Le Figaro, France
29 septembre 2005
Avertissement à la Turquie des eurodéputés;
UNION EUROPÉENNE Le génocide arménien et Chypre en pierre
d’achoppement
Strasbourg : de notre envoyé spécial Pierre Avril
La perspective de l’ouverture, le 3 octobre, des négociations
d’adhésion de la Turquie à l’Union européenne a eu pour effet, hier,
de crisper les parlementaires européens. Par 356 voix pour, 181 contre
et 125 abstentions, ces derniers ont adopté une résolution ferme,
critiquant les atermoiements du gouvernement Erdogan à l’égard de la
question chypriote, les manquements du régime à l’égard de la liberté
d’expression, insistant enfin sur le caractère «ouvert» du processus
de négociation. Fait nouveau, et à l’initiative de socialistes
français, ils ont fait de la reconnaissance du génocide arménien un
«préalable» à l’adhésion. Bien que dénuées de valeur juridique
contraignante, ces recommandations devraient contribuer à durcir la
négociation. Le Parlement «déplore sincèrement» l’intention, affichée
de manière ostentatoire par la Turquie en juillet dernier, de ne pas
reconnaître les autorités de Nicosie et d’empêcher l’accès aux ports
turcs des bateaux battant pavillon chypriote. Ces conditions ont été
jugées «inacceptables» par le principal groupe parlementaire (PPE),
conduisant les eurodéputés à retarder la procédure juridique qui doit
aboutir à la ratification définitive de l’accord douanier d’Ankara,
élargi à l’ensemble de l’UE. Sans craindre la contradiction, les
parlementaires européens ajoutent dans leur résolution que «tout
manquement» de la Turquie à l’application de ce même protocole aura de
«graves conséquences pour le processus de négociation et pourrait même
conduire à sa suspension». Le Parlement demande à la Commission de se
saisir du problème avant «la fin 2006».
Les mêmes menaces sont réitérées dans l’hypothèse où la République de
Chypre ne serait pas reconnue «dans les meilleurs délais». Soit
l’équivalent «d’un an ou deux», estime le président du groupe
socialiste, Martin Schulz, pourtant farouche partisan de l’ouverture
des négociations. Si l’alternative d’un «partenariat privilégié» ne
figure pas dans la résolution, le Parlement explique que l’ouverture
des négociations est un «processus de longue haleine», dont l’objectif
est certes «l’adhésion», mais dont l’issue reste «ouverte». Enfin, les
eurodéputés lient implicitement une possible future adhésion de la
Turquie à l’adoption du projet de Constitution précisément rejeté par
les Français et les Néerlandais. Le traité de Nice, affirment-ils,
«n’est pas une base acceptable». En décembre 2004, 59% des eurodéputés
– brandissant alors des affiches au motif du oui turc – s’étaient
prononcés en faveur de l’ouverture de négociations d’adhésion, «sans
report inutile». Arrivés, hier, au bord du gué, les parlementaires
semblaient hésiter à le franchir, même s’ils n’ont pas remis en cause
la date du 3 octobre. Sans surprise, les chrétiens-démocrates
allemands et les eurodéputés français se sont montrés les plus
hostiles à la perspective d’une adhésion turque. Le président du
groupe PPE (droite), Hans Gert Poettering, s’est vanté d’offrir à
Ankara une «alternative de coopération et d’amitié», reprochant à ses
adversaires politiques de «jouer les équilibristes». Le président des
socialistes, l’Allemand Martin Schulz, a rétorqué que, contrairement à
la CDU, son groupe voulait, malgré tout, «donner une chance à la
Turquie». Un avertissement conjugué à une promesse : le message
adressé à Ankara est ambigu.

L’Express , France
29 septembre 2005
Le drame arménien
Dates clefs 1894-1896 Entre 100 000 et 300 000 Arméniens sont
exécutés dans un contexte de réveil nationaliste. 1909 En avril,
attaque du quartier arménien d’Adana, en Cilicie. 1915 Après la
défaite de Sarikamich, les soldats et gendarmes arméniens, accusés de
trahison au profit des Russes, sont désarmés. Massacre des Arméniens
révoltés à Van.
Le 24 avril, 600 intellectuels sont arrêtés à Constantinople. Mai:
une loi sur le “déplacement des personnes suspectes” autorise “les
commandants d’armée à déplacer la population des villes et villages
soupçonnée de trahison et d’espionnage”. Déportations à l’Est et à
l’Ouest. 1916 Massacres dans les camps de déplacés du Sud. 1919
Procès à Constantinople par la justice ottomane des dirigeants du
Comité Union et progrès et des ex-ministres jugés responsables des
massacres et déportations. Ils sont condamnés à mort par contumace.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1+
| 14:41:23 | 01-10-2005 | Politics |
EUROPE WILL SAVE ARMENIA
Can a state exist without contacts with other states? Such may exist in the
past but in the 21st century it’s impossible. What direction should
independent Armenia orient itself to? We addressed 100 citizens with this
question September 25-28.
`Blessed be the moment when a Russian set foot on the Armenian land.
Khachtur Abovyan was right. Russia have always been a sister nation to
Armenia and will remain such’, a man of 60 said.
27% of the respondents consider that Russia should be our strategic partner.
25% of those surveyed consider that Armenia should choose pro-American line.
`Neither America nor Russia can save Armenia. We must anchor hopes with
Europe only’. This the opinion of 20% of the respondents. They suppose that
Armenia should exert every effort to join the European Union though, in
their words, it can happen no earlier that in 15 years.
18% of those surveyed think that complementation would be the most
profitable line for a small country like Armenia.
The survey outcome prove that the attitude of out people towards Russia has
changed during the recent years.
Karine Asatryan
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News
MARGARYAN APPRECIATED JOINT WORK OF UNION OF ARMENIANS OF RUSSIA
30.09.2005 07:41
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian PM Andarnik Margaryan met with Chairman of
the World Armenian Congress and Union of Armenians of Russia Ara Abrahamyan
and the delegation headed by him, reported the Press Service of the
Government of Armenia. The delegates told A. Margaryan about the goal of
their visit to Armenia, events being held within the visit framework. They
also touched upon the outcomes of the UAR 5-year activities, works done and
future programs. The guests also discussed some proposals over future
programs with the Armenian PM. Margaryan appreciated the UAR joint work in
implementing programs of all-Armenian significance. These should serve as an
example for Armenian communities in other countries, the Armenian PM stated.

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIANS OF EUROPE TO RALLY IN LUXEMBOURG ON DAY EU-TURKEY TALKS START
01.10.2005 03:26
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 3 some 3000 Armenians of Europe will hold a rally
in Luxembourg, where the official opening of the talks on Turkey’s accession
to the EU is scheduled on that day. Armenians from France, Belgium, Holland,
Germany, Italy, Cyprus and Greece will arrive in Luxembourg for the event.
As noted by Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of Western Europe
Murad Papazyan, «thousands of Armenians should join the rally to confirm the
well-known fact that if talks continue for 10-15 years, during all of these
years we will keep struggling to make Turkey recognize the Armenian
Genocide.» «We come against accession of Turkey to the EU. Turkey has to
recognize the Armenian Genocide, to withdraw troops from Cyprus, to respect
human rights,» he noted. When commenting on the resolution adopted by the
European Parliament that urged Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide
before accession to the EU, Murad Papazyan called it an «important step».
The item was reflected in the resolution owing to efforts of Armenian
organizations of Europe, he added.

Pan Armenian News
AZNAVOUR: ARMENIA SHOULD TAKE EUROPEAN WAY
30.09.2005 08:28
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ «Armenian origins are exclusively important to me,» famous
singer Charles Aznavour stated. «My parents and I were born not in our
fatherland: my father was born in Georgia, while my mother in Turkey. They
spoke many languages. They were widely open people and it helped up – their
children – absorb various cultures of the East and West. In France itself I
listened to Arab, Latin American and American music,» he remarked. Answering
a question about assistance to Armenia, Charles Aznavour said, «I was
engaged in assisting poor people, helped to restore electricity in the past.
Today I am busy with building new schools, repairing old ones. The future of
the country is the youth, as it is known.» Speaking of whether Armenia
should follow Georgia’s example and «turn towards the US,» the singer said
Armenia should take the European way. «Its place is in Europe. I am pleased
with Armenia preserving very good relations with Russia. By the way, I was
in Uzbekistan lately and paid attention to the fact that all Uzbeks, like
Armenians, speak Russian. From the geographic point of view Armenia also is
closer to Russia than America,» Aznavour summed up, reported the Izvestia.

The Sunday Times (UK)
October 02, 2005
Turkey cools on joining club Europe
Gareth Jenkins, Istanbul and Nicola Smith, Brussels
SIPPING a latte at a cafe in a leafy Istanbul suburb, Inci Can, 34,
looks as if she should be a natural supporter of European Union
membership for Turkey. A graduate of Exeter University, she wears
fashionable western clothes, leaves her shoulder-length hair uncovered
and travels frequently to western Europe on business.
Yet as EU foreign ministers meet today to resolve an impasse that
threatens to prevent formal talks on Turkish entry from starting on
schedule tomorrow, Can and increasing numbers of her compatriots are
questioning whether they really want to join after all.
`If the EU doesn’t want us because we have a large population or an
undeveloped economy, then fair enough,’ she said. `But it should say so,
not keep hiding behind new excuses. All my life I’ve wanted Turkey to
join the EU but in the past few weeks I’ve begun to think that maybe we
should stay outside.’
That Can’s views are shared by many of her compatriots is evident from a
poll yesterday that showed 57% of Turks wanted to join the EU – down
from 68% a year ago. Support among workers is even lower: only 44% of
trade unionists are in favour and a mere 24% believe that Turkey will
ever be admitted.
They may be right to feel unwanted: just over half of people in the EU’s
25 countries oppose Turkish entry. In Austria, the country leading the
opposition to full EU membership for Turkey, eight in 10 are against.
At an emergency meeting in Luxembourg tonight, Jack Straw and other EU
foreign ministers will put pressure on the Austrians, who have insisted
the Turks be told from the outset they have to make do a `privileged
partnership’ that stops short of full membership. Diplomats say the hard
line taken by Wolfgang Schüssel, the Austrian chancellor, has been
dictated in part by regional elections today and hope he will soften his
stance once polls close.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, has refused to proceed
with membership talks if there is any downgrading of his country’s
prospective EU status.
For Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country of 70m people, it is the
apparent whiff of racism – coupled with suggestions that it is not fit
to join a `Christian club’ – that especially rankles.
One of the main stumbling blocks is Turkey’s refusal to recognise the
Greek Cypriot government in Nicosia with which it has been at odds since
a breakaway Turkish republic was established in the north of Cyprus in
1974. Many Turkish nationalists also fear that they might be obliged to
make their country’s 13m Kurds equal partners in a federal state.
The mood has been further soured by a European parliament resolution
last week making it a precondition for membership that Turkey should
formally recognise the killing of 1.5m Armenians between 1915 and 1923
in the last days of the Ottoman empire.
Turkey’s poor human rights record also remains a matter of contention. A
two-year investigation by Mental Disability Rights International, a
Washington-based lobby group, revealed last week what it described as
`inhuman and degrading conditions of confinement’ in Turkey’s mental
health and social services system. A recent report by Amnesty
International, the human rights group, found torture and ill-treatment
continue to be a widespread problem.
While Can is seething quietly at European attitudes to her country,
Turkish politicians and businessmen are finding it difficult to contain
their anger.
At a rally on Friday Erdogan gave one of his strongest hints yet that
Turkey might walk away if the EU continues upping the ante. `They should
behave as honestly as Turkey,’ he said. `If we don’t see this honesty
then the response we shall give will be very very different to the
responses we have given to date.’
Omer Sabanci, chairman of the Turkish Businessmen’s and Industrialists’
Association, said those supporting a `privileged partnership’ were
`exhibiting a 19th century mentality’.
This morning the ultra-militant Nationalist Action party (MHP) will bus
tens of thousands of demonstrators to Ankara, the capital, to protest
against what it regards as the EU’s unacceptable demands. `Membership
should be honourable,’ said Mehmet Sandir, its vice-chairman. `It should
not convene our national interests or distort our history.’
For Straw, finding a way out of the impasse at tonight’s meeting is of
vital importance. The successful launch of entry talks would be one of
the few tangible achievements of Britain’s six-month EU presidency.
However, matters have been further complicated by the entanglement of
the Turkish issue with Croatia’s bid to join the EU. This was suspended
in March over Croatia’s failure to co-operate fully with the
international war crimes tribunal over the search for Ante Gotovina,
indicted as an alleged war criminal.
Austria is one of the strongest backers of the Croatian application.
Carla del Ponte, the tribunal’s chief prosecutor, who visted Croatia
this weekend, was due to make a statement to ministers tomorrow.
Indications this weekend were not positive.
Even if entry talks do begin tomorrow, many more hurdles remain. Angela
Merkel, expected to become Germany’s next chancellor, has misgivings,
while France has promised a referendum before the Turks are finally
admitted.
Diplomats fear the last-minute hitches could reduce Turkey’s enthusiasm
for the long and costly reforms that it must make to everything from the
regulation of industry to the judicial system as a precondition for
eventual membership.
Equally important, however, is the effect on the attitude of Can and
other Turks who are rapidly losing faith in an organisation they once
saw as a key to the modernisation and development of their country.
`Of course we are not perfect. We still have a lot of things to do
before we finally join,’ said Can. `But we have done everything that was
asked of us in order to begin negotiations. When you join a club you
have to abide by its rules. But adding new rules only for us just isn’t
fair.’

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIAN FINANCE MINISTER DISCUSSED IRANIAN INVESTMENTS WITH IRANIAN
COUNTERPART
01.10.2005 04:09
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iranian and Armenian Ministers of Economy and Finance
Davud Danesh-Jafari and Vardan Khachatryan had a meeting in the lobby of the
annual session of IMF and WB Group in Washington, D.C. The parties discussed
bilateral cooperation matters within the framework of the Iranian-Armenian
Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. The
Ministers also discussed Iranian-Armenian cooperation in various fields, as
well as issues referring to Iranian investments to the economy of Armenia
and Iranian companies’ activities in the country. Davud Danesh-Jafari and
Vardan Khachatryan were satisfied with the course of development of the
bilateral economic cooperation, specifically the rate of development of
partnership in cargo transportation between Iran and Armenia, reported Irna.

Pan Armenian News
YEAR OF ARMENIA IN FRANCE WILL BE A NEW AND IMPORTANT PHASE IN
ARMENIAN-FRENCH RELATIONS
01.10.2005 03:40
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ September 29 and 30 Armenian Ambassador to France Edvard
Nalbandyan held a number of meetings with Cannes Mayor, MP Bernard Brochand,
Nice Mayor, Senator Jacques Peyrat and Antibes Mayor, MP Jean Leonetti,
reported the Press Service of the Armenian MFA. In the course of the meeting
the possible participation of Cannes, Nice and Antibes in events marking the
Year of Armenia in France was discussed. The parties noted the importance of
the decision of Presidents of Armenia and France to organize the Year of
Armenia in France and expressed readiness to actively participate in the
events. A meeting with leaders of organizations of Cote d’Azur French region
was also held in Nice. During the session Armenian Ambassador to France
informed about the events to be organized within the framework of the Year
of Armenia in France. The 2nd session of the inter-state commission will be
held in Yerevan November 3, he also remarked. During it the draft program of
the events will be presented and discussed, as well as the symbol of the
Year of Armenia in France will be approved, Nalbandyan said.

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIAN NPP SUSPENDED FOR TOP-UP
01.10.2005 03:01
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Beginning on today the Armenian (Metsamor) Nuclear Power
Plant (NPP) is suspended for a top-up. As Minister of Energy of Armenia
Armen Movsisyan told journalists earlier, the process will take 45 days. It
should be reminded that at the same time A. Movsisyan informed that the
Russian party represented by the RAO UES of Russia has expressed readiness
to leave the management of the financial flows of the Armenian NPP, though
the contract allowing RAO UES of Russia manage the plant for 5 years has not
expired yet. «We have not passed a decision over the matter yet and we are
not going to hurry,» stated the Minister, noting the positive role of the
Russian holding in the financial and technical rehabilitation of the Plant.
Consisting of two energy blocks totaling 815 MW, The Armenian NPP was closed
in 1988. The station second block with the capacity of 407.5 MW was again
launched in work in 1995. Since 2003 the Armenian NPP is passed for
financial management of the Inter RAO UES CJSC, which is a branch
establishment of RAO UES of Russia.