Turkish MPs ask UK parliament to disown Armenian claims

TRT 1 television, Ankara
13 Apr 05

[News presenter] The Turkish Grand National Assembly called on the
British parliament to declare as a propaganda material “The Blue
Book”, on which the so-called Armenian claims are based.

In a letter bearing the signatures of all deputies, Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and CHP [opposition Republican People’s Party]
leader Deniz Baykal revealed the historical truth with relevant
documents.

[TRT-1 offscreen reporter] [Applause in parliament] Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and CHP leader Deniz Baykal signed the letter at
the general assembly.

After noting that during World War I, two reports were ordered under
the titles “The German Savagery” and “The Turkish Savagery”, the
letter points out that in 1925 the then British foreign secretary
announced that the report entitled “The German Savagery” was baseless
war propaganda.

The letter, which includes information that refutes the claims found
in the report on the Ottoman Empire and published under the title of
“The Blue Book”, notes that to date the book has not been declared
baseless, despite a confession by its author, Arnold Toynbee, to this
effect.

The letter expressed the view that the destructive and infamous
effects of “The Blue Book” are still continuing in our present day and
playing a role in disseminating malice and hatred against Turkey
through the deception of the international media, statesmen,
intellectuals, opinion-makers, and scholars by the Armenian activists.

The six-page letter makes the following call to members of the British
House of Commons and House of Lords: We, all the members of the
Turkish Grand National Assembly, ask the British parliament and
government to publicly announce that the book called “The Treatment of
the Armenians In the Ottoman Empire” is propaganda material prepared
by the British War Propaganda Bureau during World War I and that the
information in the said book about the Ottoman Armenians’ rebellion
and the measures taken against it by the Ottoman state are baseless
and unreliable.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkish PM dismisses Armenian genocide claims as “lies”

TRT 1 television, Ankara
13 Apr 05

[News presenter] Referring to the so-called Armenian genocide
allegations, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that no one has
the power to fill Turkey’s history with lies. Stating that on the
international arena certain issues are repeatedly being placed before
Turkey like a tedious dish of pilaff, Erdogan said that the Republic
of Turkey won its independence with its life and blood.

[TRT-1 offscreen reporter] Assessing the so-called genocide claims at
his party’s group meeting, Prime Minister Erdogan stressed that Turkey
has a history that would not cause it any complex. Erdogan said that
they have no problems with any episode in the history of this nation.

[Erdogan] We are not going to ignore or turn a deaf ear to any of
those pages. We are also convinced that we have no shame to forget or
conceal [applause]. Let me state clearly that all the historic
documents in the possession of Turkey are at the disposal of those who
seek historical truth. We have no reservations on this issue; we have
no shortcoming. However, if there are still those who read history
with prejudice and entertain designs, let them forgive us – we are not
in a position to take them seriously. This is because medical science
has not yet found a cure for eyes which do not want to see history.

[TRT-1 offscreen reporter] Erdogan called on those who now and then
place before Turkey certain documents – which he described as scribble
papers – first to review their own history and exonerate their
sincerity.

[Erdogan] No one will have the power either to deny the Turkish
history or fill it up with lies. It is impossible for them to do such
a thing. No interest can be powerful enough to tarnish this nation’s
honourable journey of civilization.

RA NA CHAIRMAN EMPHASIZES GREAT ROLE OF STATE DUMA IN SOLUTION OF
ISSUE OF LEGAL STATUS OF ARMENIANS LIVING IN RUSSIA

MOSCOW, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian-Russian interstate and
interparliamentary problems, issues of cooperation in international
organizations were discussed with the members of the Committee on CIS
Affairs and Relations with Compatriots of the RF State Duma at the
April 13 meeting of Artur Baghdasarian, the Armenian NA Chiarman. As
Noyan Tapan was informed from the NA Public Relations Department,
Artur Baghdasarian attached importance to the great role of the State
Duma in solving the issue of the legal status of Armenians living in
Russia, particularly issue on giving them right of 90 days of
residence without visa. This right can be provided either by adopting
a law or signing an agreement. MPs of the State Duma were interested
in the NA Chairman’s opinion concerning sending an Armenian military
unit to Iraq. According to Artur Baghdasarian, Armenia joined the
antiterrorism coalition and sent his professionals on humanitarian
mission to Iraq. Proceeding from the importance of the issue, Armenia
could not reject going to meet USA, which had provided aid to Armenia
worth more than one billion dollars since its independence. So the
problem had both political and economic significance. Issues of the
future fate of CIS, possibilities of carrying out concret programs
within of scientific-educational, cultural cooperation between the two
countries were also discussed at the meeting. The issue of making
definite the legal status of Armenians living in Russia and secure of
90 days residence without visa, which requires legal solutions, were
also discussed at the NA Chairman’s meeting with Igor Levitin, the
Co-Chairman of Armenia-Russia Intergovernment Committee, the RF
Transport Minister.

PERISHED FREEDOM-FIGHTERS’ FAMILIES ANXIOUS ABOUT STATEMENTS ON
POSSIBILITY OF COMPROMISES

YEREVAN, APRIL 14, NOYAN TAPAN. “It’s impossible to cede the
territories with the fresh blood of Armenian fighters shed on them,”
Shushanik Abrahamian, perished freedom-fighter Slavik Hayrapetian’s
widow, declared during the April 14 press conference. She said that
the perished freedom-fighters’ families are anxious about the recent
statements, according to which the NKR conflict’s settlement is only
possible through compromises. According to her, it’s impossible “as we
don’t know what we’ll get for it.” Gohar Karapetian, perished
freedom-fighter Artur Ghazarian’s mother, said that “we shouldn’t
return the lands, for which our sons shed their blood, otherwise let
them bring back our sons.” “If it’s impossible to bring back our
sons, so it’s impossible to cede these territories, too,” she
emphasized. The representatives of perished freedom-fighters’ families
participating in the press conference demanded that the state bodies
should render issues connected with NKR conflict’s settlement more
concrete, say what territory they are going to give back and mention
the guarantees of their return.

Ha’aretz, Israel
April 15 2005

Sharansky working to end rift between Greek, Armenian clergy

By Yuval Yoaz

Minister Without Portfolio Natan Sharansky is trying to reconcile the
Greek Orthodox and Armenian clergy to enable the peaceful performance
of the Sabbath of Light ceremony in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
in Jerusalem.

The High Court of Justice yesterday debated an urgent petition filed
by the Armenian patriarch, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian. Sharansky,
who was appointed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to reconcile the
sides, apparently persuaded both patriarchs to sign a commitment
calling on the public to refrain from violence. Police have warned
that violence during the ceremony could lead to numerous casualties.

The Sabbath of Light ceremony is held on the last Saturday before
Orthodox Christian Easter at the Holy Sepulchre church in the Old
City. Both communities believe that a divine flame descends from the
sky on this day and lights the oil lamp standing on Jesus’ tomb.
Orthodox Easter falls on May 1 this year.

Attorney Eitan Epstein, who represents the Armenian Patriarchy, says
both sides had maintained the status quo in conducting the ceremony
together for hundreds of years. However, Greek Orthodox Patriarch
Irineos I, who was appointed in 2002, refused to let Manoogian leave
the tomb area first during the ceremony, as is customary. In the
scuffle that erupted, the “holy fire” from Manoogian’s candles was
extinguished.

Now the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy refuses to let the Armenian
representative enter the tomb chapel at all, demanding he wait
outside the chapel and light his candles from Irineos’ candles. “It’s
a scathing humiliation to the Christian Armenian world,” said
Epstein.

If Sharansky fails to reconcile the two sides by next Tuesday, the
court will have to rule on the Armenians’ request for an injunction
ordering the police to hold the ceremony in the traditional way.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INSURANCE COMPANY GRAND INTENDS TO START LIVE INSURANCE

YEREVAN, APRIL 14. ARMINFO. The insurance company Grand will start
insuring life within the nearest future, Director of the company Artak
Antonyan informs ARMINFO.

He says that the license for life insurance was received in December
of 2004. IC Grand has already started negotiations with several
foreign companies. “I have some concern that this type of insurance is
economically unprofitable. But we approach this issue from the other
side. Insurance needs development in Armenia and in particular life
insurance,” Antonyan says. He says that this type of insurance is not
enough in demand yet. The company intends to start insurance of life
in order the population get familiar with it and understands its
necessity. After introduction of this type of insurance, the company
plans to start money making and pension insurance. Antonyan thinks
that the pension insurance is favorable both to insurer and
insurable. One can invest the accumulated funds in other projects and
receive incomes, Antonyan says. He thinks it is also favorable to the
insurable as he will not only receive state pensions, but also
insurance pension much more exceeding the first one. Factually, it is
the second insurance company in Armenia after IC INGO Armenia to be
engaged in life insurance.

To note, according to data of the rating of the leading 11 insurance
companies of Armenia of the Agency for Rating Marketing Information
(ARMINFO), IC Grand occupies the second place as to the size of assets
– 767.9 mln AMD. As to the volume of the insurance premiums, the
company is in the forth place – 231.2 mln AMD, as to the volume of the
paid insurance compensation – in the tenth place – 2.252 mln AMD. As
regards the net profits – the company is in the 5th place – 7.9 mln
AMD. The size of the authorized capital of IC Grand totals 1-00 mln
AMD at present.

ARMENIANS DID NOT INTEND TO OCCUPY THEIR OWN TERRITORIES

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 14. ARMINFO. “As a man who was born in Shushi and
has for many years studied the inscriptions on the town’s historical
architectural monuments and graves of XVIII-XX I can say with full
responsibility that Armenians and Russians constituted the greater
part of the town’s population at that time,” says Karabakh
ethnographer Hrachik Haroutyunyan commenting on the article in
GazetaSNG.ru saying that the ancestors of the Azeris lived in Karabakh
as long ago as paleolith.

In the article Azeris protest against some alleged excavations in
Shushi aimed, as they claim, “at wiping out the Azeri trace in
Karabakh.” “The goal of the Karabakh occupying Armenians is to create
an artificial Armenian history of this land,” says the article. Azeri
professor Hidayat Jafarov says that the excavations show that the
Armenians are going to occupy Karabakh in archaeological terms too.

Haroutyunyan assures that the inscriptions on over 1,000 graves in
Shushi show that all the top positions in the town in XVIII-XX were
held by Armenians and Russians. “So we, Armenians, did not plan to
occupy our own territory and Jafarov’s statement is one more
propaganda trick,” he says reminding that journalist Israfil Mamedov
said on Baku radio recently that they should write Shushi’s
history. “Now we have no real history and each of us should be
concerned for this,” Mamedov said. “Wasn’t he in fact calling for
rewriting the history of the Armenian land in Azeri manner?”
Haroutyunyan concludes.

HEALTH CONDITION OF SIX ARMENIAN PILOTS ARRESTED IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA
REMAINS EXTREMELY GRAVE

YEREVAN, APRIL 14. ARMINFO. The heath condition of six Armenian pilots
arrested in Equatorial Guinea charged with an attempt of state coup is
extremely grave.

Referring to the unnamed international humanitarian organizations,
RFE/RL Armenian Service reports that the food ration of the Armenian
pilots has been recently reduced, which can lead to emaciation.
However, it should be noted that in his interview to the radio
station, Chairman of the World Armenian Congress Ara Abrahamyan stated
that negotiations were in process with the leadership of Equatorial
Guinea for liberation of the Armenian pilots. He stated that he had
made a proposal to the leadership of that country which was unlikely
to be rejected. Ara Abrahamyan stated that he had managed to hand over
by $500 to the pilots.

Turkish Press
April 14 2005

Press Scan

LETTER AGAINST ‘BLUE BOOK’

SABAH- Turkish Parliamentary General Assembly discussed so-called
Armenian genocide allegations. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul called
Armenian President Robert Kocharian to establish a joint committee
and discuss the issue. General Assembly issued a declaration stating,
”we are not afraid of facing with our history.” Leaders of Justice
& Development Party (AKP) and Republican People’s Party (CHP) wrote a
letter to British Parliament and asked it to condemn Blue Book.

Turkish Press
April 14 2005

Erler: We Will Not Make A Decision In The German Parliament About A
Historical Issue

BERLIN – ”We will not make a decision in the German Parliament about
a historical issue,” said German Social Democratic Party (SPD)
Parliament Group Deputy Chairman Gernot Erler said on Thursday, as
regards the bill prepared by CDU defending Armenian claims of
genocide.

Members of Turkish parliamentary commission for EU adjustment,
actually in Berlin, met Erler.

Speaking after the meeting, Erler said, ”we exchanged views about
the bill prepared by German Union Parties’ (CDU/CSU) parliamentary
group defending Armenian claims of genocide”. He added, ”we will
not make a decision about a historical issue. It will remain as it
is.”

Stating that they saw a slow down in reforms in Turkey, Erler said,
”we know the difficult situation of Justice & Development Party
(AKP). Despite this, we want to hear good news from Turkey.”

Head of Turkish delegation Yasar Yakis in his part said they informed
their interlocutors about Turkey, and noted that, ”Germany is a
country advocating Turkey on the way to EU. We want this to
continue.”