CIS foreign ministers agree on ratification of adapted conventional arms
treaty

Interfax news agency
22 Jun 05

Moscow, 22 June: The foreign ministers of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization’s member-states on Wednesday [22 June] signed a
statement on the ratification of the agreement on the adaptation of
the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty.

“The Collective Security Treaty Organization’s member-states believe
that the adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty is a
fundamental security guarantee in Europe and are doing everything
possible to ensure the earliest possible implementation of the
political commitment to make active efforts to finalize the national
ratification procedures, which were adopted in Istanbul in 1999,” the
foreign ministers said in a statement circulated today.

“The member-states hope that all signatories to the CFE treaty will
make similar efforts, which would allow the CFE treaty to remain an
important factor of stability and trust in Europe, and encourage other
countries to join it, which is expected to seriously strengthen the
architecture of European security,” the statement says.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization comprises Russia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia.

Azeri official vows to outlaw Jehovah’s Witnesses

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
21 Jun 05

[Presenter] The Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with Religious
Structures has put the blame on the Board of Muslims of the Caucasus
for the illegal religious propaganda of Jehovah’s Witnesses community
in the country. The committee’s chairman, Rafiq Aliyev, says these
negative phenomena is occurring while Islam is not being properly
advertised in the country.

[Correspondent] The official registration of the religious community
of Jehovah’s Witnesses will be annulled. The chairman of the
Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with Religious Structures, Rafiq
Aliyev, has said that the reason behind the decision is that the
community’s leaders involve foreign citizens and underage children in
worshipping and sermons and exert psychological pressure on
them. Refusal to obey the country’s law and do military service in
order not to fight against Armenians are among the ideas they
promote. Aliyev said these offenses would be heard in court.

[Aliyev] I gave relevant instructions to the committee’s registration
department about a week ago. They are preparing materials now. We are
waiting for materials from police department No 34 in [Baku’s] Xatai
district and from the Ganca police department. We will submit these
materials to court probably next week.

[Correspondent] Aliyev said that the state committee had not given
permission for the community’s activities. The community was
registered with the Justice Ministry in 1996 and its papers were
automatically sent to the state committee when the latter was
formed. He said the committee had tried to annul the community’s
registration since the religious community involved underage children,
but these attempts failed due to parents’ intervention.

He said that the Board of Muslims of the Caucasus was to blame for the
fact that religious communities of this kind were widespread in the
country.

[Aliyev] The Board of Muslims of the Caucasus is also to blame for the
fact that religious communities of this kind are widespread in
Azerbaijan and lay down what Azerbaijani society should do. The
relationships within the Board of Muslims of the Caucasus, as well as
between Shi’i and Sunni Muslims and between Shi’is and Wahhabis
[changes tack]. Sometimes they appear on TV to insult one
another. Abnormal relations between religious communities representing
different trends in Islam do not allow [them] to struggle against
other destructive communities. This is the result and one of the
reasons of what we have.

[Correspondent] He stressed that foreign citizens who took part in
sermons of Jehovah’s Witnesses had already been deported from the
country since by law, they cannot be remanded in custody for a long
time, nor can they be brought to book.

[Presenter] The spokesman for the Board of Muslims of the Caucasus,
Haci Akif, has said that there are no problems between Shi’is and
Sunnis in Azerbaijan. Their relationship can serve as an example for
other countries, he said.

As to the illegal activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he said that the
community was registered with the State Committee for Work with
Religious Structures and therefore responsibility rests with the
committee.

Education Minister Misir Mardanov has confirmed that missionaries have
intensified activities in secondary schools. He said that some
teachers were to blame for children’s involvement in sermons and
promised that serious measures would be taken regarding them.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IUSY Istanbul meeting adjourns

22.06.2005 16:47

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – IUSY (International Union of Socialist Youth) Black
Sea Area Cooperation meeting adjourned on June 18 in Istanbul, Turkey,
ARF Youth Office reported.

Black Sea Area IUSY member organizations from Georgia, Russia,
Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Bulgaria, Moldova, Serbia, Sweden
etc. were participating in the meeting. The title of the conference
was “We all are Minorities”.

The Armenian Youth Federation delegation to the meeting consisted of
four members: Karen Mnatsakanyan and Zinavor Meghryan (Armenia),
Talline Tachdjian (France) and Khatchik Mouradian (Lebanon).

On June 18 the delegates were broken into working commissions. The AYF
delegation members participated in the “Self-determination Right and
Minorities” and “Minorities and Wars” commissions. In both
commissions, the AYF delegates raised the Artsakh and Armenian
Genocide issues. The Artsakh issue spurred debates between the
Armenian and Azeri delegates.

At the closing of the conference, the representative of the ARF made a
separate speech. He said in part, ” In your speeches you stressed the
fact that this conference was very well organized and you thanked the
hosts for that. For us, the AYF delegation, the success of this
conference has yet another dimension. Our organization is
participating in an event in Turkey for the first time, 90 years after
the Armenian genocide, which the Turkish government denies and
falsifies to this day.

We spoke freely and openly about the Armenian genocide and they were
good listeners, I would like to thank our hosts for their openness to
discussion. Currently, there is a movement in Turkey that calls for
challenges the state’s view regarding the Armenian genocide. The time
has come for Turkish youth not only to be tolerant when this issue is
raised, but also to join forces withthat movement and help Turkey face
its history. Dialogue has started but the road to reconciliation
starts at the crossroads of truth.”

Following his speech, booklets on the Armenian Genocide and Turkish
denials were distributed to the audience, causing the protests of the
Turkish delegates.

The meeting was officially closed by IUSY General Secretary Enzo
Amendola.

AYF delegates returned to their countries on June 21. The delegates
from Armenia will conduct a news conference On June 23 at 1 p.m., at
the Congress hotel in Yerevan.

Interfax
June 22 2005

Yushchenko dismisses three ambassadors

KYIV. June 22 (Interfax) – Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko
dismissed the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. Mykhailo Reznik,
Yushchenko’s press service reported on Wednesday.

Ukraine’s ambassadors to Armenia and Slovakia, Volodymyr Tyagla and
Serhiy Ustich, have also been dismissed, the press service reported.

Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran
June 22 2005

Armenian archbishop calls for fellow citizens to go to run-off polls

Tehran, June 22, IRNA
Iran-Election-Armenian Community

Archbishop Sibveh Sarkisyan of Tehran on Wednesday called for
Armenian fellow citizens to actively take part in run-off
presidential election more than the first round.

“As Iranian free citizens, we are expected to fulfill our national
obligation in the election to determine our own fate which will help
us take next steps to achieve our rights with self-confidence,” he
said in a statement faxed to IRNA.

“Once again dear Iranians are expected to go to polls to reinforce
pillars of democracy and display public belief in democracy,”
Archbishop Sibveh Sarkisyan said.

He said that members of Armenian community must show national
solidarity with taking part in the election contributing to national
sovereignty and territorial integrity.

PRESS RELEASE
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
Contact: Information Desk
Tel: (374-1) 52-35-31
Email: [email protected]
Web:

Foreign Minister Oskanian Attends Conference on Iraq

Today, Armenia¹s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian participated in
an international conference on Iraq, at the invitation of the US Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice and the Secretary General of the European Union
Javier Solana. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the UN, together with Jean
Asselborn, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg which holds the EU
Presidency, as well as Secretary Rice spoke about building a renewed
international partnership to help Iraq. Representatives of the Iraqi
Transitional Government presented their vision and strategy at the
conference held in Brussels.

More than 80 foreign ministers attended the conference and discussed support
for Iraq¹s political transition process, encouraging its economic recovery
and reconstruction, and helping establish the rule of law and public order
in the country.

At the conference, Minister Oskanian said, ³We commend and appreciate the
simple act of convening this conference. It was important for everyone. It
was significant for those in Iraq who need to know that the world continues
to remain engaged, and it is reinforcing for those involved in the effort to
re-build Iraq.

³The people of Iraq need and deserve the persistent political and economic
involvement of all of us around the world. Even countries like Armenia, with
modest resources, can continue to maintain a small, symbolic presence
there,² he said, referring to the 40 non-combat medical personnel who have
been engaged there since the beginning of the year.

³Armenians know well the value of moral support and the driving force of
concerned onlookers. Further, as the foreign minister of a country and a
people still living through the difficult and trying period of transition, I
can tell you that it is only through sustained economic support, through the
long-term investment of serious economic resources, that a society will
begin to believe in the prospect of peace, in the promise of democracy.

³There is a tendency to ignore or neglect problems for which one has no
immediate answer or prospect for solution. Some problems appear too
difficult, too exotic, too unknown, too uncertain, too different for
immediate solutions. It is when these are ignored that the social and
political risks become insurmountable. The Iraqi people have demonstrated a
readiness to move ahead, to risk today for the promise of tomorrow. The
world community cannot desert them on that road,² he said.

The Minister also noted the presence of Armenians in Iraq. ³Iraq is blessed
with natural resources. Those include not just those in the ground, but also
the wealth that is derived from its ethnic diversity. A sizable and old
Armenian community is
part of that mix, and we know that together with the other citizens of Iraq
they look forward to contributing to Iraq¹s prosperous, peaceful future.²

Minister Oskanian concluded by saying, ³Armenia, in turn, looks forward to
developing and strengthening bilateral relations with a peaceful, unified
and democratic Iraq. It is only 200 miles, as the crow flies, between our
two capitals, and the ability to easily communicate and cooperate is an
exciting one for all of us.²

The Minister returns to Yerevan on Wednesday, June 22.

Turkish Press
June 22 2005

Press Review

TURKIYE

ERDOGAN: `TURKEY WILL BE DIFFERENT ON OCT. 3′

Addressing the upcoming Turkey’s start of European Union accession
talks, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that Turkey
would be different on Oct. 3. Stressing that Ankara was closely
following developments in the EU, Erdogan said that Turkey should
begin its accession talks on Oct. 3 as scheduled. Speaking at his
Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Central Executive Board
meeting, Erdogan spoke about recent developments. Commenting on the
German Parliament’s approval of an Armenian resolution last week,
Erdogan said that the decision had surprised him. He stated that his
recent visit to the US had been fruitful and had given him the
opportunity to hold talks with officials and representatives of
various groups. We tried to convince US President George W. Bush that
Syria should be won over, said Erdogan, adding that he was pleased
that Bush’s policy on the matter had seemed to soften. /Turkiye/

Council of Europe (coe.int)
June 22 2005

Council of Europe

Communication from the Committee of Ministers by Diogo Freitas Do
Amaral, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Portugal and Chairperson of
the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe

Mr President,

After meeting the members of your Standing Committee in Lisbon on 6
June, I am most honoured to address the Parliamentary Assembly today
in order to present to you the communication on the activities of the
Committee of Ministers since the last ordinary session in April.

It is also a great pleasure for me to address you here, as I am
returning to the Council of Europe after having held the Chair of the
Committee of Ministers once before, between November 1979 and April
1980.

Following its second Chairmanship between November 1989 and May 1990,
Portugal’s third term as Chair of the Committee of Ministers since
joining the Council of Europe in 1976 began on 17 May 2005. Along
with the reunification of Europe that began in 1989, the course of my
country’s development since the Carnation Revolution, which in some
ways foreshadowed the peaceful revolutions of more recent times, is,
in my view, one of the best possible illustrations of the huge
progress that has been made in building a democratic Europe over the
last thirty years. We owe that progress, among others, to the Council
of Europe also.

In addition to this crucial historic role, the Council of Europe has
a vital role to play in the future. I believe that this is the main
lesson to be drawn from the Third Council of Europe Summit, held in
Warsaw on 16 and 17 May 2005. I would also like to take this
opportunity to express here our gratitude to the Polish authorities
for the excellent organisation of the Summit and their unrelenting
efforts to ensure its success. The reassertion by the Heads of State
and Government, in the Warsaw Declaration, of the Council of Europe’s
essential role in protecting and promoting human rights, democracy
and the rule of law confirms more than ever before the relevance of
the work done and still to be done by our Organisation.

The implementation of the Summit texts, especially the Action Plan,
will be the very top priority for the Portuguese Chair. I can assure
you that my country will deploy all the energy and determination
needed to make sure that the policy decisions taken in Warsaw are
given practical effect as quickly and effectively as possible.

In view of the ambitious mandate assigned to the Council of Europe by
the Heads of State and Government, the task ahead of us is very
substantial. The urgent need to find solutions in certain areas,
especially concerning the long-term future of the European Court of
Human Rights control system, leads me to invite all member states to
join with the Chairmanship in its efforts.

Apart from the key role which governments will have to play in this
respect, your Assembly will also play a leading role in implementing
the Summit decisions. Naturally, this will primarily involve the
activities which the Assembly decides to undertake itself to follow
up the Summit. The Committee of Ministers looks forward with the
greatest of interest to the conclusions of the debate you will hold
on the subject tomorrow. Another major aspect, however, is the role
which individual parliamentarians can play in their capitals in
drawing attention to the decisions taken in Warsaw and the need for
their practical follow-up. Particularly important here is the
contribution which Assembly members can make to ensuring that
Protocol No 14 to the European Convention on Human Rights is ratified
without delay by those countries which have not yet proceeded with
ratification. For its part, Portugal is prepared to ratify the
Protocol shortly.

I will not go into the detail of all aspects of the Warsaw Action
Plan at this stage. However, I would like to draw attention to a few
points which the Portuguese Chair regards as essential, while
welcoming the proposals which the Secretary General made to the
Committee of Ministers last week concerning the implementation of the
Action Plan.

The first aspect, which I have already mentioned, concerns the
measures to be taken to guarantee the effectiveness of the system of
protection afforded by the European Convention on Human Rights, which
is unique in the world. In this connection, I am delighted that the
Ministers’ Deputies last week adopted a number of decisions with a
view to putting in place the Group of Wise Persons which the Summit
agreed should be set up to draw up a comprehensive strategy for
securing the long-term effectiveness of the system. On the basis of
candidatures for the Group of Wise Persons to be submitted by member
states by 31 July 2005, the Chair of the Ministers’ Deputies will
make proposals on the membership of the group at the Deputies’ first
meeting in September 2005. In drawing up the proposals, the Chair of
the Deputies will, of course, carry out all appropriate
consultations, including, I would stress, with the President of the
Parliamentary Assembly.

The second point in the Action Plan that I think should be mentioned
concerns the establishment of a Council of Europe Forum for the
Future of Democracy, which I know is of particular interest to your
Assembly. The Portuguese Chair will give priority to the launching of
the Forum. Input by the Parliamentary Assembly here will be
particularly welcome, besides the most useful proposal already made
by Poland.

In the third place, I would not wish to conclude my comments on the
Summit without referring to its decisions concerning the
strengthening of the partnership between the Council of Europe and
other international organisations and institutions, especially the
European Union and the OSCE. The drafting of the memorandum of
understanding to be proposed for signature by the Council of Europe
and the European Union will be one of our main priorities. Once
again, your Assembly will have a leading role to play in establishing
closer ties between Strasbourg and Brussels, in particular through
its contacts with the European Parliament, but also through its own
discussions such as its work on the implications of the European
Union’s neighbourhood policy for the Council of Europe.

Apart from the memorandum of understanding I just mentioned, another
important building block in the establishment of a new institutional
architecture at European level will, of course, be the report on the
relationship between the Council of Europe and the European Union
which the Heads of State and Government asked Mr Jean-Claude Juncker
to draw up in his personal capacity, following inter alia a proposal
by the Presidential Committee of your Assembly. On this subject,
which is also of great importance to you, I am convinced that Mr
Juncker, who showed the consideration which he has for your Assembly
by addressing the Session of April, will listen most carefully to
your views.

To conclude this section of my statement, I would add that the
Parliamentary Assembly and also the Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities of the Council of Europe will be involved, under
appropriate procedures, in the work of the ad hoc Committee of
Ministers committee that will supervise the follow-up to the
Declaration and implementation of the Action Plan adopted at the
Summit.

The Warsaw Summit documents are the focal point through which we must
carry further the tasks of the Council of Europe. The first is to
make sure that the member states comply with the Council’s principles
in terms of respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
>From this point of view, a particular area of attention in the months
ahead will be the South Caucasus region, given the major developments
expected in Armenia, with the forthcoming constitutional referendum,
and in Azerbaijan, with the parliamentary elections to be held in
November.

I note in this connection that your Assembly attaches the same degree
of importance to this area, as demonstrated by the Session order of
business. As far as the Chair of the Committee of Ministers is
concerned, these two polls will be tests of those countries’
willingness to fully honour the commitments they made on joining the
Council of Europe.

Another member state where key events are due shortly is Albania,
with parliamentary elections scheduled for 3 July. Here again,
compliance with the Council of Europe’s standards on free and fair
elections will be crucial.

The last member state that I would like to mention is Ukraine, which
is now receiving less public attention following the historic events
that occurred there at the end of last year, although it is still
waiting for assistance to carry out the democratic reforms which
President Yushchenko indicated he wished to implement when he
addressed you in January. I am delighted that the Committee of
Ministers on 15 June approved an Action Plan to help the new
Ukrainian authorities with the implementation of these reforms. The
Ukrainian authorities’ determination to move ahead with the reforms
will clearly be crucial to the success of the Action Plan.

I would wish also to mention the region of south-eastern Europe,
where important challenges lie ahead, concerning Kosovo’s future in
particular. From this point of view, the debate you held yesterday on
the situation in Kosovo was particularly welcome. More than ever
before, the Council of Europe has a duty to make sure that its
fundamental values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law are
fully complied with and implemented in the region as vital
preconditions for democratic stability.

With regard to the Council of Europe’s unrelenting, daily, sustained
efforts to protect human rights, I would return briefly to the
decisions taken at the Third Summit. Given the leading role played in
this area by the Commissioner for Human Rights, the Portuguese Chair
will do everything possible to ensure, in accordance with the Summit
Action Plan, that the Commissioner is provided with the necessary
resources for performing his relevant tasks to the full.

In this connection, I would also like to mention the work done by the
Committee of Ministers concerning the execution of the judgments of
the European Court of Human Rights. Just as it is determined to
secure the long-term effectiveness of the protection system of the
European Convention on Human Rights, Portugal will see to it as Chair
that the Court’s judgments are executed in full and without delay.
The very credibility of the Convention depends on that.

In conclusion, I would like to briefly outline some of the thematic
priorities of the Portuguese Chair. In simplified terms, they are
focused on the human dimension of our societies. This dimension,
which has always guided the Council of Europe’s action, remains more
than ever relevant in the face of growing criticism of technocratic
and bureaucratic constructions, far removed from individual people’s
concerns.

The first involves protecting children’s rights as a vital element of
the protection of human rights. Carrying on from the seminar which it
organised on the matter in Lisbon on 1 and 2 June 2005, Portugal will
seek in the months ahead to foster improved protection of children’s
rights, in particular through awareness-raising efforts.

Building on what had been already proposed under the Action Plan
drawn up by the Council of Europe and on which all member States
agreed during the recent Third Summit in Warsaw, the Portuguese
Chairmanship attaches great importance to gender mainstreaming and to
the balanced participation of women and men in public life. We
believe that the seminar on balanced participation in decision-making
processes that took place in Lisbon last week and that was organised
by the Portuguese Chairmanship has constituted a first approach
regarding this matter and that further discussions will inevitably
ensue.

Following the successful opening for signature in Warsaw of the
Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human
Beings, Portugal will seek to encourage efforts here by fostering
international co-operation and the protection of victims against such
a flagrant violation of human rights.

Aware of the importance of social cohesion to our societies, Portugal
will continue to foster the implementation of the Council of Europe’s
wide range of policy instruments concerning social cohesion. More
specifically, we will focus our attention on issues concerning
families and children.

Lastly, another priority will relate to the cultural sector. In a
world where there is great tension, promoting intercultural dialogue
is vital to building civil societies free of xenophobia and
prejudices and helping to prevent conflicts. Portugal attaches great
importance to this question, which I know your Assembly has also
considered. My country intends to take full advantage of the
potential which the North-South Centre in Lisbon offers for promoting
initiatives aimed at intercultural dialogue, in particular between
Europe and the countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean.
At this point in history, an open and free dialogue between European
and Islamic countries constitutes an opportunity that we cannot miss.

We will also organise in Faro in October the Ministerial Conference
which will be the final stage of the reflection on the future of
European cultural cooperation conducted in the context of the 50th
Anniversary of the Council of Europe Cultural Convention.

We therefore have a lot ahead of us in the next few months. As I said
before, Portugal is counting on everybody playing their part over the
coming period. Unless we all become actively involved, it will not be
possible to secure in the long term the success achieved at the
Warsaw Summit. Without our shared commitment, the Council of Europe’s
efforts to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law will
not be fully effective. I will then conclude by appealing to our
sense of shared commitment.

I am now at your disposal to answer any questions you may want to
raise.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
June 22 2005

Putin calls for discussing EurAsEC development, relations

MOSCOW, June 22 (Itar-Tass) – President Vladimir Putin called for
discussing the EurAsEC development and relations between
member-countries.

Opening the EurAsEC summit on Wednesday, Putin said, `We’ll begin our
work in a narrow format. We’ll have an opportunity to hold
discussions on the agenda and the issues, in which we show interest –
the development of the organisation and bilateral relations.’

Putin welcomed President Robert Kocharyan of Armenia, which is not a
EurAsEC member. Armenia is taking part in the summit as an observer.
From: Baghdasarian

Chicago Tribune, IL
June 22 2005

Scholar’s arrest fuels diplomatic dispute
Turkish man is held on Armenian charges

By Catherine Collins
Special to the Tribune
Published June 22, 2005

ISTANBUL — The arrest of a Duke University doctoral student last
week on charges of trying to smuggle rare books out of Armenia has
stirred concerns among academics and officials and illustrates the
quagmire of Turkish-Armenian relations.

The student, Yektan Turkyilmaz, was the first Turkish citizen ever
given access to the Armenian national archives. He had just concluded
his fourth research trip there Friday when he was arrested before
boarding a plane at the airport in Yerevan, the Armenian capital.

Armen Yeganian of the Armenian Embassy in Washington described the
case as a customs violation and said Turkyilmaz had several books
dating back as far as the 17th Century. But Turkyilmaz’s family and
academic associates said a researcher of his caliber never would try
to steal priceless books.

Because Turkey and Armenia do not have diplomatic relations,
Turkyilmaz initially landed in a diplomatic no-man’s land. University
officials and the U.S. and Turkish governments have taken up his
cause, and Turkey on Tuesday officially requested Turkyilmaz’s
release.

“I believe this case is fundamentally about academic freedom,” said
his academic adviser, Orin Starn, a cultural anthropology professor
at Duke University.

Starn described Turkyilmaz, 33, as “a brilliant and widely respected
young scholar” who has received numerous fellowships to support his
research into nationalism among Turks, Armenians and Kurds in the
dying days of the Ottoman Empire.

His family has not been able to contact Turkyilmaz, though they have
spoken with his friends in Armenia, some of whom were detained and
interrogated, said his sister, Zeynep.

Turkyilmaz’s case is the latest episode in a long-running diplomatic
dispute about what happened to hundreds of thousands of Armenians in
Turkey between 1915 and 1922.

Armenians say that Turkey’s mass deportation of Armenians during
World War I was part of an organized genocide that killed 1.5 million
people. Turkey denies there was any systematic attempt to kill
Armenians.

The Turkish State Archive recently issued a list of more than 523,000
Turks it says were killed by Armenians the same years.

Regardless, it is a dark chapter in Turkish history that until
recently has been discussed rarely and left out of Turkish textbooks
while landing many scholars, journalists and activists in jail.

Turkey’s best-known novelist, Orhan Pamuk, shattered a taboo earlier
this year when he said that 1 million Armenians were murdered in his
country. Days of screaming headlines, death threats and several
lawsuits charging him with insulting the Turkish state followed his
statement.

Turkey has for years engaged in diplomatic scuffles with any country
it suspects of taking the Armenian side. This spring, the Turkish
parliament demanded apologies from the legislatures of the 12
countries that have recognized Armenian claims of genocide.

Gradually, however, partly as a result of efforts to join the
European Union, a door on the past has been opened.

Although Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul insists that the
genocide label is “pure slander,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has called on all countries to open archives to scholars to determine
once and for all what has happened.

A spokesman at the Turkish Foreign Ministry said he is baffled by the
arrest.

“This is a very strange situation,” the official said, speaking on
condition of anonymity. “From what we know of Turkyilmaz’s research,
it seems he was more sympathetic to the Armenian view than the
Turkish.”