FIRST HATAY MEETING OF CIVILIZATIONS
Anatolian Times, Turkey
Sept 26 2005
ANTAKYA – Turkish Armenians Patriarch Mesrob II stated today that
the road to love, peace and brotherhood is only one.
Mesrob was a guest speaker in a panel discussion titled “Contributions
of Religions to Civilizations” organized as part of the First Hatay
Meeting of Civilizations.
“The city of Antakya has been the witness of countless historical
events. There is only one road to peace and brotherhood. Despite such
reality, our world today is full of disagreements, wars, international
hatred campaigns and eye drops. Ask anyone and he will talk about
love and peace,” noted Mesrob II.
Mesrob indicated that there is a lot of misunderstanding of Turkey and
its people in foreign lands. “Turkey is not properly known in many
countries. Most of the misunderstanding on Turkey is experienced by
academicians and politicians,” said Mesrob II.
Mesrob II added that Turkey must continue to preserve its minorities
and help them with their problems.
Greek Orthodox Church Patriarch Bartholomew indicated in southern
city of Hatay today that Turkey is a country with contemporary values,
secular government and predominantly Muslim population.
“Since the period of reforms during the Ottoman era, Turkey has been
looking westward in shaping its future,” said Bartholomew.
The presence of our church in Turkey makes Turkey an important bridge
between religions, civilizations and east and west, noted Bartholomew.
According to Bartholomew, the Republic established by Kemal Ataturk
has been a role model for many new states. “Turkey has the potential
to become a role model for dialogue among religions,” commented
Bartholomew.
Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI has sent a message to Hatay on the
occasion of Meeting of Civilizations. The Pope said in his message that
humans can get rich by noticing the permanent impact of multi-cultures.
“The world of peace requires the cooperation of all humans,” stressed
the Pope.

HATAY HOSTS FIRST MEETING OF CIVILIZATIONS IN HATAY
Turkish Press
Sept 26 2005
HATAY – “To those wishing for a clash of civilizations we must be
able to say ‘no to a clash of civilizations, yes to an alliance of
civilizations’,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
on Sunday.
Erdogan attended opening of “First Hatay Meeting of Civilizations”.
Taking the floor at the meeting, Erdogan said: “Everybody had his
own historical experience in different regions of the world. So we
have developed different culture and civilizations. Our beliefs may
be different, but to those looking for a clash of civilizations we
must be able to say this: no to a clash of civilizations, yes to an
alliance of civilizations.”
Erdogan also emphasized that the clashes are usually a result of
misinterpretations.
He said nobody in the world has the right and authority to put
any religion as attribute in front of terrorism concept. “As how we
accepted anti-Semitism as a crime against humanity, I am now declaring
Islami-phobia as a crime against humanity either,” he stated.
“From time to time, particularly after September 11th attacks, some
people started to use the term of ‘Islamic terrorism or Islamist
terrorism’. We cannot accept this,” he noted.
Erdogan said, “we should not surrender to clash and violence
culture. All of us have responsibility in this respect. Mutual fate
of humanity depends on our efforts.”
Armenian, Jewish and Antakya choruses gave concerts before the
ceremony.
Meanwhile, police detained four people who attempted to read out a
document prior to the meeting.

CONFERENCE ON ARMENIAN OTTOMANS ENDS IN ISTANBUL
Anatolian Times, Turkey
Sept 26 2005
ISTANBUL – “This conference (the Conference titled “The Armenians
during the Collapse of the Ottoman Empire”) will have a positive
impact on the point of view of foreigners on Turkey”, Cem Ozdemir,
a member of the European Parliament, said on Sunday.
Taking the floor on the last day of the conference held at Istanbul’s
Bilgi University, Ozdemir said, “if this conference had not been
held, it would have caused extraordinary reactions. And, it would
have strengthened the hands of those who do not want to see Turkey
in the EU.”
Referring to Europe’s perspective on Armenian issue, Ozdemir said,
“Armenia is Turkey’s neighbor. Turkey’s relations with Armenia
should be just the same with its relations with Greece. Europe wants
opening of borders and trade. Also, it (Europe) attaches importance
to situation of non-Muslims in Turkey.”
Ozdemir pointed out that there were circles who were uneasy about the
resolutions adopted by foreign parliamentarians regarding the Armenian
issue, and said, “if we don’t want this, such conferences should be
held. The most important reason (of such resolutions) is that these
matters are not discussed in Turkey. If Turkey debates these matters,
the pressure on it will be reduced.”
On the other hand, Sabanci University’s President Prof. Dr. Tosun
Terzioglu said at the end of the meeting that this conference was
important because it showed that universities were autonomous in
Turkey. “It was also important because academicians and intellectuals
discussed each other’s views,” he added.
12 sessions were held in the two-day conference to which 786 people
were invited. Nine foreign journalists, including two from Armenia,
and many Turkish reporters covered the conference.
-IT WAS DELAYED, THEN SUSPENDED-
The conference titled “The Armenians during the Collapse of the Ottoman
Empire” was scheduled to be held last May, but postponed due to several
reactions. Then, Bogazici, Bilgi and Sabanci universities decided to
hold it at the Bogazici University between September 23rd and 25th.
Upon an application of a group of lawyers, the Istanbul Administrative
Court decided to suspend the conference to take place at the Bogazici
University. Later, Bilgi University said that it would host the
conference on September 24th-25th.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS” CONF. OPENS IN ISTANBUL
By Sa’ad Abdul Majid, IOL Correspondent
Islam Online, Qatar
Sept 26 2005
“If there is terrorism today, then it has nothing to do with any
divine religion,” said Erdogan.
ISTANBUL, September 26, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has opened an inter-civilization conference in
Istanbul amid charges of conspiracy and anti-Islam from some Islamists.
Addressing the plenary session of the three-day “Meeting of
Civilizations” conference, Erdogan hit out Sunday, September 25,
at equating Islam with terrorism.
“If there is terrorism today, then it has nothing to do with
any divine religion,” he said strongly. “Any talk about ‘Islamic
terrorism’ or ‘Muslim terrorists’ is indeed some sort of ignorance
and is unacceptable.”
The leader of the ruling Justice and Development party further called
anew for criminalizing Islamophobia on a par with anti-Semitism,
and for reconciliation between Muslims and Jews by letting bygones
be bygones.
Erdogan said the conference, which brought together delegations from up
to 30 European and Mideast countries including Israel, is the result of
cooperation with his Spanish counterpart Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
The alliance initiative was first unveiled by the Spanish premier at
the UN General Assembly in New York in September of last year.
The initiative was later co-sponsored by Erdogan in a March summit
between both leaders.
Erdogan appointed his chief foreign policy adviser Rafet Akgunay as
Turkey’s representative in the project.
Spain in return has appointed retired ambassador Maximo Cajal to
the initiative.
“Conspiracy”
Critics say Turkey is courting the West to join the euro bloc.
(Reuters)
Some Islamists, however, faulted Erdogan for hosting the conference
which they called a “conspiracy against Islam.”
Erdogan’s speech was heckled by some of the audience, who shouted
anti-US slogans and accused Erdogan’s party of being “an agent”.
The deputy head of the opposition Saadet party, Tamel Oglo, has charged
that the conference was a “Western ploy dictated on the Justice and
Development party.”
He further said the conference is part of what he called an “organized
campaign against Islam led by the United States under the guise of
inter-faith dialogue and religious tolerance.”
Mohamet Silay, a former MP for the outlawed Virtue party, told Turkish
newspaper Milli Gazete that the proposed “Alliance of Civilizations”
was helping entrench the US Broader Middle East and North Africa
initiative, which serves best the interests of Israel.
The Islamic current’s Andadulu Youths magazine further held Sunday a
seminar entitled “Saladin…The Architect of Peace in the Middle East”
to counter the conference.
They urged the government not to bow to Western pressure and to rather
adhere to nationalist viewpoints.
Pundits say that Turkey is trying to play a key role in bridging the
gap between the West and the Muslim world as part of its tireless
efforts to join the enlarged European Union.
They cited a controversial conference hosted by Istanbul September
24-25 on the alleged massacre of thousands of Armenians by Turks
during and after World War One.
The conference sparked mass rallies with nationalist demonstrators
hurling eggs and tomatoes at participants as they arrived at Istanbul’s
private Bilgi University for the conference.
Reports further spoke about Turkey’s role in normalization of relations
between Israel and Muslim countries, chiefly Pakistan.
Well-placed sources told Turkey’s NTV network earlier in the month
that Israel was planning to open interest sections at the Turkish
embassy in a number of Islamic countries.
Turkey is due to begin EU entry talks on October 3, though it is not
seen joining the bloc before 2015 at the earliest.

RUSSIA ARMED US WELL, I WON’T HIDE IT
Kommersant, Russia
Sept 26 2005
Speaker of the Parliament of South Ossetia Znaur Gassiev talks with
Kommersant special correspondent Olga Allenova about the possibility
of uniting the two Ossetias.
What was the gist of the agreement you signed with Taimuraz Mamsurov
before the celebration of the North Ossetian Independence Day?
Politically, it is a very important document. Intentions to unite
the two Ossetias have been codified for the first time. That means
that preparations for unification will continue. The agreement covers
economic and cultural cooperation, with the goal of leading us to the
“X moment” when unification will take place. A similar agreement
was signed at the same time with Abkhazia, although the political
import there is different. There it is a matter of standing up foir
the interests of unrecognized states.
Why hadn’t such an agreement been signed with North Ossetia before?
We had similar agreements under [former North Ossetian presidents]
Galazov and Dzasokhov, but there was practically no political element
in them.
Are you placing hope on Taimuraz Mamsurov?
I don’t know Taimuraz well. I don’t know how the Kremlin is oriented
toward him in this issue, whether they are in consultations, and so
on. That is to say that the Kremlin did not say, Ossetians, sits down
and agree on unification. So far that is only an intention. But the
desire of the people to return to their roots is so strong that they
won’t want to change course. The people are ready to go all the way.
All the way to Russia?
Yes, of course. Let’s work it out. The situation would be the same
without Russia, or Tatarstan or Mongolia. We want in where the other
half of our people already are. That’s all. Of course, we want into
a strong state that will protect us. So there is a pull toward Russia.
We all speak Russian. I can’t say in Ossetian the things I am saying to
you in Russian. All Ossetians are like that. Take a Georgian village
and an Ossetian village. In the Georgian village, they can’t put two
words together in Russian, but in the Ossetian village they speak
it not badly. That is, they have no pull to the Russian language,
and we do.
Do you think that unification is realistic?
You can say a lot about the legal aspects of our situation, but the
real situation is that Russia and America are butting heads, and we
are stuck in the middle. America is defending Georgia’s interests,
and we are defending Russia’s interests and our own. We are a divided
people that wants to be united.
But Georgia won’t let you.
Georgia has no choice. Georgia made a lot of mistakes and didn’t
learn anything from them. Gamsakhurdia did a lot of harm to Georgia’s
image. It would be easier for them to solve the problems with us
without force. Generations of Ossetians had grown up in Georgia before
Gamsakhurdia started the war. It is wrong to say that Georgian and
Ossetians are incompatible. I know that for myself. I grew up and
reached old age in Soviet times and lived among Georgians, studying
and working in Tbilisi. We have no ethnic prejudice. The Abkhazians
and Georgians have it very strongly. But it is not in our nature.
Those two relapses, in the 1920s and 1990s, that School No. 5 [in
1991 and 1992, victims of the Ossetian-Georgian conflict were buried
in the courtyard of School No. 5 in Tskhinvali, because the city’s
cemetery was held by Georgian forces], those orphaned children that
everyone knows, it all resounds deeply in the people. And the pull
in us is not specifically to Russia because everything is good there,
but to unification of the people.
Under Yeltsin, things in Russian were undefined. The first years
under Putin too were not noteworthy for us. He had his own problems.
But now Russia is showing some interest in us. You understand that
Georgia won’t gain anything from a war here. Because the people
won’t allow it. Yes, the sides are unequal. Georgia is a state of
five million, and there aren’t even 100,000 of us. But still they
won’t get anything out of it.
Will Russia help you?
Not only will it help, it is helping now. Why pretend otherwise? In
1991, we faced the Georgians with sticks and slingshots, because we
didn’t have any weapons. A year ago, things were different. They had
to withdraw. Now even more. Were you at the parade? Did you see the
equipment? Yes, their army is also better than it was 15 years ago.
Then, it was a semi-criminal band made up of people Gamsakhurdia let
out of prison. They weren’t ready for a real war either. Now they have
a real army. America saw to that. If they go against us one on one
here, they will get nothing but bitterness. But we will see nothing
but bitterness too. We have a different spirit. We convinced ourselves
of that in last year’s war. They withdrew last summer because the
guys here are fighting on their own ground. And Russia armed us well,
I won’t hide it.
But you admit it yourself, that Russia is on one side, and America
on the other.
Americans are pragmatic. They armed Georgia, but stipulated in a
separate document with an article 3 that that army is not to take
part in the solution of the conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia
with weapons. America doesn’t need accusations that people there are
being killed with its weapons. In August a year ago, Georgia broke
that agreement, and America ordered Georgia to withdraw those forces
within two hours. The U.S. ambassador to the OSCE told me that when
he was here.
And, finally, as soon as they attack us, all of the North Caucasus will
rise to our aid. Chechens went to Abkhazia then, but everyone will
come to us. So they can’t solve the problem militarily. All that’s
left is the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 on the rights of nations
to self-determination. A nation should be united. In today’s world,
if it’s not a single state, it is hard for it to survive.
I didn’t see a single official representative of the Russian
authorities or any deputies in the Independence Day parade. At least
Fatherland Party leader Rogozin used to come. Russia is helping you,
but that help is somehow underground, not in the open. Will Russia
support unification?
I wouldn’t stake my life on it, but it is possible, very possible. It
all depends on how Russia and America divide their spheres of
influence. But look, world events are pushing Russia and America
into each other’s arms. Yes, America is stronger, it is the only
superpower left, but it still can’t butt heads with Russia. It
is forced to take Russia into account. There are many indications
behind the scenes in recent times that Russia is interested in the
unification of the two republics at the very highest level. The fact
that we don’t see anyone here with Rogozin’s rank… I’ll tell you a
secret, just without mentioning any names. People with status a lot
higher than Rogozin’s have been here.
Did they decide about unification?
No. That was not in their competency, they had other functions. But
Russia isn’t hiding to that it has taken guardianship of us. Its goals
are clear. Russia is being crowded out of the Transcaucasus, and it
doesn’t want to be. Russia only has two tiny bits of the Transcaucasus
left – Abkhazia and us. Anyone can see what is happening in Armenia. It
is coming under Western influence. But here, in these two spots,
there is clear orientation toward Russia. I won’t be surprised if
Ossetia will be united in a year or two. But everything depends, I
say again, on how the two superpowers reach an agreement. It is hard
to tell. Both of them, Putin and Bush, are in their last terms. Who
will go farther and how events unfold is still unknown.
If Russia reached an agreement with Georgia and they make you go back
to Georgia, then what?
Everything will depend on what they agree on and what guarantees
they give us. Saakashvili stated in the Parliamentary Assembly of
the European Council that he gives us more autonomy than they have
in North Ossetia… if only anyone believed it. They promised so much
in Ajaria too, and what was the result? Well, I’ll say it again.
Everything is in God’s power, everything is possible. Here it is
still 50/50. Russia or Georgia.
Do you think the Ossetians can forget the war?
If there won’t be any agitation on the state level from both sides
that you can’t forget the war, then everything can be forgotten. Time
heals. Algeria boiled over once. You remember the Algerian people’s
freedom movement against France. Thousands of people died. And wise
de Gaulle didn’t get too wise. He let Algeria go. The French radicals
rose up against him, there were assassination attempts. Algeria went
its own way. Now it is asking to come back. Five million Algerians live
in France. Because that wise decision showed the Algerians that they
had it better with France. And they all remained French-speaking. The
battles died down, generations changed, and life took its own course.
Listening to you, I am reminded of a Georgian politician who said
that, when Georgia joins Europe, South Ossetia and Abkhazia will ask
to join it on their own.
Yes, maybe, but that is 50/50 too. Any one of those possibilities
is realistic. Dissension never leads to a constructive life. We
have to give up dissension and come into each other’s arms, without
extremity. You have to be a little bit of a de Gaulle.
Politicians in Georgia say that a strong, united Ossetia is not in
Russia’s best interests. Especially after Beslan, when part of the
Ossetians understood that Russia cannot protect them.
No. That’s not true. Ossetia never was a strong community and it
never will be. They tell that horror tale for nothing. Who are we?
There aren’t even 600,000 of us. Chechnya – that’s really a special
people, a warrior people. Hell broke loose there. Ossetia, no. There
is no danger to Russia here. Then the North Caucasus is mainly
Muslim. Ossetia is the only Orthodox Christian republic here. It is
dangerous for Ossetia to be part of Russia. But where else is there?
If the world were suddenly made perfect, it would matter to Ossetia
where it lived.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“MEETING OF CIVILIZATIONS” IN HATAY
Turkish Press
Sept 26 2005
PRESS REVIEW
SABAH
The southern city of Hatay with its ethnically and religiously
diverse population is now hosting the “First Meeting of
Civilizations.” Addressing a speech yesterday at the opening of
the five-day gathering, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
that people from different faiths, languages and races should live
together in peace in the world. Present at the meeting are scholars,
leaders of Turkey’s Greek Orthodox, Jewish and Armenian communities,
and ambassadors from 45 countries. /Sabah/

CONTROVERSIAL ARMENIAN CONFERENCE HELD IN ISTANBUL
Turkish Press
Sept 26 2005
PRESS REVIEW
TURKIYE
A controversial conference on Armenians in the late Ottoman era which
was once postponed and then later suspended was held at Istanbul’s
Bilgi University over the weekend. The two-day conference was carried
out under tight security amidst protests. Scholars speaking at the
gathering underlined that through the conference, Turkey had broken
taboos on the subject. /Turkiye/

BAYKAL: “THE ARMENIAN CONFERENCE WASN’T SCHOLARLY”
Turkish Press
Sept 26 2005
PRESS REVIEW
STAR
Appearing on television over the weekend, opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said that he didn’t believe
that the controversial Armenian conference had been organized with
good will or with the intent to explore the truth. “This is not a
scholarly conference,” he said. However, Baykal stated that blocking
the conference would not have been appropriate. /Star/

OSCE, PACE SHOULD COOPERATE IN GARABAGH CONFLICT RESOLUTION – RUSSIAN CO-CHAIR
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 26 2005
The OSCE Minsk Group mediating settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan
Upper Garabagh conflict and the special committee of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) may cooperate on a number
of issues, the MG Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov said.
He was commenting on the hearings on the Garabagh conflict held in
Paris within the PACE committee last week.
“The OSCE MG co-chairs are mediating the talks and presenting
proposals, while PACE may contribute to mobilizing public opinion in
the two countries to achieve the compromise needed for the conflict
resolution. It may also be actively involved in ensuring implementation
of commitments that the sides assumed upon admission to the Council
of Europe, with a pivotal obligation being the peaceful settlement
of the Garabagh conflict.”
Merzlyakov stated that CE and PACE may take up ‘control over
every ceasefire violation and influence the sides to honor their
commitments’.
“The belligerent statements that sound every now then and calls for
settling the conflict with the use of force certainly do not promote
conflict resolution…We are ready to share our credentials with PACE
to ensure such statements are not made any longer.”
Merzlyakov said the mediators are concerned over the growing military
budgets of Azerbaijan and Armenia, which ‘may affect the process of
implementing their commitments on the peace conflict settlement’.

TURKEY EMBARRASSED BY COURT RULING
Financial Mirror, Cyprus

Sept 26 2005
Just over one week before it was due to start EU accession negotiations
on October 3, Turkey found itself embarrassed on Friday after a court
in Istanbul banned a conference to discuss the Armenian genocide 90
years ago that was due to be held at two universities, saying that
it needed more information about the qualifications of the speakers
and who was paying for the conference.
In the end, the conference went ahead, with heavy police protection,
at a third university, but embarrassed a government that has been
trying to prove its European credentials.
Suggesting that there was systematic genocide of Armenians by the
Turkish military in the first world war, rather than deaths caused
by partisan conflict, can still land people in deep trouble.
Novelist Orhan Pamuk faces a jail sentence if he is found guilty of
“denigrating Turkish identity” by supporting genocide claims.
But under pressure from the EU, the government has given the go ahead
for a debate among historians, rather than politicians.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said the court verdict had “nothing
to do with democracy”, Reuters reported, while Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul said “There is no one better than us when it comes to
harming ourselves.”