Three Azeri soldiers reportedly wounded in Armenian attacks

Space TV, Baku
9 Apr 05

The positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces in Agdam District came
under fire from the positions of the Armenian armed forces stationed
near Agdam’s occupied villages of Qarvand and Sixlar on 9 April.

Three soldiers of the Azerbaijani army are reported to have been
wounded as a result of the cease-fire violations, Azerbaijan’s Space
TV reported.

The cease-fire violations happened at 0400-0700 gmt, 0900 gmt and
1110 gmt, the TV channel said.

The Turkish Blue Book
By Zeynep Ercan

The New Anatolian / Ankara
2005-04-09 18:52:15

Armenians have a “Blue Book” said to compile the evidence supporting
the so-called Armenian genocide committed by the Turks. Why can’t
the Turks have a book telling the Turkish version of events, which
reveals the truth about the Armenians and that shows how the real
massacre was done against the Turks, not the Armenians?

The “Turkish Blue Book” or, “The False Claims of the So-called
Armenian Genocide and Armenian Violence and Massacre of the Turks,”
written by Ismet Binark, was published a few weeks ago as the 16th
periodical publication of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO).

The book is 342 pages, printed on a blue-colored quality paper in
reference to the Armenian “Blue Book,” which has been harboring the
so-called Armenian genocide claims for nearly a century.

Binark is an award-winning archivist. In his book, he falsifies the
genocide claims with an extensive range of proofs including photos
and official documents.

The book is introduced by ATO Chairman Sinan Aygun, who writes,
“From the first day of its existence, Turkey has been the target
of efforts to destroy and shatter it.” In Binark’s preface to his
work he explains his principal motive for writing the book: “It’s
unacceptable and incomprehensible that some of our supposed friends
and allies expend so much effort in forcing Turkey to acknowledge
our responsibility for the so-called genocide thesis, which is not
supported by any documents.”

The book reveals the facts that there were surely Armenians who died
in southern Anatolia region in 1915, but that they died because of
the events of World War I and emigration.

Summarizing his book, Binark explains that the real massacre was
in fact committed by Armenians against innocent Turkish villagers.
Binark has this to say about the perverse distortion of the facts
regarding these events and their significance in the present time:
“The so-called Armenian genocide is sometimes brought to the table,
in both domestic or foreign politics, by so-called allies or enemies
of Turkey. There is no doubt the issue will always be part of Turkey’s
political context and an issue in Turkey’s international relations.”

He also expressed his personal viewpoint as to why someone should
learn about these events: “To be ignorant of the issue and to not
reply to these false claims is not an acceptable position given the
weight of history. It should be noted that by neglecting the massacres
of the Turks throughout history, the world ignores the common values
of humanity and kills the idea of universal justice.”

The Turkish Blue Book is a piece of art disguised in appearance as
an historical document, which should be read by everyone.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COMMUNITIES ASSOCIATION OF ARMENIA DISCONTENT

A1plus

| 15:18:36 | 09-04-2005 | Politics |

It is obvious that the authorities of the republic intend to combine
the referendum on constitutional amendments with the upcoming elections
to the local self-government bodies in autumn.

The Communities Association of Armenia, whose members initiated a
draft of constitutional amendments still in 1998, considers such
approach to be inadmissible. Board member of the Association, head
of the Armenian delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities of Europe, Emin Yeritsyan notes, “The government’s right
express distrust to the elected head of the community or the right
to determine the duration of his office is an example of restricting
clauses of the acting Constitution. They should be withdrawn.”

The Association members are convinced that all the three drafts of the
constitutional amendments imply serious limitations, the most important
of it regarding Yerevan. The Communities Association members hold
the opinion that the Mayor of Yerevan should be an elective person
and a two-tier government should be established.

Some balance of government is secured by the local community
council, which has not been formed in all the communities. «In small
communities this institute is acting while in larger ones it bears a
formal character. It depends on the activity of the given community
and psychology of its residents”, Emin Yeritsyan says.

Some members of the Communities Association consider that the term
of the community head should be fixed on 5 years instead of adopted
3. «The elections are held at the first and last year, thus per
se the head of the community holds the office for a year only»,
Mr. Yeritsyan explains.

The Association has a certain viewpoint as regards to the expression
of distrust to the community head. «I think that the wording
“pre-term suspension of authority” should be used instead of “pre-term
dismissal from office”. The head of the community found himself in
a very interesting situation when being controlled by the society,
the local community council and the government. The latter has the
right to undertake measures in respect of delegated authorities.

To note, the Association considers that the community head should be
empowered to apply to the Constitutional Court.

By Lena Badeyan

–Boundary_(ID_p80kLsbxBQFOj0vBdJGvRg)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Gul: Action Plan Against Armenian Claims Will Be Discussed At The
Turkish Parliament

Published: 4/9/2005
Turkish press.com

ALGIERS – Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah
Gul has stated that Turkey’s action plan against Armenian claims of
a so-called genocide will be discussed at the Turkish parliament on
Wednesday. Gul talked with Turkish journalists aboard the airplane
en route to Algeria.

“A discussion on Turkey’s action plan will take place at the Turkish
parliament on Wednesday. I will make some explanations on the Armenian
claims,” told Gul.

Gul stressed that Turkey fell behind on the topic of so-called Armenian
genocide. “Turkey could have been more active and brave in dealing
with this topic.”

Gul noted that something which never occurred and has no truth has
become a tool of propaganda to win hearts in the West. “We must work
with full force to create extraordinary efforts to illuminate the
truth,” commented Gul.

Asked if a United Nations committee could be formed to investigate
Armenian claims, Gul expressed that the UN is a political organ and
not one that deals with legal matters. “The UN may make mistakes in
voting. Individuals raising their hands to vote may vote wrongly
based political gains and interests History has many examples of
votings that proved to be fallacious.” Minister Gul remarked that
there is a strong Armenian lobby in the U.S.. “Every year, around
this time, lobbies of the Armenians and Turks in the United States
work hard. There has never been a period when the Turks disregarded
Armenian attempts in the United States. We, as Turks, have an ethical
and moral obligation to inform the world about certain allegations.”

According to Gul, enlightening U.S. congress members is a task that
should be done by all Turkish citizens and friends of Turks.

Incirlik preparing for new era

The Anatolian Times
4/9/2005

Turkey has yet to convey its official response for the request of its
close ally, the U.S., to use Incirlik Airbase for logistical purposes
during its operations against Afghanistan and Iraq, but preparations
for the airbase’s new era are already in progress. Sources told The New
Anatolian that although the General Staff office has some reservations,
it has submitted a positive response to the government.

It’s known that in the wake of a series of talks, the government
adopted the idea of allowing the U.S. to use Incirlik as a logistical
base. But this view has yet to be officially voiced.

Despite all, the U.S. has already started preparations for Incirlik’s
new future.

Maintenance of the main runway, ruined due to the base’s heavy
schedule, is to be carried out between April 29 and May 13.

Meanwhile, the barracks, built instead of a tent city, is also
undergoing maintenance. In addition to all this, an aircraft hangar
is being kept on alert for a possible troop transfer. The hangar
can hold around 1,000 soldiers. There’s also international call and
Internet access from the hangar.

Debate is on

The government is reportedly waiting for April 24 to make its final
decision on the Incirlik Airbase. Although this was denied by the
government sources, it’s been claimed that the government is holding
this card against the possibility official recognition of the so-called
Armenian genocide.

On the other side of the coin, uncertainty about the details continues.

It’s claimed that government will allow the U.S. to use Incirlik
as a logistical base through a secret resolution dated June 23,
2003, while others insist that the Defense and Economic Cooperation
Agreement, dated 1980, allows the government to give permission to
the United States.

Legal experts had been saying that the agreement was signed as part
of a NATO agreement and does not allow the government to let foreign
troops on Turkish soil.

Ammunition depot

If the government allows Incirlik to be used as a logistical base,
the Adana Airbase will turn into a ammunition depot.

In addition to food, supplies, etc. there would be various kinds of
ammunition in the base. Bombs, tank shells, and different kinds of
rockets would be brought to Incirlik for their transfer to Afghanistan
and Iraq.

Source: TNA

INSTRUMENT WILL ALWAYS BE USED

A1plus
16:01:27 | 09-04-2005 | Politics |

As a matter of fact the constitutional amendments have become a
purposeful event in Armenia their purpose being no the improvement
of the legislation but the fulfillment of commitments to Europe.

The constitutional amendments in multi-party Armenia are carried out
by several political forces. The parliamentary and extraparliamentary
forces affirm that the changes exercised by the authorities really
have nothing in common with «reforms». Thus the opposition refuses
to take part in any kind of discussions though they have thwir own
suggestion on different items of the Constitution.

In this view chairman of the Conservative party of Armenia Mikael
Hayrapetyan adheres to an extreme approach. Being an opponent of
the acting Constitution still in 1998, he refrains from expressing
any opinion. «Those, who participate in the discussion of the
constitutional amendments want to prolong the terms of the incumbent
illegal authorities

According to one of the proposal of the parliamentary opposition,
the Mayor of Yerevan should be elective. However they are convinced
that the leadership will not admit it, as the majority of the
population resides in the city and an elective Mayor should become
a counterbalance to the President.

«In our opinion everything should be regulated by the law. If Yerevan
were a real community there would be less problems with the appearance
of our city, settlement of social problems, human rights protection,
deputy of Justice faction Grigor Harutyunyan says. In his words a
strong community can become the heart of the strong state.

As for the problem of dismissal of the head of the local
self-government body, the opposition considers inadmissible if an
elective body is dismissed by a representative of an appointed body –
marzpet or government.

In regards to the terms of the authorities of the head of the local
self-government bodies opposition does not conflict with the proposal
to extend it from 3 to 4 years. «However if the head of the community
and the local community council are used as instruments for exercising
injustices, the term does not matter», Grigor Harutyunyan noted.

Lena Badeyan

–Boundary_(ID_1Hg2ekzr2eOKGxZH19KBUQ)–

THE REAL REASON FOR LEAVING FOR GUDAURI

A1plus

| 12:24:35 | 08-04-2005 | Politics |

In connection with Robert Kocharyan’s last visit to Georgia the
Georgian newspaper “Alia” writes that Mikhail Sahakashvili asked
his colleague to support him to soothe tension in Akhalqalaq. The
newspaper also writes that the Armenian President asked in return to
put into practice the Abkhazian part of the railway Sochi-Yerevan.

Van Bayburdyan, delegate of the Georgian Parliament who took
part in the meeting of the two Presidents mentions in connection
with the article in the newspaper that it does not correspond to
reality. According to the agency “A-info”, the delegate considers
it possible for the Presidents to have discussed the re-opening of
the Abkhazian railway, But at the same time he excludes what was
published in “Alia”, “The two Presidents could never have discussed
what was published in the newspaper.”

Genocide Claims Offensive: Sezer

4/9/2005
Source: NTV

Claims that the Ottoman Empire had committed genocide against its
Armenian citizens were offensive and hurt the Turkish nation, the
country’s President said Thursday. Addressing a conference at the
Turkish War Academy in Istanbul, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said
scientific objectivity should be used when assessing historical events.

Research should be conducted into the allegations by making use of
documents that were objective and unbiased, the President said.

Turkish citizens of Armenian origin were and indispensable part of
Turkish society who have equal rights and responsibilities in the
modern Turkish Republic, said Sezer.

A1plus

12:52:38 | 08-04-2005 | Politics |

AZERBAIJAN IS NOT CONSTRUCTIVE

The latest announcement of the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Eldar
Mamedyarov about the possibility for the Armenian community of
Nagorno Karabakh to take part in the process of the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict has aroused a wave of complaint in the members of
the Pro-Azerbaijani Powers Union.

According to the internet newspaper Day.az, during the meeting of the
Union, the representatives of the political powers inside the Union
have announced that «the participation of the Armenian community
of Karabakh in the negotiation process as a side will seriously
harm Azerbaijan».

–Boundary_(ID_eWqcdbGPJcHW+Mk7TW8DtA)–

A1plus

| 14:40:24 | 08-04-2005 | Politics |

ALTERNATIVE FOR THE ARMENIAN RAILWAY

Instead of the railway Ghars-Gyumri-Akhalqalaq which has not been
working for the last few years a new railway is anticipated to be
built. The protocol about it has already been signed in Baku after
the two-day meeting of the working groups from Azerbaijan, Georgia
and Turkey.

The new railway will naturally go past Armenia. According to
preliminary calculations 400 million dollars are necessary for the
railway to be built. By the way, the idea of the construction appeared
8 years ago.