President’s visit to Russia over

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Feb 18 2005

Baku, February 17, AssA-Irada — President Ilham Aliyev returned to
Baku from an official visit to Moscow on Thursday.

While in Moscow, Aliyev held a private meeting with the Russian
leader Vladimir Putin and attended the opening ceremony of the “Year
of Azerbaijan” in Russia. Ways of settling the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Upper Garabagh were in focus at the meeting.*

Foreign Minister on French co-chair’s statement

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Feb 18 2005

Baku, February 17, AssA-Irada — The statement by the French co-chair
of the OSCE Minsk Group (MG) Bernard Fassier that the OSCE fact-finding
mission discovered organized settlement of Armenians only in the Lachin
District, has drawn differing responses from the Azerbaijani public.

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists that the
French co-chair’s statement alone ‘can’t be considered sufficient”.
Mammadyarov said that Azerbaijan will take further steps on a basis of
conclusions of experts from the countries included in the OSCE mission.

“First, we must study the report to be prepared by the mission and
then see which path Azerbaijan will choose.”

Mammadyarov went on to say that the report will be prepared by a group
of experts of Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Finland. “It is early
to speak about the conclusions in the document,” he said. In his
statement, Fassier said that unlike the Lachin District, Armenians
were not settled in the regions around Garabagh “purposefully”.

According to the French co-chair, the population settled in the
occupied regions is divided into three categories: refugees from
Azerbaijan, those hit by the earthquake that took place in Spitak,
Armenia in 1988, and those who left Armenia due to socio-economic
hardship.*

Making music in the diaspora

Watertown TAB & Press, MA
Feb 18 2005

Four Armenians active in the music industry will participate in a
roundtable discussion on contemporary thinking in the Armenian/American
music world on Sunday, Feb. 20, 3 p.m., at the Armenian Library and
Museum of America, 65 Main St.

Illustrating their comments with their own live and recorded music,
John Baboian, Leon Janikian, Raffi Meneshian and Sarine Balian will
confront some of the major issues for Armenians in the music world
today. The conversation will be followed by an open discussion with
the audience.

Baboian, the moderator of the event, is an associate professor of
guitar at the Berklee College of Music. He has been on the faculty
since 1980, focusing mainly on mainstream jazz styles. A composer
and arranger, his music has been heard on such television shows as
“The Sopranos,” “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “All My Children.” His
Be-Bop Guitars is an all-Berklee faculty band with five guitars and
a rhythm section.

Janikian, associate professor of music and coordinator of music
industry at Northeastern University, has been an academician,
professional musician and recording engineer for over 40 years.
Janikian was the primary engineer/producer for more than 150 records
in all musical genres, and for numerous multimedia and commercial
productions. He is a sought-after musician in the United States as a
performer of the traditional music of Armenia, Greece and the Middle
East. He also has been instrumental in the creation of the Archive
of Armenian Music in America.

Meneshian, founder/CEO of Pomegranate Music, has produced four
albums which have achieved popularity in the Armenian community,
and has been the executive producer on three other CDs for his music
label. Meneshian is known for the live concerts he has produced, most
notably the Armenstock Festival and the Lilit Pipoyan U.S. Tour. He
is a member of the Recording Academy, where he holds a vote for the
Grammy Awards, and is a contributor to Global Rhythm Magazine and
the Armenian Weekly.

Balian is San Francisco-area vocalist specializing in jazz and world
music. She performs with a jazz trio and, on occasion, doumbek.
She teaches instrumental music at Krouzian Zekarian Vasbouragan
Armenian School in San Francisco.

“Armenian Musicians in the Diaspora” is the third in a series of
presentations held at ALMA celebrating the opening of the Mesrob
Boyajian Library, a facility designed for use by scholars at all
levels engaged in research on topics related to the Armenian people,
as well as by the general public. For more information, call ALMA at
617-926-2562, ext. 3.

New ALMA director has big plans for museum
By Ericka Crouse/ Correspondent
Friday, February 18, 2005

Watertown TAB & Press, MA
Feb 18 2005

Berj Chekijian, an active member of Boston’s Armenian community
and former fiber optic engineer, was named the new director of the
Armenian Library and Museum of America.

“A museum is a mirror of your culture, of your history,” said
Chekijian, “We as Armenian-Americans are very fortunate to be here
in Watertown, which has been an Armenian hub. The city has given use
an opportunity to prosper, and we’re giving that back to the city by
putting this mirror here.”

Chekijian, whose leadership roles in the Armenian community include
helping to found Boston chapters of Armenian youth and cultural
organizations, believes that his background in engineering will help
him to help ALMA become an accredited museum. To earn accreditation
from the American Association of Museums, an institution must ensure
certain standards of quality and must catalogue its collection.

“It’s a project that methodically has to be done, and as an engineer
I have done those things for my company,” said Chekijian.

Haig Der Manuelian, chairman of ALMA’s board of directors and member
of the selection committee for the position, said of Chekijian, “He’s
deeply rooted in Armenian tradition and history and culture. He’s
conversant in the language. He even teaches the language.

“He has great, mature judgment,” said Der Manuelian, “He brings a
lot of ideas. We look forward to great things from him.”

Long anxious to serve the Armenian community and to protect and teach
his cultural heritage, Chekijian is implementing some new initiatives
at the museum to make the information available to more people. He led
the drive to change ALMA’s hours to include evening and weekend hours
“so that it will be accessible to working people,” he said.

Chekijian is also involved in creating the museum’s new Web site, which
will include a catalogue of all the books available in the library
as well as a rotating exhibit of pieces from the museum’s collection
of over 20,000 cultural artifacts, books, photographs and art.

Chekijian is replacing Robert Parsekian, who left the directorship
to go into the real estate business with his father.

Watertown a leader in early childhood programs
By Dan Atkinson/ Staff Writer

Watertown TAB & Press, Massachussettes
Feb 18 2005

About 18 months ago, Maral Karamousayan had a problem. Her oldest
children were preparing to enter kindergarten, but Karamousayan, an
Armenian originally from Syria, was concerned about their ability
to read and speak English. She heard from a friend about a free
twice-weekly program that helped children with their reading and
signed up.

Now, she said, her children have gone from not speaking any English
to using it all the time, and reading “is the best thing in the house.”

Karamousayan is participating in the Parent Child Home Program,
one of several early childhood education programs in Watertown.
Although Watertown is much smaller than neighboring communities such
as Newton and Waltham, it receives nearly $750,000 in grants from the
commonwealth for early childhood programs, despite cuts in funding
over the past few years. Newton receives about $835,000 in state
grants for early childhood education, and Waltham gets about $118,000.

Watertown’s five state-funded early childhood programs are a model
for other communities because of their interrelation, according to
Anne Hardiman, Watertown’s early childhood coordinator.

“We try to work as a whole council, not separate entities,” Hardiman
said. “One grant feeds out of another grant.”

The programs cover a range of ages and subjects. The Watertown Family
Network helps parents of newborn children with child development;
Community Partnerships for Children oversees preschool education; the
Quality Full-Day Kindergarten Grant helps maintain small classroom
sizes and all-day classes for kindergarteners; and Even Start and
the Parent Child Home Program focus on reading.

The grant programs and other private programs are holding an Early
Childhood Information Fair on Saturday, March 9, from 9:30 to 11:30
a.m. at Watertown Middle School, 68 Waverley Ave.

The Parent Child Home Program sends volunteers and staff members to
about 20 families in Watertown over two-year periods, said program
director Beth Fagan. The “modelers” bring books and educational toys
to the family twice a week and talk about them with a parent and
the child participating in the program, although the family’s other
children are encouraged to participate as well.

The program is less focused on pure literacy than teaching children to
relate books to the real world, Fagan said. The modeler, and eventually
the parent, will use the books’ illustrations and toys to let the child
make connections between text and objects in the child’s home. Not
only does the process improve reading skills, it teaches them learning
skills they need help the school system as a whole succeed, Fagan said.

“A child who goes to school ready to learn is an asset to the
community,” she said. “But if the same kid goes to school ready to
learn but the kid next to him can’t read and is acting up in class,
both are harmed.”

Fagan said the program’s goal is to “encourage a love of books,”
and Karamousayan said her children have taken their reading to
heart. Her 6-year-old daughter, Anais, reads bedtime stories,
with Karamousayan’s help, to her younger siblings. Her son, Mike,
was a year old when the family began the program in September 2003,
and now brings books into the room when Kathy Kopp, the family’s
modeler, comes by on her twice-weekly visits.

However, the program was cut from the state budget in 2002 after
receiving a grant for $80,000 the previous year, and was restored
in 2003 at $40,000 of funding, Fagan said. To match funding, Fagan
has gotten donations from the Watertown Savings Bank and the O’Neill
Properties Fund, which was created by the sale of the Arsenal on the
Charles to Harvard University.

All of the programs have been cut in recent years, Hardiman
said. Although the cuts often run statewide, they have a harsher
impact in Watertown, according to Watertown Family Network Director
Arlene Smith.

“It’s eye-opening how much this is really needed,” she said.
“Watertown has a lot of people from outside the United States who
are here because their partner is getting a degree or working on an
internship, and they face uncharted territory when they’re raising a
child and oftentimes don’t speak [English]. We still hear from people
about how we’ve made a big difference in their lives.”

Karamousayan is fluent in English, but said she was still shy about
reading aloud before she started the Parent Child Home Program.
Now she is reading “Charlotte’s Web” to Anais, and is more involved
in the community through the Watertown Family Network. She takes Mike
to play group every Tuesday and music class on Friday at the family
center. Fagan said people like Karamousayan show the usefulness of
Watertown’s early childhood programs, and are good arguments for
increased funding

“Success breeds success,” she said. “If a grant program is doing well
in the community, it shows the community knows how to use the money.”

Dan Atkinson can be reached at [email protected].

Russia hopes for close relations with Ukraine, Georgia

ReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland
Feb 18 2005

MOSCOW, Feb 17, 2005 (Xinhua via COMTEX) — Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov stated in Yerevan, capital of Armenia, on Thursday, that
Russia intends to “develop close good-neighbourly, friendly relations
with Ukraine and with Georgia”, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Meeting with students and teachers of Russo-Armenian (Slavlc) State
University, Lavrov said Russia will support any agreement on settling
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Commenting on a possible peacekeeping mission in the conflict zone,
Lavrov said all stages of the conflict’s settlement talks have dealt
with options and mechanisms that will help put the parties’ future
agreements into practice.

“Steps to deploy peacekeeping forces in the Karabakh conflict zone
depend on the parties themselves and their agreements,” Lavrov was
quoted by Interfax as saying.

Azerbaijan lost control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven neighboring
districts in a conflict with Armenia in the 1990s.

The Russian minister also expressed the hope that his forthcoming
talks in Georgia on Friday will be able to make progress in a numbers
of areas where the two countries could reach agreement.

“We aim for solutions of these matters”, the minister said. ” The
schedule and procedure of the withdrawal of Russian military bases
from the Georgian territory, for instance, must be coordinated, and
there is the common readiness to set up joint anti-terrorist centres”,
Lavrov said, according to the Itar-Tass.

Moscow wishes to see Georgia as a friendly, good-neighbourly,
prosperous country, and will be striving to assist it in settlement
of the regional conflicts, Lavrov said.

The minister will be in Kiev on Monday and will meet with the
Ukrainian leaders.

“We are aware of the interest of the Ukrainian side in the development
of our cooperation to the benefit of the two countries and peoples”,
Lavrov noted.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Iraqi Kurds Flex Muscles, Rice Was No Turkish Delight
By K Gajendra Singh

Al-Jazeerah.info, GA
Feb 18 2005

Al-Jazeerah, February 16, 2005

On February 13, soon after the announcement of provisional results of
30 January elections for Iraq’s new Parliament, Turkey said that the
results failed to ensure a fair representation for all ethnic groups
and called for measures to compensate for flaws and irregularities
in the electoral process.

The Kurdish alliance of Kurdish Democratic party (KDP) and the rival
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) won over 25% of the vote, giving it
a kingmaker’s role. It has already suggested 72 year old Jalal Talbani,
PUK leader, for the President’s post. The alliance is likely to join
with the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), which is supported by the
religious establishment and won over 47% of the votes. Prime Minister
Iyad Allawi’s slate got 14% votes, while the slate of President Ghazi
Yawar, a Sunni managed only 2%. Of the 8.5 million registered voters,
nearly 58% voted. Sunnis, who make up about 20 percent of Iraq’s 27
million people mostly abstained with only 2% voting in Anbar and 29%
in Salahadin, the Sunni provinces.

International Herald Tribune recently said that the President’s office
has enormous power in appointing the government, including the Prime
Minister. It ” would bolster the standing of Kurds in the Middle
East, where the governments of Turkey, Syria and Iran are fearful of
any moves toward independence by minority Kurd populations in their
own countries. The ambitions of the Kurds will likely be opposed by
politicians seeking to install a Sunni Arab as president in order to
draw the former governing Sunnis into the political process, despite
their widespread boycott of the elections.”

A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said that “The low turnout of
some groups in the elections, the fact that almost no votes were cast
in a number of provinces and the fact that manipulations in certain
regions, including Kirkuk, led to unbalanced results are issues that
need to be considered seriously.” It added that because of this there
was lopsided representation of ethnic and religious groups in the
new parliament, which will also prepare a new constitution for Iraq.

“It is seen as absolutely essential for the safety of the political
process in Iraq to compensate for the unbalanced representation
in the country’s administration. It has become clear that certain
elements in Iraq tried to manipulate votes in this historic process
and have obtained unjustified gains from this,” the Turkish statement
added. Ankara expected Iraqi authorities to properly examine complaints
filed over the elections and look into claims of irregularities,
concluded the statement.

Shadow of Iraq elections on Condoleezza Rice visit;

During the whirlwind tour of the newly sworn in US Secretary of
State Ms Condoleezza Rice, of eight European countries, as well as
Israel and Palestine sandwiched halfway, her talks with USA’s now
recalcitrant ally Turkey on 5/6 February were very important. But
the shadow of Iraq elections hung over the visit. Like leaders else
where, in Ankara too, the hosts, used to being lectured at by the top
leadership of US administration were expecting some fresh approach,
but in general, how ever erudite Ms Rice might appear, it was the
same US agenda which was marketed, but in a less abrasive way.

Tensions between the United States and Turkey persisted, especially
on Iraq’s future. “It was very candid, very positive,” a Turkish
diplomat said artfully of talks between Rice and Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul. “There was good personal chemistry.”

While Ankara welcomed Rice’s statement that like Turkey, USA was
opposed to the breakup of Iraq, the Turks remain skeptical. Washington
has not kept its promises to Ankara in the past. So many political
analysts, including the author believe, that serious differences
remain.

“It is pure wishful thinking to say things have been patched up
with Rice’s visit. It will take more than a few visits to get this
relationship back on track,” said Suat Kiniklioglu of the Ankara
Center for Turkish Policy Studies.

Ms Rice met with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Gul, Both before and after Iraq’s
elections, Erdogan has repeatedly criticized USA for not taking
action, despite promises, against Turkish Kurdish guerrillas (PKK)
in northern Iraq, nor curbing the Iraqi Kurds, who are threatening
to take over multi-ethnic oil rich city of Kirkuk and then declare
independence. The North Iraqi Kurdish leaders have matched their
words with action on the ground.

After his talks with Rice, Gul said that Ankara’s main concerns had
been conveyed. Stressing that Turkey and US were longtime allies
on the basis of not only military cooperation, but also political,
cultural and commercial ties, Gul said they would continue to work
together in the future to resolve certain issues.

Later Gul warned that Ankara would not stand by if Kurds seized
Kirkuk, suggesting Turkish military intervention, which has been
publicly discussed by politicians and Turkish armed forces. While
an intervention is in the future, it added further tensions in the
relationship.

During the public debate on US request for use of Turkish territory
to attack Iraq in March 2003, President Sezer, a former head of the
Constitutional Court had opposed this illegal action. The Parliament
in spite of it being the government motion voted it down. It was
democracy at its finest, but USA derided it then and still does so,
while making noises about liberty, elections and democracy, even
citing democratic Turkey as an example to the Muslim world.

Ms Rice tried to assuage Turkey’s fears over Iraq’s unity, Kirkuk
and the PKK and said at a press conference “I reiterated. . . the
commitment of the US to a unified Iraq, to an Iraq at peace with
its neighbors and an Iraq in which all Iraqis, regardless of ethnic
or religious background. . . feel welcome and respected,”. About
Kirkuk, she observed that it was for all Iraqis to agree on its future
status. “What terrorist groups such as al Qaeda and the PKK have been
doing cannot be accepted in the modern world,” On PKK terrorists in
northern Iraq, she said that the US had cut the financial resources
of the group. She acknowledged differences, but said that both should
work together to dispel them. “There could be differences between
friends. But what is important is to remember we are still friends.”

But Turkish commentators went hammer and tong on USA with some even
visiting all past grievances. Gündüz Aktan wrote in influential
Turkish Daily News that” Our relationship with the United States is
heading for a highly serious crisis. The leading crisis with this
country that was the backbone of our defense throughout the Cold
War occurred in 1964 with the Johnson letter “(which forbade Turkey
use of US arms against Greece or Cyprus). He recalled how USA did
not stop Greek Cypriots from attacking Turkish Cypriots and later
in 1974 when Greek Cypriots declared Enosis ie union with Greece it
tried to prevent Turkey from intervening ( The Turks did invade the
island and have stayed put ). USA imposed an arms embargo on Turkey.”

“This time around, the United States which is currently in Iraq,
condones the violation of the Turkmen ( ethnic cousins of Turks)
rights, especially in Kirkuk. Moreover, it gives the impression that
it is actually ensuring that Turkmens will be under-represented in
Iraq’s new political restructuring.’

He added that “the United States failed to stem the disproportionate
weight the Kurdish groups had in the transition government. Nor does
it do anything to control their dangerous ambition for independence.
It allows them to broaden further the ground of the independence they
have gained over the past decade, and to preserve for the process of
constitution making the veto rights and the independence option it
has given them under the Transitional Administration Law.

“In order to incorporate Kirkuk that it considers sine qua non for
its independence– in its lands, the Kurdish entity first burned the
population and land registers in Kirkuk. Then it committed the act of
‘transfer of its own population to the occupied land,’ an act that
is deemed a war crime according to Article 8, Paragraph 2 (b) (viii)
of the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute. As a result,
the elections in Kirkuk became disputable. ”

Cuneyt Ulsever wrote in Hurriyet that US did not directly react to
Turkey’s demands concerning the terrorist PKK and Kirkuk in northern
Iraq. –When Washington talks about ‘fighting terrorism,’ Ankara
should understand that this mainly refers to Iran and Syria’s support
for terrorism, as well as Al Qaeda and Palestinian terrorist groups.
(This means that although the US recognizes the PKK as a terrorist
group, it won’t consider it a separate issue to deal with.) While
US has no immediate plans to attack Iran the possibility remains on
Bush’s agenda. There was no economic plan for the Turkish Cypriots.
Washington remained annoyed at Ankara’s refusal to permit the
deployment of American troops at Incirlik Airbase. ‘Turkey must back
our radical Middle East policy,’ Rice stressed succinctly, ‘Otherwise,
there is no way for Ankara to ensure US support on the issues of
northern Iraq, Kirkuk, Cyprus, EU and even the IMF,’ added Ulsever.
He concluded, “May God help our government in the years to come!”

Yilmaz Oztuna said that Rice’s visit was meant to put pressure on
Syria and Iran to cease their support to terrorist groups and (Iran’s)
quest to produce nuclear weapons. “If these efforts don’t bear fruit,
the US will start concrete action. Will Turkey hold up its end of the
strategic alliance? The US will arrange its policy accordingly. If
Ankara doesn’t support it, Washington will move closer to northern
Iraq’s Kurds as well as Armenia. The US is expecting understanding
from such key Arab countries as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Otherwise it
will try to bring democracy to them, as they seem unable to do so on
their own.”

The nationalists pointed to opinion polls which show Turkey as one
of the most anti-US countries, saying no democratic government could
ignore such views.

“As long as this situation continues, with the Kurds winning the upper
hand in Kirkuk and pushing for an independent Kurdistan, it will hurt
Turkey more and more… We cannot go on like this,” said Hasan Unal of
Ankara’s Bilkent University. He said Turkey should consider suspending
all logistical support for the Americans in Iraq and threaten to
pull its peacekeeping troops out of Afghanistan. It should also deny
U.S. forces (limited) use of Turkey’s Incirlik airbase, he said.

US Ambassador assuages Turkish feelings ;

To assuage Turkish feelings, US ambassador Edelman told the media on 8
February that the views of the public get shaped by many factors. “One
of the reasons for the recent anti-American sentiments in Turkey has
to do with Iraq,” But things were now getting better. In the past six
weeks, there were many contacts between Turkish and American officials
topped by the visit of Ms Rice. Asked about Kirkuk, Edelman replied
that the U.S. wished to preserve Iraq’s territorial integrity. “The
Iraqi people will decide on Kirkuk through a compromise” he said.

Reminded of recent comments of U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald
Rumsfeld on Turkey’s negative decision on U.S. troops in 2003, Edelman
stated that the Turkish Parliament’s decision caused disappointment
in the United States. “Nevertheless, the U.S. is not interested with
the past. We look at the future,” added Edelman.

Edelman assured that the U.S. was not trying to punish Turkey. “Had
the U.S. carried such feelings, it would not have been possible to
support Turkish relations with the IMF and EU. Furthermore, it would
not have been possible to act hand-in-hand with Turkey on the issues
such as Middle East and Cyprus,” noted Edelman. “The U.S. does not
have a policy of revenge” he affirmed.

On Iran, Edelman replied that “The U.S. has not made any demand from
Turkey on Iran. We look at Iran’s nuclear activities as a possible
problem for the region.” If Tehran cooperates, the subject of Iran
would be resolved through diplomatic means. On PKK, Edelman said
that the U.S. faced a tough security situation in Iraq. “Yet such
a situation does not imply that we will not fulfill our promises”
he added.

Rice meets Russian Foreign minister in Ankara;

An important side event was the meeting of Russian Foreign Minister
Lavrov with Ms Rice in Ankara, Lavrov confirmed that the state of
democracy in Russia was discussed, but President Putin would respond
to all questions at the Bratislava summit, on 26 February. He added
that all differences in the U.S.-Russian relations should be “frankly
discussed.” (bluntly, in diplomatic parlance) Lavrov confirmed that he
discussed summit’s agenda with Rice, which is likely to cover Iran’s
nuclear program, Russia’s relations with Ukraine and Georgia, the Yukos
affair, and U.S.-Russia cooperation in the energy sector. Lavrov said
that another subject could be joint global rescue operations, in the
wake of 26 December tsunami disasters in the Indian Ocean. “Only the
United States and Russia have the long-distance air transport that can
reach any corner of the world and can be used for joint operations
during emergencies.” He also confirmed that President Bush would
visit Moscow in May for 60th anniversary of the victory over Nazi
Germany in World War II. Turkey Protests ;

At a press conference with the visiting Foreign Minister Abdelbaki
Hermassi of Tunisia, Abdullah Gul said on 8 Feb that “Iraqi Kurds
should learn their lessons from the past,” while answering a question
about recent statement of Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)
leader Massoud Barzani that, “any power or state in the world cannot
cause me to give up Kirkuk”. Gul added, “Turkey is not a country which
is involved in battles of word with the others. Wrongful leaderships,
imaginary projects, irrational actions and rhetoric slogans gave rise
to serious troubles in the Middle East and especially in Iraq. Iraqi
people have suffered most from it. Now, they should learn their lessons
from the past.” “In fact, all Iraqi people including Arabs, Kurds
and Turks should concentrate their energy on creating an atmosphere
of peace and stability. Any other actions will damage Iraqi people
and their region,” he added.

Gul stressed, “Turkey recommends that Iraqi people forget this dark
period and difficulties, and focus on the future. We are ready to
assist Iraqi people to this end. In the past, many massacres and
problems were prevented as a result of Turkey’s initiatives. Now,
Turkey wants Iraq to set up peaceful and friendly relations with its
neighbors.” “My advice to all politicians in Iraq is that no one can
reach anywhere by rhetoric. After the elections the political process
has accelerated (in Iraq). Now, a new constitution will be prepared,
and a new government will be formed. They should concentrate on future
of their country,” Gul concluded.

On 8 February Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan spoke to the
media on the lines of the 13 February statement. “It is a fact that
some irregularities occurred in the elections… We also regret that
the participation of some groups was not at the desired level. We
believe the election results will fail to reflect in parliament the
true representation proportions,” Tan said.

“It is important to prove to the Iraqis and the international
community that one cannot reach anywhere by way of unlawfulness,” Tan
said. “We believe this carries a great importance for Iraq’s future.”
“Therefore, certain measures will be necessary so that the Iraqis
are able to have a properly functioning democracy in the period ahead
of us.”

Arabs and Turkmens protest;

On 11 February hundreds of Arabs and Turkmens took to the streets
in Kirkuk, protesting that last month’s election were riddled with
fraud and demanded a re-run. “No, no to federalism! No, no to fraud!”,
chanted the demonstrators, in the city centre who then marched past
the offices of the two main Kurdish parties.

A statement distributed to the protesters and signed by 16 Arab and
Turkmen groups including Ankara supported Iraqi Turkmen Front, the
Shiite religious party Dawa, and the movement of Shiite radical leader
Moqtada Sadr, said, “There are documents and plenty of evidence showing
that fraud took place during the elections in Kirkuk.” “We ask for
new elections to be held in Kirkuk to guarantee they are transparent,
because Kirkuk is on the edge of a flaming pit.” Sunni and Shiite
Arab parties had pulled out of the election in Tamim province, where
Kirkuk is located as a protest against the authorities’ registration
of non-resident Kurds whose families were reportedly forced out of
the city under Arabisation program.

Kurds emerge as Kingmakers;

Iraq’s new Parliament ie 275-member Transitional National Assembly
(TNA) would elect from its members, Iraqi president and two
vice-presidents, called the presidency council, by a two-thirds
majority. The council would then appoint a prime minister and the
cabinet. A majority vote would suffice for the new government. The
Assembly has to draft the constitution by mid-August, hold a national
referendum for approval within two months and then hold elections by
the end of 2005.

Thus Shiites and Kurds with necessary 2/3rd majority in the TNA, if
they could reach an agreement, can have a decisive role in the drafting
a permanent constitution. How it will happen is another question,
with an exploding Sunni supported, Islamic leavened resistance and
a watchful Turkey in the north.

Because of boycott and fraud the Kurdish alliance also won two-thirds
of the vote and the seats in Tamim provincial council in which Kirkuk
is located. It could decide to join the Kurdistan region, which would
lead to sectarian violence, with Ankara threatening to intervene.

The Kurds who have enjoyed autonomy under US umbrella since 1991
are the best organised of Iraq’s communities, politically and
militarily. Their key demand remains autonomy they enjoyed during the
1990s, also enshrined in the Transitional Administrative Law of March
2004. It also provides for a “the Kurdish veto”, allowing two-thirds of
the population of any three governorates to block the constitution. Of
course it was not included in the UN resolution which gives cover to
the US occupation of Iraq. The Kurds want to expand autonomy into a
federal state, with Kirkuk as the capital of the Kurdistan region.

Autonomy, veto and insistence on making Iraq a secular state ie
the Kurdish position, opposed by parties of the Shiite religious
establishment which prefers a unitary structure and seminal role
for Islam, would be major hurdles in finalising a new government and
later the Constitution.

After discussions on 10 February for sharing of top posts with interim
Prime Minister Allawi, Kurdish leader Barzani declared his opposition
against any one of Iraq’s ethnic and religious groups dominating the
new government. Allawi told reporters that his talks with Barzani
were focused on “the consensus that all political groups must prepare
Iraq for a democratic future which will see the participation of all
categories in Iraqi society.” But he would not comment if he supported
Kurdish demands for either the presidency or the premiership in the
new government. “Any Iraqi has the right to be a candidate for such
a post,” he parried.

Talbani Barzani differences ;

In spite of a united front for the elections, there are inherent
differences between historically warring KDP and PUK. After
inter-factional fighting during 1990s, Iraqi Kurdistan remains
effectively partitioned between them since 1994. From 1994 to 1998,
Talabani’s PUK and Barzani’s KDP fought a civil war for control of
the entire Iraqi Kurdistan. Before the conflict was over, each had
invited the Saddam regime. While Talabani called in Saddam’s Kurdish
supporters, Barzani invited the Iraqi army, forcing the PUK forces
to flee the regional capital, Arbil. When US invaded Iraq, Talbani
moved closer to USA with PUK forces fighting alongside US soldiers
, forcing the Iraqi army out of Kirkuk. Today, the PUK is the most
powerful force in the city.

During the elections, tensions resurfaced, because of the biggest
prize, the leadership of the Kurdish region. They have traded
accusations of irregularities in the elections for the Kurdistan
National Assembly (in which all parties competed independently)
also on Jan. 30, along with the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) and
the Kurdistan Independent Democratic Solution Party. An unofficial
referendum showed majority of Kurds want an independent Kurdistan.

The two sides have agreed to nominate 72-year-old Talabani as
their candidate for the presidency of Iraq. Barzani hopes to head
the administration in Kurdistan. This time they appear united in
negotiations with Baghdad and local rivalries remain submerged. But
both parties are basically tribal in thinking and instinct and the
level of trust between them would always remain, at best, tenuous.

Conclusion;

The elections organized on proportional basis with Iraq as a single
constituency have strengthened parties formed on communal lines at
the expense of secular and smaller parties and individuals. A very low
turnout in Sunni Arab areas, high turnout in Kurdish areas, addition
of new Kurdish voters following a ruling by the Electoral Commission
allowing 72,000 returnee Kurds to vote in Kirkuk’s election, has not
only distorted the results but cast doubts on the legitimacy of the
elections which are to lay the foundations of the new state and its
constitution. It was as if the occupying forces wanted to punish the
Sunnis, erstwhile rulers since centuries and hence supporters of the
rising insurgency. With Moqta as Sadr also not likely to accept the
results and demand ouster of US troops, the new government and the
occupation forces would have its hands full.

Even under US umbrella and prodding the Kurds were unable to establish
a working Parliament or a common administration for Kurdistan. Now
with Shiites following the dictates of Ali Sistani, the chances of
democratic give and take would not come easily. One might see the
kind of political turmoil and brinkmanship as in Damascus after the
collapse of the Ottoman armies and arrival of Emir Feisal’s supporters
in the film ‘Lawrence of Arabia ‘.

British troops had ‘liberated’ the Arab lands, but they had their
agenda, as does USA which’ liberated’ Iraq -its oil and strategic
control of the region. The Shiites have got a dominant role by virtue
of US guns, tanks, helicopters and F-16s. It is not an organic
political evolution. The continuing Sunni Arab insurgency, which
is a national resistance aimed principally against the US imposed
institutions and the new Iraqi government could provoke a Shiite
backlash and lead to a civil war.

US forgets that Indian troops left Bangladesh as soon peace was
restored, still the new state was hardly grateful. Nor would the
Shiites, if exiles were imposed as rulers and US troops stayed put.
The US has seen the underground Shiite organization in spite of
decades of Sunni dominated secular regime. Soon after the toppling
of Saddam statue in March 2003, US special forces had encouraged
Shiites to take revenge against Baathists. US and British special
forces remain active in Iraq making for a violent brew. What if
Shiites followers of Moqtda as Sadr also turned on the occupation
forces. The author believes that USA has created enough conditions
for factional fighting among Kurds, Arabs and Turkomens in the north.
Already Sunnis are attacking Shiite targets in South.

US led western media, mostly reporting from the safety of their secure
hotel rooms in Baghdad, puts such a positive spin on the reality that
it would have shamed even old communist media. In his “WONDER LAND”
column in Wall Street Journal, Daniel Henninger wrote on 11 February
that ” Give Iraq’s Voters The Nobel Prize For Peace ” He explains that,
” They have already won the world’s peace prize by demonstrating
in a single day a commitment not seen in our lifetime to peace,
self-determination and human rights–the goals for which the Nobel
Peace Prize began in 1901.” It appears that many in US administration
and most in its media and who re-elected Bush prefer to stay in the
‘manufactured ‘ wonder land of US corporate media.

K Gajendra Singh served as Indian ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan
from 1992-96. Prior to that, he served as ambassador to Jordan
(during the 1990-91 Gulf War), Romania and Senegal. He is currently
chairman of the Foundation for Indo-Turkic Studies and editorial
adviser with global geopolitics website Eurasia Research Center, USA.
E-mail [email protected].

This article was also published by Saag.com before the author submitted
it for publication at Al-Jazeerah.

–Boundary_(ID_bXGZNmqEoTkL8II/C5Pu+A)–

Lawyer Pekmezci Denounces Pamuk

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Feb 18 2005

KAYSERI – Orhan Pekmezci, one of lawyers affiliated with the Kayseri
Bar, denounced famous writer Orhan Pamuk to the Chief Prosecutor’s
Office.

In an interview with the A.A on Friday, Pekmezci said, “Pamuk
formulated baseless allegations against Turkey in an interview with
a Swiss newspaper.”

“I strongly condemn Pamuk who said, ‘no one can talk about these,
but I will tell them. 1 million Armenians and 30 thousand Kurds
were killed in Turkey’. He insulted the Republic of Turkey, Turkish
parliament and government, and military forces with his words. Also,
his statement causes hatred and enmity among people. Therefore,
I denounced him to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Kayseri,” he added.

Earlier, Pekmezci applied to the European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR) for annulment of decision of the French parliament recognizing
so-called Armenian genocide.

CIS faces inevitable transformation

The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 18 2005

The successful velvet revolution in Ukraine has paved the way for
great changes in former Soviet countries, as it was further proof
that Russia is losing its dominating influence in the Commonwealth
of Independent States.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, uniting former Soviet
republics in the CIS was an effort on the part of Moscow to retain
its imperialist grasp on these countries. Many in Russia hoped that
this union would allow Moscow to establish a sphere of influence and
eventually lead to the reintegration of the other republics.

Although Russia was not able to realize these plans completely, over
time the other states have formed two groups. On one side countries
firmly within Moscow’s orbit, like Belarus and Armenia and on the other
side – countries that try to distance themselves from Russia and seek
closer ties with the West. Among these countries is Georgia, which
despite being a member of the CIS, faces constant pressure from Russia.

Nowadays when discussing the CIS, the probability of further velvet
revolutions inevitably comes up. In particular, Kyrgyzstan will hold
parliamentary elections on March 6 and Moldova on February 27. Some
have already labeled anticipated demonstrations in Kyrgyzstan
the “Tulip Revolution,” as March 13, when the second round of the
parliamentary elections is planned, is the peak of the blooming period
of the mountain tulips.

Russia is anxiously observing the possibility of the Kirghiz velvet
revolution. As the Russian newspaper Argumeniti i Fakti states,
if the Tulip Revolution is actually enacted, similar revolutions
may take place in neighboring Central Asian republics. There is
no doubt among Russian analysts that these revolutions are of an
“anti-Russian” nature, but there is serious difference of opinion
as to how to resist them. Moscow did everything in its power to halt
the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, but to no avail. At the same time,
the conditions in Kyrgyzstan are completely different in comparison
to those in Georgia and the Ukraine.

The success of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution was greeted with
enthusiasm in Moldova. President of Moldova Vladimir Voronin was the
only president of the CIS countries who attended the inauguration
of Viktor Yushchenko. Many in Moldova believe that the revolution in
neighboring Ukraine will isolate the separatist regime in Transdnestria
and lead to the restoration of Moldovan territorial integrity.

But Konstantine Zatulin, a member of the Russian Duma and also the
chairman of the institution of the CIS countries, was quoted by the
Russian newspaper Argumenti i Facti as saying that the situation
there is very complicated as Ukrainian nationalist forces also have
territorial claims on Transdnestria. This statement can easily be
interpreted as another effort on the part of Moscow to start an ethnic
conflict in post-Soviet space.

The Ukrainian revolution was the heaviest blow for neo-imperial minded
Russians. This event marks the end of Russian hopes for reintegrating
CIS countries and the beginning of an era where Ukraine will provide
serious opposition to Moscow within the commonwealth.

The position of Georgia towards the CIS is of special importance. For
years after the fall of the Soviet Union, Georgia refused to join the
commonwealth, but after defeat in Abkhazia then-President Shevardnadze
agreed to involve Georgia in the alliance. At that time, many believed
that CIS membership would lead to Russia letting up on pressure to
Georgia and return Abkhazia and Ossetia. Unfortunately, this turned
out to be a laughable misconception.

Due to Russia’s repeated efforts to violate the sovereignty of Georgia,
many consider it necessary to pull out of the CIS. Parliament even
adopted a relevant proclamation, but the Shevardnadze administration
resisted, saying that though CIS membership brings no good to the
country, it does no harm either and that it was necessary for Georgia
to use the CIS to express its own position. Nevertheless, Georgia’s
protests against the Kremlin at various CIS summits have yielded no
results over the years.

Mikheil Saakashvili has so far been “alone” at CIS summits, but
the appearance of Viktor Yushchenko should create quite a different
atmosphere there and possible revolutions in Kyrgyzstan and Moldova
could also radically change the balance of power in the commonwealth
as well.

Russian FM Discusses Bilateral Ties, Karabakh In Armenia

Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
Feb 18 2005

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with President Robert
Kocharian and other Armenian leaders in Yerevan Thursday on an
official visit which focused on bilateral relations and the unresolved
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The talks were also aimed at preparing for Russian President Vladimir
Putin’s upcoming visit to Armenia, his country’s main regional ally.

“We expect a very busy year for our partnership and allied
relationship,” Lavrov said at the end of the one-day trip. “We
have to implement agreements reached by the [Russian-Armenian]
inter-governmental commission on economic cooperation last December.
We agreed to accelerate implementation of all issues agreed by the
parties so that our presidents can see … that their decisions are
put into practice.”

“There are no problems in our relations. But because those relations
are constantly developing they need constant attention,” he added.

“We are happy with the results of the visit. I believe that it will
give an additional impetus to our relations,” Oskanian said for
his part.

Kocharian was quoted by his press office as telling Lavrov that
he is satisfied with the current state of bilateral ties and hopes
that Russia will help to lift transport blockades resulting from the
unresolved ethnic conflicts in the South Caucasus.

The most intractable of those conflicts was a major theme of the
talks. “We hope that the so-called Prague process of regular meetings
between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will bear
fruit,” Lavrov said. “The co-chairs of the OSCE’s Minsk Group are
ready to foster that. We will do our best to make sure that the
process progresses successfully.”

“Sergei Lavrov is a minister who probably knows more [about the
Karabakh peace process] than I,” Oskanian joked at their joint
news conference, underlining Moscow’s role as a key international
mediator. He announced that his next meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Prague will take place on March 2.

Economic issues were another subject of discussions, with Kocharian
and Prime Minister Andranik Markarian again calling on the Russians
to speed up work on reactivating four of five moribund Armenian
enterprises which were handed over to them two years ago in payment
for Armenia’s $100 million debt. Markarian also expressed concern
at Russia’s plans to finance a new railway to Iran that would bypass
Armenia and run through its arch-rival Azerbaijan

Lavrov, who revealed to reporters last year that his father was a
Tbilisi-born Armenian, assured Markarian that “Russia will take into
account Armenia’s interests and will not take any steps that would
damage them,” according to an Armenian government statement.

–Boundary_(ID_1iM+wtAgeYs6DkqCGz1gqg)–