builders said they are waiting for the final project
which has not been submitted for an environmental examination yet.
The residents of the Shishkert village told reporters about the recent
visit of the RA Minister of Transport and Communication Andranik
Manukian. They were concerned since during the visit the minister
expressed doubts about the correctness of the decision to build
the motorway through their village. It also became known that the
designers are preparing yet another version of the road construction,
according to which the road may bypass Shishkert and run through the
edge of the Shikahogh Reserve for several kilometers.
Deputy Head of the Syunik regional administration Robert Sargsian
noted at the meeting with reporters that Shishket plays an important
role in the strategical development of the marz. He was convinced
that the scheme bearing the signatures of the Armenian President and
Prime Minister will not be changed. “We are resolute to protect the
version that is the most convincing one both from the environmental
and financial point of view,” Vladik Martirosian, Chairman of NGO
“Khustup” said.