LA JUSTICE TURQUE NE BADINE PAS AVEC LA QUESTION ARMENIENNE
Le Temps, France
8 septembre 2005
TURQUIE. Figure de proue de la litterature turque, le romancier Orhan
Pamuk devra repondre devant un tribunal de ses prises de position
sur le genocide armenien et la question kurde.
De 6 mois a 3 ans de prison. Voila ce qu’encoure l’un des plus
celèbres ecrivains turcs, Orhan Pamuk, pour avoir declare en fevrier
dans les colonnes du Tages-Anzeiger de Zurich: “30 000 Kurdes et
un million d’Armeniens ont ete tues en Turquie. Personne n’ose en
parler, c’est pour cela que les nationalistes me detestent.” Cet
homme de 53 ans, dont le dernier roman, Neige, a ete traduit en 22
langues, est poursuivi pour “denigrement publique de l’identite
turque” et comparaîtra devant les juges le 16 decembre prochain.
Cette declaration, concernant deux des sujets les plus sensibles de
Turquie, a savoir la guerre qui a oppose l’armee aux militants kurdes
du PKK entre 1984 et 1999 et le genocide armenien qui a fait plus
d’un million de morts entre 1915 et 1916, a souleve le courroux des
nationalistes, particulièrement sensibles en cette annee de celebration
du 90e anniversaire du genocide. Le sous-prefet de la region d’Isparta,
dans le sud-ouest du pays, etait meme alle jusqu’a demander la
destruction des oeuvres de Pamuk. Ironie du sort, aucune bibliothèque
de la ville n’en possède. Depuis, sans surprise, l’ecrivain se terre,
fuyant la presse et ses embetements, mais reste actif. Il a notamment
signe cet ete un appel demandant au PKK de deposer les armes.
Si d’autres intellectuels et journalistes turcs avant lui ont ose
braver la rhetorique officielle, les declarations d’Orhan Pamuk
prouvent une nouvelle fois l’intransigeance des autorites sur ce
dossier. Si l’on s’en tient aux declarations d’Ankara, les Armeniens
de l’Empire ottoman ont certes ete victimes de massacres mais en aucun
cas de genocide. La Turquie recuse l’idee que l’Empire ait organise de
manière systematique l’extermination de ce groupe. Des deportations ont
certes eu lieu mais dans le contexte de la Première Guerre mondiale. De
genocide point. Au contraire, l’Etat evoque les dizaines de milliers
de Turcs tues par des Armeniens a la meme epoque. La thèse officielle
a donc peu evolue et se voit meme protegee par le nouveau code penal,
entre en vigueur en juin dernier, qui sanctionne toute atteinte a
l’interet superieur de la nation.
Les relations entre Ankara et Berne ont elles aussi pâti de ce dossier
après qu’un politicien turc, Dogu Perincek, eut publiquement nie
l’existence du genocide armenien lors d’une conference a Winterthur en
juillet. Les poursuites entamees contre lui ont souleve l’indignation
d’Ankara, et la visite du conseiller federal Joseph Deiss, prevue
en septembre, a ete reportee sine die. Par ailleurs cette semaine,
le president de l’assemblee nationale turque a envoye une lettre
a seize de ses confrères, dont le president du conseil national
suisse. Courrier dans laquelle il juge “inacceptable que l’histoire
soit utilisee a des fins politiques avec l’intention de porter
prejudice a la Turquie”.
La position de l’Armenie donne par ailleurs du grain a moudre a
Ankara. Erevan a mis un terme en decembre, de manière prematuree, a un
cycle de reunions entre historiens des deux pays. Les nationalistes
turcs y voient la preuve qu’Erevan refuse de dialoguer et repètent
que les archives de l’Empire ottoman sont ouvertes, contrairement a
celles de leurs voisins.
Mais le sommet de l’absurde entre les deux pays a ete atteint au
mois d’août avec l’arrestation et le procès en Armenie d’un historien
turc accuse de contrebande de livres d’histoire. Yektan Turkyilmaz,
l’un des rares Turcs a soutenir la thèse du genocide, a recu le
soutien inattendu du gouvernement d’Ankara, soucieux de montrer
l’intransigeance d’Erevan.
Au-dela de ces querelles d’historiens, les choses evoluent toutefois
en Turquie. Le monde universitaire et la communaute armenienne le
reconnaissent: l’atmosphère a change dans ce pays où, il y a encore
trois ans, il etait difficile de discuter en public de cette question
taboue. Aujourd’hui, les journaux ne cessent d’en debattre meme
si a l’image d’Orhan Pamuk, ils se mettent en danger. De son côte,
l’identite armenienne refait surface, avec la parution de romans et
la multiplication d’expositions. Des signes de craquèlement encore
fragiles mais reels. Une conference sur “les Armeniens lors du
declin de l’Empire ottoman” aura meme lieu du 23 au 25 septembre a
l’Universite du Bosphore d’Istanbul, en presence d’historiens turcs
et etrangers soutenant la thèse du genocide. Cette conference, prevue
pour le mois de mai, avait ete reportee au dernier moment après des
accusations de traîtrise lancees par le ministre de la Justice. Mais
il semble que cette fois, a quelques jours de l’ouverture probable
des negociations avec l’Union europeenne, le 3 octobre, la Turquie
ne puisse renouveler ce geste. Au contraire, le ministre des Affaires
etrangères, Abdullah Gul, a prevu d’assister a cette conference d’ors
et deja controversee.
Encadre: Ankara contraint d’ouvrir ses ports et aeroports aux
Chypriotes?
Par Delphine Nerbollier
Le ministre turc des Affaires etrangères assurait la semaine dernière
que rien ne peut contraindre son pays a ouvrir, dans un avenir proche,
ses ports et aeroports a la Republique de Chypre, avec qui la Turquie
est en conflit depuis 31 ans. “Ports et aeroports appartiennent
au secteur des services, a declare M. Gul. Leur (ouverture) n’est
attendue que pour les membres a part entière de l’UE.” En attendant,
la Turquie se dit prete a assurer la libre circulation des biens
entre etats partenaires, comme l’exige le Protocole d’Ankara signe le
29 juillet dernier et qui etend l’accord d’union douanière aux dix
nouveaux etats membres dont Chypre. Rien de plus. Les representants
de l’UE jugent cet argument “techniquement valable” mais estiment que
“les restrictions actuelles de la Turquie sur les transports genent la
libre circulation des biens entre pays concernes, vont a l’encontre de
l’Union douanière et doivent donc etre levees”. La Cour europeenne de
justice a de son côte deja statue sur ce genre de dossier, toujours en
faveur de l’UE. Ankara pourrait donc etre contrainte a ouvrir ports
et aeroports rapidement… et non pas d’ici son adhesion comme elle
le clame aujourd’hui.
–Boundary_(ID_EYDDySNHGZpJBuvn43KCXg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN’S MILITARY BUDGET TO DOUBLE IN 2006
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, LENKARAN
Agence France Presse
Sept 8 2005
Azerbaijan will double military spending in 2006 to $600 million
(480 million euros), President Ilham Aliyev said Thursday.
He also warned Armenia that Azerbaijan’s armed forces were capable
of re-taking by force Nagorny Karabakh, a territory inside Azerbaijan
but currently controlled by Armenia.
“The unconstructive position of Armenia makes it impossible to make
progress with the talks. But, for the moment, we hope that a peaceful
solution is possible”, Aliyev said during a regional visit to Lenkaran,
near the Iranian border.
“At the same time, we are reinforcing our military potential. And if
defense spending in 2004 was 270 million dollars; in 2005, 300 million;
in 2006 it will equal $600 million,” he said.
“The enemy must know that our army is always able to regain the
territory by military force,” Aliyev said.
The enclave of Nagorny Karabakh, inhabited today by some 145,000
Armenians and supported by Yerevan, won its de facto independence
from Azerbaijan through a 1988-1994 war that killed 25,000 people
and displaced one million.
Unrecognized by Azerbaijan, which considered the region to be under
Armenian occupation since the 1994 ceasefire, Karabakh’s status has
yet to be settled.

ARMENIA, RUSSIA RE-CONFIRMED THEIR DECISION ON NON-VISA REGIME BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES
ARKA News Agency
Sept 7 2005
YEREVAN, September 7. /ARKA/. Armenia and Russia re-confirmed their
decision on non-visa regime between the two countries, press-service
of the RA Foreign Ministry reported ARKA news Agency. Starting from
September 24, 2005 the citizens of Armenia and Russia can enter and
move on each one’s territories without entry visas. The Armenian
citizens should have with them the passport of the RA citizen
with validity seal, diplomatic passport and certificate on return,
which is valid only for return to Armenia. At the same time, while
traveling the under age citizens of Armenia (up to 16 years old)
should have with them their birth-certificates till March 23, 2006 to
return to Armenia. The RF citizens coming to Armenia should have with
them passport of RF citizen, service passport, diplomatic passport,
passport of a sailor, and return certificate only for return to RF.
In fact the documents which were not used were excluded from the list
of necessary documentation for crossing the borders. A.A. -0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UNIVERSITY FUNCTIONS AT STUDENTS’ EXPENSE
A1+
|16:17:15 | 08-09-2005 | Politics |
Several days ago the students of Hrachya Acharyan declared
a strike. The reason -raise of annual education fee with about
$200. University rector Avag Khachatryan did not receive the students
alleging illness. A1+ reporters also failed in meeting him; even the
secretary was absent.
During the meeting with the university pro-rector the latter explained
that the raise of the fee is conditioned by the currency exchange. In
his words, over the economic problems the university is not able to
cover the expenses. However the pro-rector pointed out that only 20%
of the students are discontent with the fee.
Without receiving answers to their questions the students made for
the government building to hand a message to the RA Prime Minister.
On hearing the students’ complaints the members of the department
of education of the RA government said that the university is beyond
their authority. However they promised to have a talk with the rector.
The students then went to the Ministry of Education and Science and
afterwards returned to the university. However they refuse to attend
lessons until results are achieved.

MIGRATION BALANCE NEGATIVE IN ALL CIS COUNTRIES EXCEPT RUSSIA AND BELARUS
RIA Novosti, Russia
September 07, 2005
BAKU, September 7 (RIA Novosti, Geray Dadashev) – Among the CIS
countries, only Russia and Belarus have a positive balance of
migration, a Russian official said Wednesday.
Alexander Kurtin, the president of the International Association of
Pension and Social Funds, said that in 2003, immigration compensated
for depopulation in Russia by 10% and in Belarus by 10.5%.
In the remaining CIS countries, there is a negative balance of
migration, he said, speaking at the conference for Globalization and
Social Protection of Labor Migrants, which began Wednesday in the
Azeri capital. In 2003, the highest levels of migration out of CIS
countries were in Armenia (25 people in every 10,000), Kyrgyzstan
(33) and Tajikistan (17).

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/08/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Armenia Allocates Aid to US Hurricane Victims 2) European Parliament to Observe Trial of Pamuk 3) Aliyev Pledges to Double Azeri Military Budget in 2006 4) Georgian President Makes Fresh Promises to Javakhk 1) Armenia Allocates Aid to US Hurricane Victims YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--The Armenian government approved on Thursday $200,000 in assistance to victims of Hurricane Katrina, joining the long list of nations that have offered to alleviate the devastating consequences of the disaster that hit the south of the United States. Government spokeswoman Meri Harutiunian said the cabinet instructed Armenia's Foreign Ministry to transfer the modest sum to the US government. "The government inquired what that country needs and found it more expedient to assist them in cash," she told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting. The move followed President Robert Kocharian's letter to President Bush expressing condolences to Washington and families of thousands of people that are feared dead in the US Gulf Coast. "On behalf of the Armenian people and myself, I express my sincere sympathy to you and the families and relatives of the victims of the disaster and wish them stamina and spiritual courage," stated the letter. As many as 95 countries around the world have offered to help about one million people in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama displaced by the August 29 storm and the ensuing floods. US officials say the offers total about $1 billion in cash and other assistance. 2) European Parliament to Observe Trial of Pamuk STRASBOURG (Combined Sources)--The European Parliament (EP) plans to form a special panel to monitor the upcoming trial of Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk. The proposal was made by MPs, who are members of the European wing of the Joint Parliamentary Commission, the consultative organ between the European Parliament and the Turkish parliament. The committee will observe Pamuk's trial, due to begin on December 16, and submit a report to the European Parliament. Pamuk has been charged with "publicly denigrating Turkish identity" in comments he made about the 1915 genocide of Armenians. "Thirty thousand Kurds and 1 million Armenians were killed in these lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it," he told a Swiss journalist in a interview. He faces up to three years in prison if convicted. Meanwhile, Germany's book trade, which is to hand its most prestigious annual award, the Peace Prize, to Pamuk next month, called on prosecutors in Istanbul to abandon charges against the author. Dieter Schormann, chairman of the Boersenverein, the group representing both publishers and booksellers in Germany, said, "We protest. We demand the Turkish state ceases proceedings against Orhan Pamuk. The freedom of the word is one of the fundamental values of a democratic society." The German Book Trade Peace Prize council also criticized the prosecution Friday. Pamuk is set to receive the prize of 25,000 euros on October 23 in a ceremony attended by German leaders. While Pamuk did not actually use the word genocide, his acknowledgment that 1 million Armenians were killed was enough to raise the ire of extreme nationalists in Turkey who called for his books to be banned. Pamuk's books include "My Name is Red" and "Snow". The latter was named in the New York Times Top 10 books for 2004. His books have been translated into 34 languages. 3) Aliyev Pledges to Double Azeri Military Budget in 2006 (AFP)--Azerbaijan will double military spending in 2006 to $600 million, President Ilham Aliyev said on Thursday. He also warned Armenia that Azerbaijan's armed forces were capable of re-taking Mountainous Karabagh by force. "The unconstructive position of Armenia makes it impossible to make progress with the talks. But, for the moment, we hope that a peaceful solution is possible," Aliyev said during a regional visit to Lenkaran, near the Iranian border. "At the same time, we are reinforcing our military potential. And if defense spending in 2004 was 270 million dollars; in 2005, 300 million; in 2006 it will equal 600 million dollars," he said. "The enemy must know that our army is always able to regain the territory by military force." 4) Georgian President Makes Fresh Promises to Javakhk YEREVAN (YERKIR)--Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili visited Georgia's Javakhk region on Wednesday to meet with the predominately ethnic Armenian population and administration, reported Regnum. He told reporters and residents that the government would ensure the employment of locals after the closure of the Russian military base there. Fearing further economic hardship in an already neglected and suffering region, the population of Javakhk has opposed the closure of the Russian base, which employs a majority of residents. The pull-out follows a May 30 agreement between Georgia and Russia to remove the base by 2008. Saakashvili emphasized that in an effort to help, his government would procure agricultural products from the region for the Georgian Army. He also noted that ten people from the area would be enrolled in the State Administration School, enabling them to return to the region and work for local government. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

ARMENIAN PREMIER MET THAI DEPUTY FM
A1+
| 17:43:41 | 08-09-2005 | Official |
Today Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan received Deputy FM
of the Thai Kingdom Virachai Virameteekul.
Welcoming the guest the premier pointed out to the high level of the
Armenian-Thai relations.
During the meeting the parties have agreed on cooperation in trade and
economy, science and technology, information and telecommunication,
medicine, education, agriculture, tourism and sport.
“I would like to specially note that a permanent expo of Thai goods
will open in Yerevan next year and a representation of the House of
Commerce and Industry of Armenia will open in Bangkok,” the Deputy FM
said. In his words, agricultural relations have especially developed
and there is an Armenian-Thai working group in the field. Its first
session has been held in Thailand this April, while the second sitting
is planned to be held in November.

US COMMITTED TO ASSISTANCE IN WTO ADMISSION
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Aug 8 2005
The government of Azerbaijan has received another portion of assistance
for the process of admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has allotted $981,000
to be spent on improving legislation, developing new laws, answering
questions forwarded by WTO member states and other activities. The
Economic Development Ministry and USTDA signed a relevant agreement
on Thursday. Minister Farhad Aliyev speaking at the event said
USTDA has provided grants worth $1.943 million to Azerbaijan over the
past two years to start active talks on WTO admission. He said that
on account of the grants, the government has prepared and sent to
Geneva documents concerning intellectual property, standardization,
sanitation, and subsidies in the agricultural sector. The chart on
customs duties has been compiled and a memorandum on foreign trade
turnover re-worked, said Aliyev. “The WTO membership will be very
beneficial for Azerbaijan. The country’s accession to the organization
will improve its legal system, increase foreign trade turnover and
promote its closer integration into global economy. Moreover, the
existing restrictions on Azeri exports to all other member states
will be lifted.” Aliyev emphasized that WTO currently comprises 148
member states, including developed countries. In the initial stage,
Azerbaijan counts on receiving concessions on agriculture and some
other fields, he said. The minister cited some ‘negative instances’
discovered recently in Azerbaijan that are not observed in neighboring
countries. “The serious shortfalls found during a recent monitoring
are not encountered in Georgia and Armenia, which are WTO member
states, as the customs and other economic transactions carried out
there are in compliance with world standards.”

OBAMA RECOGNIZES ‘GENOCIDE OF ARMENIANS’
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Aug 8 2005
US Senator Barack Obama has recognized the so-called ‘genocide of
Armenians’.
“I believe the letter sent by the Senators to President George Bush
to recognize the genocide of Armenians reflects historic facts”, said
Obama, who co-signed the appeal. The Senator told journalists in Baku
that the document indicates that thousands of innocent Armenians were
killed in the mentioned developments. “By signing the letter, I also
defended the interests of the State of Illinois I represent. Killing
civilians anywhere in the world should not be allowed.” Asked whether
he is aware of the horrible massacre of Azerbaijanis by Armenian
thugs in Khojali, the Senator simply replied that he is informed
of the problems in the region that have persisted for many years,
reiterating that he opposes the killings of civilians.

NKR TO HAVE OWN CURRENCY SOON
AZG Armenian Daily #160
08/09/2005
Karabakh diary
Spartak Tevosian, NKR finance and economy minister, said in the
interview to Mediamax agency that “in one of the stages NKR is going
to have its own national currency.” But he didn’t specify about the
deadlines of the program, saying that NKR government is still working
on the details. Mr. Tevosian said that “the national currency is
one of the most important components of a state and that is of high
importance for NKR.” He stated that AMD which is currently used in
NKR will be circulated together with other foreign currencies in the
republic, when NKR national currency appears.