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06/02/2005
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1) Time Magazine European Subscribers Get Turkish Take on Armenian Issue
2) Influential Senator Praises Armenia Reforms
3) Russia Reassures Azerbaijan on Weapons Transfer to Armenia
4) Hai Tahd Council to Convene in Armenia
5) Dynamic Exhibit of Armin Wegner’s Works Kicks-off in Moscow

1) Time Magazine European Subscribers Get Turkish Take on Armenian Issue

ANKARA (Marmara)–According to the Turkish press, Time Magazine, one of the
leading US news magazines, has distributed a Turkish documentary CD on
Turkish-Armenian relations to its 494 thousand subscribers in Europe.
“The project’s target is not to respond to allegations of Armenians, but to
give appropriate information about both the history of Turkish-Armenian
relations and the Armenian issue. We aim to prevent distortion of historical
events,” the chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO), Sinan Aygun,
told a news conference.
The documentary, titled “Blonde Bride,” is reportedly sponsored by the ATO.
According to Aygun, the 210 minute documentary has been prepared in Turkish,
Russian, English, German, French, Spanish, and Arabic. He also revealed that
the ATO has been working five months to pitch the “ad” to Time Magazine.
“This documentary CD is proof of Turkish pride, and we were able to secure
funding for the approximately 1 million dollar venture purely through
donations,” Aygun said.
ATO said that Time Magazine has an additional 116 thousand copies of the CD
for distribution.

2) Influential Senator Praises Armenia Reforms

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–An influential US senator praised on Thursday political and
economic reforms carried out in Armenia but said more needs to be done to
democratize its political system.
Chuck Hagel, a Republican from Nebraska, visited Yerevan at the head of a US
government delegation of senior military officials.
“I have been very impressed with the democratic reforms that have taken place
in Armenia, the economic development, the rate of economic growth, the
prosperity that’s developing,” Hagel told a news conference after talks with
President Robert Kocharian and Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian. “I think it’s
very good news for Armenia and the region.”
Hagel, the second member of the Senate to visit Armenia this week, singled
out
the country’s robust economic growth. “I have seen and heard about the
significant progress made in Armenia since 1998,” he said. “It’s important for
Armenia to continue democratic reforms that always anchor democracy, enhance
freedom and therefore enhance growth and development.”
“That means fair, free and open elections,” he added.
Norm Coleman, another Republican senator, in Yerevan on Tuesday said that
Washington is trying to foster democratic elections in Armenia through an
“aggressive” support for economic reforms. He argued that economic development
will create a “better atmosphere for a free and democratic process.”
Hagel’s delegation arrived in Armenia from Azerbaijan as part of its tour of
Turkey, the South Caucasus and other regions which the senator said are
“critical” for the US It includes the deputy commander of the US troops in
Europe, General Charles Wald, and senior officials from the Pentagon and
Congress. Wald paid a separate visit to Yerevan last April.
Kocharian, according to his press service, discussed with the visiting US
officials ways of “expanding US-Armenian relations.” He was reported to have
welcomed their “dynamic development.”
The US delegation also visited the Yerevan headquarters of a special
peace-keeping battalion of the Armenian armed forces. Dozens of its servicemen
are currently involved in the US-led missions in Kosovo and Iraq.
Hagel, who sits on four Senate committees and chairs two of their
subcommittees, was also asked to comment on the transfer of Russian military
hardware from Georgia to Armenia which has prompted protests from Azerbaijan.
“This is an issue between the governments of Russia and Armenia,” he said. “I
have always believed that sovereign nations not only must act but will act in
their own self-interests.”
But Hagel went on to indicate that the US government, which pushed for the
closure of Russian military bases in Georgia, has serious misgivings about
continued Russian military presence in Armenia. “I think it has always been
the
policy of the United States–and I think it’s good policy–that military
presence of other nations in sovereign nations isn’t helpful in the regions of
the world that we are trying to bring peace and prosperity and settle very
serious conflicts like Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said.

3) Russia Reassures Azerbaijan on Weapons Transfer to Armenia

(AP)–A Russian diplomat sought to assuage Azerbaijani concerns about the
relocation of weapons from Georgia to Armenia, saying Thursday that the arms
and equipment would remain under Russian military control and would not
destabilize the region.
Azerbaijan has voiced fears about Russia’s plan to move weaponry from Georgia
to Armenia, which has been locked in a conflict with Azerbaijan over the
disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia is a staunch ally of Russia.
Pyotr Burdykin, Russia’s acting ambassador to Azerbaijan said Thursday that
the weaponry was being relocated under pressure to speed up the Russian
military withdrawal from Georgia. “We initially talked about returning all
these weapons to
Russia in normal conditions, but Georgia and other nations have insisted on
speeding it up and applied very strong pressure,” Burdykin told reporters in
Baku.
Russia agreed to begin withdrawing from two Soviet-era bases in Georgia by
the
end of the year and complete the pullout over the course of 2008.
“This transfer isn’t directed against any third country, and it’s not
going to
affect the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement,” Burdykin said. “There is no sense in
blowing it out of proportion.”
But Tahir Tagizade, a spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, said
moving
the weapons to Armenia would compromise Russia’s role as one of the
international
mediators to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “We will insist that Russia listen
to our concerns,” he said.
Mountainous Karabagh Republic’s (MKR) military on Thursday denied Azerbaijani
reports that an Azerbaijani soldier was killed Wednesday in a skirmish on the
border. Also, the head of the MKR election commission, Sergei Nasibian,
defended plans to hold parliamentary elections on June 19.
“Azerbaijani’s concerns that the parliamentary elections would be an obstacle
to peaceful settlement of the Mountainous Karabagh conflict are unfounded,”
Nasibian said.

4) Hai Tahd Council to Convene in Armenia

YEREVAN (Yerkir)The Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s (ARF) Hai Tahd
Council,
which is involved in promoting Armenian issues worldwide is scheduled to hold
its meeting in Yerevan, Armenia on June 3 and 4, reported the ARF Bureau’s
press service.
The meeting will bring together members of the ARF Bureau in charge of
related
activities, heads of the European and US Hai Tahd committees, directors of Hai
Tahd offices in Washington, DC, Brussels, Moscow, and Beirut, and the Yerevan
central office, as well as representatives of the ARF Supreme Body of Armenia,
and ARF Artsakh Central Committee.
The Council will discuss formulating strategy in the light of recent
international and regional developments, and will develop an action plan for
Hai Tahd offices worldwide.
Council representatives on Tuesday met with Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian to review emerging issues.

5) Dynamic Exhibit of Armin Wegner’s Works Kicks-off in Moscow

MOSCOW (ANI/PanArmenian.net)–The exhibit “Armin Wegner and the Armenian
Genocide” opened in Moscow on Tuesday at the Russian Cultural Institution, in
commemoration of the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
The exhibit is based on the book by Italian historian Giovanni Guaita, “A Cry
form Ararat: Armin Wegner and the Armenian Genocide,” which was recently
republished in Moscow.
Russian State Duma Deputies, prominent scholars, representatives of the
Serbian, Kurdish, Assyrian, and Tatar communities of Moscow were all on
hand at
the opening ceremony.
Senator Nikolay Ryzhkov noted the importance of denouncing the massive crime
that has been silenced by world powers, and urged non-Armenians to join the
fair struggle of the Armenian people.
International law specialist Professor Yuri Barsegov said recognition of the
Armenian genocide should be achieved via International Law, and must follow
with reparations.
A Cry form Ararat: Armin Wegner and the Armenian Genocide,” is Guaita’s third
work on Armenian issues.
He said that he undertook the project of presenting eyewitness Wegner’s rich
archive in order to remind humanity of history’s cruel pages. Guaita is now
working on his fourth project on Armenians.
The Russian-Armenian Cooperation Organization, which sponsored the exhibit,
said that the exhibition will travel to various Russian regions.
Armin T. Wegner, whose photographic collection documents conditions in
Armenian deportation camps in 1915-1916, was born in Germany in 1886. At the
outbreak of World War I, he enrolled as a volunteer nurse in Poland during the
winter of 1914-1915, and was decorated with the Iron Cross for assisting the
wounded under fire. In April 1915, following the military alliance of Germany
and Turkey, he was sent to the Middle East as a member of the German Sanitary
Corps. Between July and August, he used his leave to investigate the rumors
about the Armenian massacres that had reached him from several sources. In the
autumn of the same year, with the rank of second-lieutenant in the retinue of
Field Marshal Von der Goltz, commander of the 6th Ottoman army in Turkey, he
traveled through Asia Minor.
Eluding the strict orders of the Turkish and German authorities (intended to
prevent the spread of news, information, correspondence, visual evidence),
Wegner collected notes, annotations, documents, and letters and took hundreds
of photographs in the Armenian deportation camps. With the help of foreign
consulates and embassies of other countries, he was able to send some of this
material to Germany and the United States. His clandestine mail routes were
discovered and Wegner was arrested by the Germans at the request of the
Turkish
Command-and was put to serve in the cholera wards. Having fallen seriously
ill,
he left Baghdad for Constantinople in November 1916. Hidden in his belt were
his photographic plates and those of other German officers with images of the
Armenian Genocide to which he had been a witness. In December of the same year
he was recalled to Germany.
Wegner was deeply moved by the tragedy of the Armenian people to which he had
been eyewitness in Ottoman Turkey. Between 1918 and 1921, he became an active
member of pacifist and anti-military movements while dedicating his literary
and poetic output to the search for the truth about himself and his fellow
man.
On February 23, 1919, Wegner’s “Open Letter to President Wilson” appealing for
the creation of an independent Armenian state was published in Berliner
Tageblatt.
A man of conscience who protested his country’s responsibilities in the
Armenian Genocide, Wegner was also one of the earliest voices to protest
Hitler’s treatment of the Jews in Germany. He dedicated a great part of his
life to the fight for Armenian and Jewish human rights.
In 1968 he received an invitation to Armenia from the Catholicos of All
Armenians and was awarded with the Order of Saint Gregory the Illuminator.
Armin Wegner died in Rome at the age of 92 on May 17, 1978.

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United Press International
June 2 2005

First firing in U.N. oil-food scandal
By William M. Reilly

UPI United Nations Correspondent
Published June 2, 2005

UNITED NATIONS — The firing of Joseph Stephanides, director of the
U.N. Security Council Affairs Division, marks the first termination
ordered by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in connection with the Iraq
Oil-for-Food Program scandal.

Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for Annan, told reporters
Wednesday, “After a thorough review of all aspects of the case the
secretary-general has decided that Joseph Stephanides be summarily
dismissed for serious misconduct in accordance with the U.N. staff
regulations. Stephanides was advised accordingly (Tuesday) and was
separated from service with immediate affect.”

Stephanides said he would appeal.

Annan’s decision to dismiss Stephanides brought to 40 the
number of staffers who have been summarily fired since he became
secretary-general in 1997.

A 24-year-veteran of the world organization, Stephanides was involved
in awarding of contracts for the $64 billion Security Council-mandated
program to ease the suffering of Iraqi civilians under Security
Council-imposed sanctions against the regime of former Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein.

The Independent Inquiry Committee for the Iraq Oil-for-Food Program,
commissioned by Annan to investigate the scandal, issued a report
in February which found that a U.N. steering committee “prejudiced
and pre-empted the competitive process in a manner that rejected
the lowest qualified bidder” with the “active participation” of
Stephanides. He was immediately suspended and given time to respond
to the administrative charges against him as part of due process.

According to the IIC report, Stephanides violated procurement rules
to enable Britain’s famed Lloyd’s Register Inspection, Ltd. to
secure a multimillion dollar U.N. contract under oil-for-food. While
Stephanides acknowledged this to be a technical violation of the rules,
he contended he acted to benefit the United Nations by negotiating
the lowest price and not for personal gain, the report said.

However, the IIC did not accept this explanation, noting Stephanides
“shared information with and enlisted the United Kingdom’s assistance
in an effort to win the contract for Lloyd’s, not simply to obtain
a better price from Lloyd’s for a contract award that already had
been decided.”

The inquiry committee said it did “not doubt the sincerity of
Stephanides view that Lloyd’s was the best company for the contract
or that this view was shared by high-ranking officials of the United
Nations and some members of the Security Council,” but maintained
that rules which should have been followed were not.

Stephanides, 59, and Benon Sevan, 67, head of the oil-for food program,
were suspended with pay after the IIC, headed by former U.S.

Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, accused them of misconduct
in February.

Both men have said they were being made scapegoats, a view shared by
several at “U.N. HQ.”

Dujarric said any action that may be taken against Sevan, an
Armenian-Cypriot retained after retirement on a $1 a year contract
to keep him available, would be delayed until after the committee was
finished investigating him so that “if administrative action is to be
taken against Sevan it would be taken as a whole instead of piecemeal.”

The pensions of both Sevan and Stephanides, coincidentally also
a Cypriot, could not be affected by any disciplinary action, a
spokesman said.

Sevan, a 40-year veteran of the world organization, was accused in
the February interim report of a “grave conflict of interest” for
requesting Baghdad sell oil to a Swiss-based oil company, African
Middle East Petroleum Co. Ltd. Inc.

It said seeking oil from Iraq was “ethically improper and seriously
undermined the integrity of the United Nations.”

While the report did not accuse him of taking kickbacks, it did show
concern for $160,000 Sevan said he received between 1999 and 2003
from an aunt, a retired photographer for the government in Cyprus. She
recently died in a fall down an elevator shaft.

“Sevan never took a penny,” said his lawyer, Eric Lewis, in a recent
statement.

The gregarious Sevan, frequently seen in the vicinity of U.N.

World Headquarters in New York, recently in a nearby restaurant gave
a friendly cuff to a United Press International correspondent and to
the amusement of other people at the table, said: “I just wanted you
to see I am not running away from anything. I am right here.”

Saddam reputedly handed out oil vouchers to influential people who
could then sell them.

The Security Council’s oil-for-food scheme allowed Baghdad to sell oil
as long as the income went into a bank account to fund the purchase
of humanitarian goods, compensation to 1991 Gulf War victims and oil
infrastructure maintenance.

Saddam’s regime decided who could buy Iraqi oil, what goods to buy
and from whom. Then the U.N. Security Council’s “661 Committee,” named
after the authorizing resolution, vetted the requests, monitored the
contracts and watched out for the possibility any of the requested
goods might have “dual use” for building or maintaining weapons of
mass destruction or a means to deliver them.

All along, there was rampant smuggling of oil out of Iraq members of
the Security Council turned a blind eye to because it was heading in
most instances to allies.

Khanjian ditches dark characters for Sabah
By ken eisner

Georgia Straight, Canada
June 2 2005

Long-time fans of Canadian film know Arsinee Khanjian as the
dark-browed muse in most films by Atom Egoyan, to whom she happens
to be married. The obsessive fan in Speaking Parts might be the most
memorable turn, or maybe the pregnant strip-club manager in Exotica.
Or perhaps they caught her as the world’s worst mother in Catherine
Breillat’s ornery Fat Girl. But Khanjian lightens up considerably in
Sabah, a new cross-cultural romantic comedy from Toronto filmmaker
Ruba Nadda.

Playing the title character, a never-married Muslim who has just
turned 40, Khanjian is on-screen for virtually every moment of the
film, which allows her, and us, to explore the warm and fuzzy side
of her nature as never before.

Actually in her mid-40s, the veteran actor drew on her own childhood
experiences, as an Armenian born in the Middle East, to round out the
character drawn by Nadda, whose parents are Syrian, although she was
born in this country.

“I was 17 when I left Lebanon,” Khanjian says in a call from her
home in Toronto. “Until my later years, I was very much in the heart
of the Armenian community, its social and cultural life. It wasn’t
until I was attending university in Canada, in Montreal, that I was
exposed to more, to the greater world.”

Although studying English and French-her language skills have been a
notable asset, especially in recent forays into European filmmaking-she
got an MA in political science as per her parents’ wishes.

“I delivered that,” she adds conclusively. At the same time, she
participated in amateur and collegiate dramatics. That’s how she met
Egoyan, a neophyte filmmaker looking for Armenians to play the main
family in his first feature, Next of Kin.

“I broke away in a very drastic way. Leaving Montreal to move to
Toronto, when I met Atom, was more than physical. The Armenian
community was much smaller and harder to find. And I knew I had to
reevaluate what I was raised with, in which everything was very much
based on that community, on those values.

“I broke a few taboos: I got a divorce-because I was married at
the time-and then by choosing this profession, which was somewhat
permissible as a hobby but not something for a serious person.”

The script for Sabah twigged the memory of all that, as the Gershwin
brothers put it. And it didn’t hurt that it would give Khanjian a
shot at her first bonafide lead.

“I loved the part when I first read it three years ago,” she recalls.
“I don’t belong to that specific culture, but I have a sense of
intimacy with the issues. And the specifics are very similar. In
fact, I have lived it more than Ruba has, since she was born in
Canada. We tried to make each other understand that we were on the
same wavelength.”

In some ways, taking the role meant shaking off a head scarf of
another sort.

“People are used to me playing darker characters in complex pursuit
of some idea. This is much more basic. I put a tremendous effort
into staying at the direct level of what I was communicating. We
were all playing a moment for itself, instead of serving the story. I
took the chance to make her as real as I could, and it wasn’t easy;
I had to learn four things at the same time!”

She’s referring to the fact that she needed to pick up a Syrian dialect
of Arabic, dive convincingly for the many pool scenes, make basketball
look fun in heavy clothes and a head scarf, and, most difficult of all,
groove on some serious belly dancing like she meant it.

“That was the toughest thing I’ve ever done. It threw out my back,
the first time I did it.”

The character-who is the only genuinely religious person in her family,
we should add-also undertakes some other small diversions, like
drinking alcohol and kissing a man not her husband and a non-Muslim,
too boot, when she falls in love with an amiable Anglo-Canadian
(as played by Shawn Doyle).

“These things are big no-nos, and some people are not going to like
that. But, hopefully, the audience is going to understand that these
are not suggestions for living. Sabah knows where her commitment lies,
and that’s where the freedom comes into play. It’s only by trying that
you can know where your values lie. Any code or ritual is ultimately
nothing on its own. We can pick and choose what is necessary to keep.

“You know, the reason all immigrants come here is for a better
opportunity for their children, but they often don’t understand that
there will be many changes for them, personally. The immigration
questionnaire doesn’t ask you if you are emotionally prepared to deal
with the changes. But maybe it should.”

Khanjian’s view of the film was challenged when the film debuted
earlier this year at the Rotterdam Film Festival in a 1,000-seat
theatre packed mostly with immigrant women wearing the hejab, most
of whom stuck around for a post-screening Q?&?A session.

“I was already nervous being a non-Muslim playing a Muslim woman. As
much as I was familiar with the codes, I was worried that it wouldn’t
read as authentic enough. But the reaction of the women was very
uplifting, and our answers were very respectfully listened to. What
we were saying was that whatever change Sabah goes through, it has
to come from within. And that was warmly received.”

Currently, Khanjian is also appearing in Egoyan’s latest, Where the
Truth Lies, which stars Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon as a variation on
the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis team. The movie just premiered at Cannes,
and this has been the first time she chose between promoting her own
film over his. She stayed in Toronto while her husband flew to France.

Apparently, the movie tested some of her own family taboos. The love
scenes made Egoyan “uncomfortable”, she admits. And as executive
producer of the low-budget project, he saw far more of that footage
than she did.

“That’s what Ruba told me, anyway. He [Egoyan] sat through the rushes,
but I heard that he did a lot of fast-forwarding. At the same time,
he was fascinated by the emotional immediacy of those scenes, since
that’s something people tend to say his films lack.”

If Sabah represents a challenge on a couple of levels, it’s a signal
to filmgoers, and makers, that Khanjian is capable of far more than
they have previously seen.

“It’s true, you know, that for a long time I was only in Atom’s
movies, and that’s what directors saw. In their mind, I belonged to
Atom Egoyan. But then people like Catherine Breillat, Michael Haneke,
and Ken Finkleman gave me a chance to do different things. And now,
I have to say, comedy is what I’d love to be doing. Yes, I can smile.
And perhaps make other people smile.”

AZERBAIJANI-CZECH YOUTH SOCIETY MARKS REPUBLIC DAY
[June 02, 2005, 20:53:30]

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 2 2005

The Azerbaijani-Czech Youth Society has organized a special event in
the Czech Technical University in Brno to mark May 28, the Republic
Day of Azerbaijan, press-service of the State Committee for the
Working with Azerbaijanis Living in Foreign Countries reports.

Speaking Elshad Tagiyev, the Cochairman of the Society, told of
the history of the establishment of the Democratic Republic of
Azerbaijan, the centuries-old struggle of the Azerbaijani people
for their Independence, as well as touche on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. He also dwelt on the economical development of modern state
of Azerbaijan, its successful oil strategy, democratic reforms being
implemented in the country, as well as its place in the system of
international relations.

Eltay Dilbazi, Chairman of the Board of the Society, Master of
International Relations Department of Masaryk University spoke of the
history of Azerbaijan’s oil industry and the BTC project, the current
socio-political situation in the country, as well as its relations
with the USA and the European countries.

Next time, the Azerbaijani-Czech Youth Society is planning to gather
in capital, Prague to mark the National Salvation Day of Azerbaijan.

Arinc’s Washington Visit
By ALI H. ASLAN
06.02.2005 Thursday – ISTANBUL 22:54

Zaman, Turkey
June 2 2005

A visit by Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc to Washington,
before Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rendezvous with
President Bush next week, was first received with a little caution
among circles which consider the improvement of Turkish-American
relations important. We even heard rumors that Prime Minister Erdogan
and Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul were not thrilled about
this visit. But worriers can be at ease, because Arinc’s engagements
last week were quite successful and contributed to the Washington
landing of the Justice and Development Party (JDP) administration,
which seems willing to renew the friendship with the US.

Before the visit, the question, “What kind of a welcome would the
Speaker of a Parliament that rejected the deployment motion get from
Washington?” was crossing the minds of many. First of all, Arinc
receiving an invitation from his American counterpart, House Speaker
Dennis Hastert, showed the determination of the American side to
focus on the dimensions of positive relations, from now on. Moreover,
without waiting for Arinc to defend the Turkish Parliament’s decision
against the motion, Hastert made a nice gesture by saying that
the differences of approach between the legislative and executive
bodies should be considered as normal in democracies. Another sign of
respect and goodwill was that Hastert, the No. 3 man in the official
US hierarchy, had a long meeting with Arinc that lasted for an hour.

These were not the only nice gestures. The real surprise came at the
White House. Vice President Richard Cheney took part in Arinc’s meeting
with National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley. It is a tradition in the
White House for superiors to step into the room and say “welcome” as a
gesture and chat for a few minutes when valued guests are there. But,
as if this gesture was not enough, Cheney participated in the greater
part of the 45-minute talk.

>>From what Arinc told us at the press conference, we understand
there were no different topics of discussion on the agenda other
than what we already know and no progress was made on the disputed
issues. But high-level dialogues, especially if they are held in a
warm and constructive atmosphere, are generally useful. Hence, Turkish
diplomats, including Turkey’s Ambassador to Washington Faruk Lologlu,
all had smiling faces.

It was a very wise thing on the part of Arinc to have brought one of
the best simultaneous translators in Turkey along with him. Moreover,
his clear talk with a soft tone, decorated with cheerful jokes, left
a positive impression on even listeners who do not know Turkish.
Besides, straightforwardness and honesty are virtues even enemies
would appreciate. I hope, as a result of this performance by Arinc
in Washington, some circles that see or try to portray JDP leaders
as fundamentalist monsters have learned their lessons as well.

Surely, the content of a dialogue at least is as important as its
style. One of my American friends, whom I asked how he liked the speech
Arinc made at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
and the Q&A session, responded, “Not bad,” adding, “Looks like they got
the message particularly about the support for the democratic reforms
in the region.” Within the circles I am in contact with, Arinc’s
presentation was described as more successful than that of Foreign
Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador Ali Tuygan. A US administration
official told me that they very much appreciated Arinc choosing a
position in favor of the freedom of speech and thought, regarding
the controversial Armenian Conference at the Bogazici University.

So, why was there so much interest in Arinc in Washington? Is he
well liked? Or are American-Turkish relations, which were problematic
until yesterday, back on track? The answer to the questions above is
“No.” The Washington administration would have contradicted itself if
it had not shown the necessary respect to the Parliament Speaker of
Turkey, which is one of the most democratic states within the Islamic
world, when they have declared that they have launched a campaign
for freedom and democracy in the world and are pursuing an urgent
reform policy in our region. Moreover, the Grand National Assembly of
Turkey is an institution, which has proven its commitment to Turkey’s
European Union (EU) membership process, one of the most important
strategic goals of the US, by enacting a record number of reform bills.

Americans would like to open a new chapter in ties with Turkey by
leaving aside the deep disappointment and resentment as a result
of March 1 motion period, in which they could not match Ankara in
terms of administrative style or outcome, and the rhetoric from the
government’s and Parliament’s most authoritative mouthpieces, which
escalated the anti-Americanism among the public, in short, attitudes
they were not expecting from a friend and ally. They seem pleased with
the recent public statements from the government, which highlight the
importance of Turkish-American relations, Incirlik Base permission,
goodwill gestures like the Lockheed Martin bid and attempts to increase
dialogue. However, they think that there wasn’t enough time to narrate
these positive developments to prove continuity. In short, they have
the view that more time is needed for relations to fully recover.

In this context, Arinc’s visit was helpful. If the bilaterals of
the executive body also go well next week, and the will to hold
friendship and cooperation tight perseveres, we might look to the
future of Turkish-American relations with a little bit more hope…

BELGIUM WITHDRAWS BILL ON SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Turkish Press
June 2 2005

Press Review:

TURKIYE

The Belgium Senate Justice Commission yesterday withdrew a bill
proposing fines and jail terms for people who deny the so-called
Armenian genocide allegations. The Armenian lobby was shocked by the
decision. ‘We finally decided to withdraw the proposal because we
need to consider the issue more seriously,” Belgian Prime Minister
Guy Verhofstadt is reported to have said. The bill is now expected to
be retuned to the Federal Assembly, which previously approved it and
sent it to the Senate. Justice Minister Laurette Onkelix remarked that
since a political institution should not evaluate historical events,
the Senate has decided to leave the issue to the historians of both
the Turkish and Armenian sides. /Turkiye/

RIA Novosti, Russia
June 2 2005

No new agreements have to be inked for taking Russian military
hardware from Georgia to Armenia – Armenian Defense Ministry
21:11

YEREVAN, June 2 (RIA Novosti, Gamlet Matevosyan) – The moving
of Russian military equipment from Georgia to Armenia will not
necessitate the conclusion of new agreements, press secretary Colonel
Seiran Shakhsuvarian of the Armenian defense minister told RIA Novosti
on Thursday.

The lifting to Armenia of part of equipment from the Russian military
bases stationed in Georgia is regulated by the Armenian-Russian
agreement on military cooperation and the disposition of the Russian
military bases in Armenia, the quotas obligations provided for in
the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, he said.

“For this reason there’s no need to conclude a new document or a new
agreement between the sides for bringing Russian military equipment
to Armenia,” Shakhsuvarian said.

On Tuesday a trainload of military equipment and ammunition had set
off from the Batumi base to the Armenian town of Gyumri, he recalled.

Simultaneously, Shakhsuvarian noted that relocation of Russian
servicemen from Georgia to Armenia has not yet been spoken of.

Back in 1995, in keeping with the Armenian-Russian interstate
agreement, the Russian 102nd military base was deployed near Gyumri and
is now doing combat duty within the framework of the united air-defense
system of countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The base is subordinated to the Transcaucasian group of troops of the
Russian North Caucasian military district. The base has an aircraft
missile system S-300 and MiG-29 fighters, a 5,000-strong personnel.

The possibility of relocating Russian military bases from Georgia
to Armenia has worried Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. It believes
that the relocation will not be conducive to settling the drawn-out
Armenian-Azeri conflict around Nagorny Karabakh, an Armenian enclave
in Azerbaijan.

Russia: Could North Ossetian Leader’s Departure Herald Other Resignations?
By Jean-Christophe Peuch

Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic
June 2 2005

North Ossetia’s 71-year-old president, Aleksandr Dzasokhov, announced
his resignation on 31 May after talks with President Vladimir Putin’s
envoy to southern Russia. The veteran leader said he is stepping down
voluntarily so that a younger politician can take his place. But
analysts believe that the Kremlin forced Dzasokhov out in a bid to
reassert central control over the small North Caucasus republic. Will
other regional leaders soon follow?

Prague, 2 June 2005 (RFE/RL) — Addressing reporters at the outcome
of a meeting with Dmitrii Kozak, the presidential envoy to Russia’s
Southern Federal District, Dzasokhov said he had sent a letter to
Putin requesting that his term in office be abridged.

Dzasokhov said the decision was motivated by his belief that North
Ossetia needs a younger leader.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve made the right decision,” Dzasokhov said. “It
is extremely important that we open the way to a younger generation.
We should sometimes look at ourselves with hindsight. We would then
see that following us is a generation of politically mature and
well-prepared people.”

Under Russian law, Putin has 14 days to nominate a replacement from
among the three candidates Kozak identified by name on 31 May. The
most prominent prospect is 54-year-old parliamentary speaker Taimuraz
Mamsurov, a longtime ally of Dzasokhov and the leader of the regional
branch of Unified Russia, Putin’s power base.

Officially, North Ossetia’s lawmakers can reject the Russian
president’s choice, but that is considered unlikely.

A longtime Communist leader, Dzasokhov first became North Ossetia’s
president in 1998. He was reelected three years ago. His current
mandate was due to expire at the end of this year.

Dzasokhov claimed he first thought about stepping down well before
the September 2004 Beslan hostage crisis that resulted in the deaths
of more than 300 people, many of whom were schoolchildren.

Accusing Dzasokhov of mishandling the crisis, Beslan residents and
regional opposition parties staged street rallies for months, demanding
his resignation. In January, protesters blockaded the main highway
linking southern Russia to Azerbaijan.Russia’s “Nezavisimaya gazeta”
and “Kommersant” newspapers yesterday quoted unidentified government
officials as saying Dzasokhov resigned under direct pressure from
Kremlin envoy Kozak.

Despite his earlier criticism of Dzasokhov, Putin yesterday denied
he had anything to do with the departure of the North Ossetian leader.

But most political commentators believe Dzasokhov did not decide to
step down on his own. Russia’s “Nezavisimaya gazeta” and “Kommersant”
newspapers yesterday quoted unidentified government officials as saying
Dzasokhov resigned under direct pressure from Kremlin envoy Kozak.

Both dailies suggested the final decision to dismiss Dzasokhov
was reached two months ago after he refused to sign an agreement
to facilitate the return to North Ossetia’s Prigorodny district of
ethnic Ingush displaced by the 1992 Ossetian-Ingush conflict.

But analysts argue that the Kremlin had many other reasons to replace
Dzasokhov — who was considered loyal but no longer able to manage
his small republic.

Vakha Petrov is editor in chief of yufo.ru, an information website
specializing in regional affairs based in the southern Russian city of
Rostov-on-Don. He told RFE/RL that years of economic mismanagement,
corruption, and clan politics had long undermined Dzasokhov’s
popularity.

“Dzasokhov had long stopped suiting the Kremlin, even before the Beslan
events,” Petrov said. “His position within the republic had already
been weakened, and with Beslan he lost all remnants of legitimacy. His
rating then dropped down to 7 percent. You can imagine what this means
for the head of a republic, especially in the North Caucasus region,
where the situation can explode at any moment. Dzasokhov had lost
all legitimacy, and it seems that this is why it had been decided
to dismiss him long ago. Simply, the implementation of this decision
had been delayed.”

Petrov said he believes the main reason that federal authorities
refrained from dismissing Dzasokhov immediately after Beslan is that
they did not want to give the impression they were yielding to pressure
from the public. He said Kremlin officials feared this might trigger
a wave of similar protests in neighboring republics.

Grigorii Shvedov, the editor in chief of Russia’s “Caucasian Knot”
information website, said he believes other unpopular regional leaders
— such as Kabardino-Balkariya’s Valerii Kokov, Daghestan’s State
Council Chairman Magomedali Magomedov, or Ingushetia’s Murat Zyazikov
— might soon meet a fate similar to Dzasokhov’s.

“I believe the [North Ossetian] model will be applied elsewhere,”
Shvedov said. “The only question is whether the Kremlin has a real
plan. The actions of the federal authorities show that they have
no strategic development plan for either the North Caucasus or the
Southern Federal District as a whole. There is a Russian policy toward
Georgia. There are Russian policies toward Armenia and Azerbaijan —
even if they contradict each other. But, aside from a vague idea that
we need to combat Wahabbism — which allegedly embodies terrorism —
we don’t know of any clear-cut policy toward the North Caucasus.”

Putin has long indicated he is unhappy with the leaders of the North
Caucasus republics.

In a televised interview in 2004, the Russian president castigated
the region’s leaders, citing as an example a multiple-murder case
involving the son-in-law of Karachaevo-Cherkessia’s President Mustafa
Batdyev and the street protests it had triggered.

“What we have there are regional clans that are vying for influence
and trying to use power leverage to settle economic problems and
divide up property,” Putin said.

Regional experts appear to support the idea that the decision to
replace Dzasokhov stems from Putin’s plans to reinforce the so-called
power vertical throughout the North Caucasus area.

Petrov of yufo.ru warned that any attempt at disrupting the balance
of power that exists, for example, in Daghestan — where the regional
leader is chosen under a delicate ethnicity-based rotating system —
could foster further destabilization.

“If the head of this republic were to be appointed [by the Kremlin],
that would signal the end of the existing system and could create
serious problems,” Petrov said. “One can even say with a great deal
of certainty that that would trigger political tensions that could in
turn degenerate into full-scale interethnic unrest. The same thing goes
for all republics in the region — even though it is less of a problem
in Karachaevo-Cherkessia, or, to an even lesser extent, in Ingushetia.”

Petrov said the Kremlin, which is reportedly aware of those risks,
might play for time and “decide not to decide” — that is, to not
replace other regional leaders in the immediate future.

In the meantime, Dzasokhov suggested a possible way out. The outgoing
North Ossetian leader voiced comments on 31 May that sounded like a
thinly veiled recommendation to his regional counterparts.

“I am setting a precedent,” he told journalists in Vladikavkaz, adding,
“While everyone else is trying to have his mandate extended, I decided
to shorten mine.”

Turkey Resilient Despite Europe’s Crisis

Deutsche Welle, Germany
June 2 2005

The constitution may be in tatters but Erdogan and Gul’s hopes remain

Turkey’s hopes of EU accession remain high despite the rejection of
the EU constitution by France and the Netherlands and a potential
swing to the right in Ankara’s key supporter Germany.

Despite making steps to improve its human rights record and the
treatment of women in its society, Turkey now faces an increasingly
uphill battle in its bid to become a member of the European Union.

The fact that this situation arises through no fault of its own has
only made Turkey more resilient in its accession campaign.

The double ‘no’ vote from France and the Netherlands on the European
constitution may have left the treaty in tatters but Turkey remains
committed to becoming a member of this dysfunctional family.

“We keep our hopes alive that the problems that have emerged will
also be overcome and European integration will be taken forward to
new targets as the necessary lessons are learned from the democratic
decisions of the French and Dutch people,” a statement from the
Turkish government released on Thursday said.

“Turkey will keep up efforts to accomplish the choice that the
overwhelming part of its people has made. Our fundamental objective in
the coming days is to ensure the successful completion of membership
negotiations with the European Union which will start on October 3,”
it added.

When the heads of the EU states agreed to open accession negotiations
with Turkey in December and penciled in the October 3 start date
on condition of progress in the Cyprus situation, few would have
predicted the bloc to be in such turmoil as it got closer to the time
of the talks.

Turkey cited as reason for rejection

But for Turkey, the state of the bloc it so desperately wants to
join matters little. There is no mention of Turkey’s entry in the
constitutional text and there is no law which states that new members
cannot be admitted until there is a valid constitution in place.

However, as Turkey’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul admitted recently,
while it does not directly affect the process surrounding an accession
bid, the Dutch and French rejection of the treaty does change the
political climate; a change which could prove costly to Turkey.

While the constitution text did not mention Turkey, the idea of the
Islamic country joining the EU was definitely a referendum issue,
as much as part of the whole enlargement discussion as one regarding
the specifics of 70 million Turks joining the EU.

In France, where many right-wing groups brought up the Turkey question
as part of the ‘non’ campaign, President Jacques Chirac’s position has
been severely weakened. Before the referendum, Chirac was a staunch
supporter of Turkey’s bid. Now, he may have to pacify an empowered
populace by toning down his support.

Conservative Germany could cripple bid

Germany, another of Turkey’s main supporters, may have not had to
go through the potentially painful process of a referendum to ratify
the constitution but still faces internal upheaval which may dilute
or even dissolve its patronage of Turkey’s bid.

The possibility of Gerhard Schroder’s center-left coalition of Social
Democrats (SPD) and Greens being ousted from government in early
federal elections this year may lead to a conservative administration
taking the reins. A conservative administration which has publicly
opposed Turkey’s entry to the EU in favor of a diluted “privileged
partnership” version which would have no voting rights.

The “privileged partnership” was originally spoken of by the Christian
Social Union (CSU) leader Edmund Stoiber in December but it has been
adopted by the recently nominated Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU)
chancellor candidate Angela Merkel.

One week ago, the CDU leader reiterated the opposition’s stance
on Turkey, saying that Turkey should only be allowed to take part
in accession talks if it has recognized Cyprus as a state under
international law and has renewed diplomatic relations with Armenia
by October.

While Abdullah Gul indirectly rejected Merkel’s calls, Turkish Economy
Minister Ali Babacan took a more pragmatic approach. “There may be
different views in the EU (on Turkey’s candidacy). The important
thing is the EU has decided to start negotiations on October 3 and
has embarked on an irreversible path for Turkey,” he told a business
conference in televised remarks.

“It’s not easy to say what kind of political environment there will
be in Europe in 10 years’ time but we don’t doubt the differences in
EU perceptions of Turkey will narrow,” he said.

SE European media roundup on EU-related issues 26 May-1 Jun 05

BBC Monitoring Service – United Kingdom
Jun 02, 2005

For queries and feedback please contact Duty Editor, Europe, on 0186254
(internal) or 0118 948 6254 (external), or email [email protected]

The following is a roundup of media reports on EU-related issues from
the applicant countries in Southeastern Europe between 26 May and 1
Jun 2005:

BULGARIA

France/EU Constitution

Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi said that although the referendum in
France had no direct connection to Bulgaria’s accession to the EU,
it would indirectly, “strengthen the Eurosceptic sentiments in Europe”.

(Darik Radio, Sofia, in Bulgarian 1500 gmt 30 May 05)

EU entry/ties with Estonia

President Georgi Purvanov said he expected Estonia to fight to
keep the rules for the EU candidates unchanged because there were
voices calling for change in the conditions with respect to Bulgaria
and Romania. Purvanov said that he expected expert assistance from
Estonia, especially in the field of environmental protection, where
the Estonians had great experience, and the EU was being exacting on
this issue.

(BGNES web site, Sofia, in Bulgarian 1053 gmt 26 May 05)

EU/Libya/nurses

Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi said that the future of relations
between the European Union and Libya in the framework of the Barcelona
Process would depend on the resolution of some outstanding problems,
including the problem of the Bulgarian nurses in Tripoli. He also said
that the issue of Bulgarian medics in Libya should not be politicized.

(BTA website, Sofia, in English 30 May 05)

EU/refugees

The government approved a National Programme on Integration of Refugees
in Bulgaria for the 2005-2007. The Refugee Agency with the Council of
Ministers is applying for the funding of a project on the establishment
of a refugee finger print system under PHARE. The programme focuses
on the measures for integration, accommodation, professional training,
education, healthcare and social assistance of refugees.

(BTA web site, Sofia, in English 26 May 05)

CROATIA

Croatia/poll

Those in favour of and those against Croatia’s entry into the EU have
for months been neck and neck. According to the latest opinion poll
of 1,000 people conducted by Puls agency, if a referendum were to be
held today it would be unsuccessful, because only 45 per cent support
EU entry.

Almost three quarters of the respondents believe that the country
is moving in the wrong direction, which is the largest number of
dissatisfied people so far. Only 14 per cent of those polled believe
that the country is moving in the right direction.

Actions by Prime Minister Ivo Sanader’s cabinet are not supported by
58 per cent of those polled, while 22 per cent of them support them.

(HRT1 TV, Zagreb, in Croatian 1730 gmt 31 May 05)

Croatia/French referendum

Commenting on the French rejection of the EU Constitutional Treaty,
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader has said that such an outcome can neither
jeopardize the idea of European integration nor have negative
consequences for Croatia’s status.

“Here in Croatia we will also have to see what consequences this will
have for us. I certainly hope that Europe, or rather the EU, will not
become exasperated by the enlargement process. Croatia is a candidate
country and we expect the talks on EU entry to start soon. Therefore
I expect, and will request that the result of the French referendum
will have no negative effect on Croatia’s association with the Union,”
Sanader said.

(Croatian Radio, Zagreb, in Croatian 1300 gmt 30 May 05)

MACEDONIA

Macedonia/EU/French referendum

Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski has said that France’s
rejection of the European Constitution would not have negative
repercussions on Skopje’s bid to join the EU.

“I do not think that it will reflect negatively on Macedonia’s
aspirations to be a part of the European family by the end of this
decade. On the contrary, it will initiate new, more dramatic reforms
within the EU. We should not be worried, the EU should be worried,”
he said.

Meanwhile in Zagreb, Macedonian and Croatian Presidents Branko
Crvenkovski and Stipe Mesic respectively, who met on 1 June, said
that France’s No to the European Constitution was not expected to
stop their two countries on the path to the EU.

“France’s rejection of the European Constitution must not stop reforms
in our countries and the fulfilment of standards. We must do those
things that are up to us,” Crvenkovski said after his talks with Mesic.

(MIA news agency, Skopje, in English 1330 gmt 25 May 05; HINA news
agency, Zagreb, in English 1412 gmt 1 Jun 05)

Macedonia/EU/name dispute

The dispute over Macedonia’s official name between Skopje and Athens
cannot be part of the political criteria for Macedonia’s EU membership,
although it could have a negative impact on its road to Brussels,
Deputy Prime Minister Radmila Sekerinska has said. With the signing
of the Interim Accord, Greece has committed itself not to block
Macedonia’s integration in European institutions, but this kind of
behaviour on the part of Greece – linkage between EU candidacy and
the resolution of the name dispute – could constitute a violation of
the accord’s decree, she said.

Sekerinska said that, nevertheless, Macedonia should not compromises,
adding that she was convinced it would receive a positive avis from
the European Commission.

(MIA news agency, Skopje, in English 1113 gmt 30 May 05)

Macedonia/NATO/talks

Macedonia is becoming a serious candidate for the next NATO
enlargement, Foreign and Defence Ministers Ilinka Mitreva and Jovan
Manasievski respectively said after meeting the North Atlantic
Partnership Council in Brussels on 27 May. The meeting with NATO
ambassadors focused on a report on Macedonia’s progress in implementing
the action plan for NATO membership.

All reform processes were reviewed at the meeting, including the
legislation on combating corruption and organized crime, implementation
of the Framework Agreement, and the economic situation. The NATO envoys
are said to have highly appreciated the progress Macedonia was making
in defence reforms, especially the transformation of the armed forces.

(MIA news agency, Skopje, in English 1429 gmt 27 May 05)

Macedonia/Pope/regional ties

Pope Benedict XVI has said that Macedonia’s pledge for peace can
serve as an example to other Balkan nations, as cultural differences
are often a source of misunderstanding among peoples and a reason for
senseless wars. The Pope said this in a message to the new Macedonian
ambassador to the Holy See, Bartolomej Kajtazi, who handed his
credentials on 27 May.

He said that Europe needed the Balkan peoples and that European
integration would lose its sense if it referred to economic and
geographical borders.

(MIA news agency, Skopje, in English 1509 gmt 27 May 05)

Macedonia/community rights

The Macedonian government adopted on 26 May a draft law on the use
of community flags, by which the flags of ethnic communities that
represent the majority in a municipality would be used alongside
the Macedonian flag. The Albanian community is in the majority in 16
municipalities, the Turkish in two, and the Roma in one.

(MIA news agency, Skopje, in English 1347 gmt 27 May 05)

ROMANIA

French EU vote

President Traian Basescu said that the rejection of the European
Constitution in France did not affect Romania’s EU entry on 1
January 2007 because Bucharest had signed a treaty containing precise
stipulations.

Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu said, however, that although
the French vote did not have juridical consequences on Romania’s EU
entry, it still created additional obligations, and therefore the
integration process would become more difficult.

(Radio Romania Actualitati, Bucharest, in Romanian 1300 gmt 30 May 05)

Foreign Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu said that the French vote in
the referendum on the European Constitution would not affect Romania’s
EU entry.

“We say clearly that the European Union is facing no blockage. Its
institutions remain intact. The decisions are made based on the
Nice Treaty, which today is in effect. We emphasize that there is no
connection between the vote of the French citizens on the European
Constitution and the continuation of the EU enlargement with the
admission of Romania and Bulgaria,” he said.

Ungureanu said, however, that the French electorate’s opinion would
exert a certain influence on the climate of intra-EU negotiations
and on the political projects currently under debate.

(Radio Romania Actualitati, Bucharest, in Romanian 1300 gmt 30 May 05)

Romanian President Traian Basescu said the French vote on the EU
Constitution must be seen in a detached manner. He said this would
have an influence from the perspective of the political evolution
in the European area. “Europe does not come to an end because of the
French negative vote in the referendum, even if it will have a great
influence upon the constitution,” he said.

(Rompres web site, Bucharest, in English 0955 gmt 30 May 05)

EU entry/early elections

Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said that early elections were
not ruled out but the problem was when to call them so as not to
hinder Romania’s accession to the European Union. “Given that late
this October the European Commission will issue a monitoring report
on Romania’s progress, I would rather we concentrated on this very
serious scrutiny, which Romania has to pass, and tackle the snap
elections afterwards,” he said .

(Rompres news agency, Bucharest, in English 0626 gmt 31 May 05)

Survey/”Euroscepticism”

According to an opinion poll, Romanians’ confidence in the European
Union has decreased drastically in the past six months. In autumn last
year, 74 per cent of the population said they trusted the European
Union (in a different, Eurobarometer poll – editor’s note). Now the
figure has fallen by almost 25 per cent, down to 48 per cent. According
to sociologists, the most pessimistic Romanians are those living in
rural areas, who do not know even the minimum of things about the
European Union. The sociologists blame the media for presenting the
negative impact of Romania’s EU entry on our farming.

(Evenimentul Zilei website, Bucharest, in Romanian 31 May 05)

EU talks/border control

Minister of Administration and the Interior Vasile Blaga said that
the contract aimed at making Romania’s borders safer, that the former
government and the French-German EADS concern concluded, would be
renegotiated. Blaga expects 420m euro to be saved. The agreement
with EADS worth 650m euro will be renegotiated at the request of the
European Commission. If Romania had run the initially signed contract
it would not have been allowed access to the EU non-repayable funds.

Blaga said EADS company responded favourably to the request to have
the contract re-discussed, and the Romanian authorities are ready to
start the negotiations next week.

On the other hand, an investigation will start at the Interior
Ministry’s level to find the way the first payments in EADS contract
were made, the minister announced.

Romania, after Finland, will have the longer external border with the
EU and must make its borders with Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova,
the Black Sea and Serbia safer.

(Rompres web site, Bucharest, in English 1620 gmt 26 May 05)

TURKEY

French EU vote/ reactions

Turkish Prime Minister and Justice and Development Party leader
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the result of referendum on the EU
Constitution in France would not hamper Turkey’s EU bid. “…We
continue fulfilling the necessary conditions of the negotiation
process upon the decision on 17 December. We expect to start membership
negotiations on 3 October. The timetable and road map of Turkey are
certain,” he said.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 0943 gmt 31 May 05)

Government spokesman and Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that
the result of referendum in France on the EU Constitution was not a
pre-condition for Turkey’s negotiation with the EU on 3 October.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 1921 gmt 30 May 05)

Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan said that the ministry believed
that the EU would be overcome problems and ratify the EU constitution
“with common sense”. Tan said that Turkey’s membership bid was
used as a tool of internal politics by several circles during the
referendum campaign and added that Turkey had increased the level of
its preparations for full membership negotiations to be launched on
3 October.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 1057 gmt 30 May 05)

Prime Minister Erdogan said that it was “ugly and wrong” to use Turkey
in some countries’ domestic policies. “When some circles frequently
bring up the topic of Turkey, we get upset and concerned,” he said.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 0715 gmt 27 May 05)

EU talks/”privileged membership” issue

When asked if Turkey has been offered privileged partnership instead
of full EU membership, Prime Minister Erdogan replied: “That matter
is history. All such offers are in the past. There is no such offer
in our agenda.”

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 0715 gmt 27 May 05)

Republican People’s Party leader Deniz Baykal said that Turkey should
insist on full EU membership without taking into consideration other
alternatives such as “special status”.

“The thing that matters for us is Turkey’s decisiveness in its
EU bid. We should insist on Turkey’s full membership to the EU by
defending our acquired rights and we shouldn’t take into consideration
other alternatives like special status,” Baykal said.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 1322 gmt 31 May 05)

EU talks/penal code

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer’s veto on Turkish Penal Code did not affect Turkey’s EU
process. “We have adopted all laws and Penal Code… It will come
into effect on 1 June. Issues which concern the EU and laws about
political criteria were all changed. Thus, we have fulfilled all of
our responsibilities. We will now implement them. We will carefully
follow the implementations,” he said.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 1559 gmt 31 May 05)

EU talks/Cyprus/customs union

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that the protocol extending Turkey’s
customs union with the EU to cover the new members, including Cyprus
could be signed within a few weeks. “I don’t know how long it will
last, one or two weeks,” said Gul. When asked if the protocol would
be signed during the acting presidency of Luxembourg, Gul said that
it didn’t matter for Turkey and it depended on the EU.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 1424 gmt 31 May 05)

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Greek Cypriots had
not done their part in seeking a solution to the Cyprus issue and
that that was the main reason why there was no solution. “The Greek
Cypriot administration has not fulfilled its task. If Cyprus problem
has not been solved, the Greek Cypriot side is the number one reason
of this insolubility.” he said.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 0715 gmt 27 May 05)

EU/IMF/new chief negotiator

The newly appointed chief EU negotiator, Ali Babacan, said that as
of this year, the relations with the IMF would gradually decrease
and disappear and they would be replaced by the EU. Babacan noted
that the negotiation process to begin with the EU on 3 October would
focus on economic issues. Babacan remarked that structural reforms
and transformations along the EU axis would increasingly replace the
IMF. He also said that the Turkish economy would advance alongside the
negotiation process and those who expected delays in the negotiation
process would be disappointed.

(NTV television, Istanbul, in Turkish 0600 gmt 28 May 05)

EU talks/UK support

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw called Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul to assure him that negotiations between Turkey and the EU would
start on 3 October. According to diplomatic sources, Straw told Gul
that they did not agree with arguments in France over Turkey’s EU
membership. Gul said that Turkey would continue preparations for
negotiations with the EU on the basis of the Nice Treaty.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 1302 gmt 30 May 05)

EU talks/Italian support

Italian embassy officials in Ankara said the result of the referendum
on EU Constitution should neither affect Turkey’s bid to join the
EU nor the European Council’s decision in Brussels on beginning of
entry talks between Turkey and the EU.

Sources said that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had
earlier reiterated that Italy’s support for Turkey’s EU membership
would continue.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 1003 gmt 30 May 05)

Armenian conference issue

Commenting on the EU’s reactions to postponement of the conference
entitled, “Ottoman Armenians in the Era of Collapse of the Empire:
Scientific Responsibility and Democracy Problems” to be held by
Istanbul’s Bogazici University, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said that the issue was beyond his area of interest. “I have nothing
to do with it. I am not a person who has problem with such issues. My
problem is that I think if those who have to guard the values of this
country evaluates the issue with subjective comments without taking
into all these documents on scientific grounds, it will be disrespect
to the past of our country and nation,” he said. Erdogan said that
Turkish state opened its all documents and archives on this matter,
stating that people should study these archives and then they should
held such seminars or symposiums.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 0715 gmt 27 May 05)

EU talks/human rights issue

Turkey cancelled “The Torture and Maltreatment Seminar for Medical
Doctors and Judicial Personnel” that was organized with the
cooperation of the Justice Ministry, the European Commission, and
the Nongovernmental Organizations. Representatives of the Turkish
Medical Doctors Union, the London-based Medical Foundation for the
Care of Victims of Torture [name of organization in English], the
Forensic Medicine Experts Association, and the Turkish Human Rights
Foundation – organizations were kept waiting for some time without
receiving any clear information. Sherman Carroll, director of the
Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture said that that
it was revealed that the meeting had been cancelled due to certain
organizational problems but the participants had not been briefed
directly by the ministry on this issue.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in Turkish 1413 gmt 25 May 05)

EU talks/relations with USA

US Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman said during his farewell
meeting with Turkish foreign minister that Turkey’s EU membership
was a strategic aim for Turkey and also an important aim for the
USA. Edelman said US support to Turkey’s EU bid would continue. Edelman
also welcomed appointment of State Minister Ali Babacan as chief
negotiator for Turkey-EU entry talks.

(Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in English 1449 gmt 26 May 05)