Azeri official warns OSCE fact-finding mission against breaching agreements

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
1 Feb 05

[Presenter] The first complaints have surfaced in connection with the
OSCE fact-finding mission’s visit to the occupied districts outside
Nagornyy Karabakh. A number of conditions put forward by Baku and
accepted by the parties to the conflict to ensure the mission’s
objectivity are being violated. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has
said that if this information is confirmed, the ministry will ask the
experts for explanation.

[Correspondent over archive footage] Despite statements by the
Azerbaijani authorities and the OSCE [Minsk Group] co-chairmen, the
OSCE fact-finding mission visiting the occupied territories is being
accompanied by the Karabakh Armenians.

According to a report posted on the web site of the Armenian newspaper
Yerkir, the European experts are being accompanied by the deputy
foreign minister of the self-styled Nagornyy Karabakh republic, Masis
Mailyan.

Meanwhile, Baku regards the Armenian report as provocation. Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has told “Son Xabar” that when the Minsk
Group co-chairmen and members of the fact-finding mission were in
Baku, this issue was broadly discussed. We told them that the
Armenians would try to offer a number of pretexts to stop the experts
going there, by saying that the areas are mined, that roads are
impassable, that the weather is not favourable enough. However, the
OSCE representatives said they would be accompanied by [special
representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office] Andrzej Kasprzyk, and
promised not to let this happen, end of quote.

According to Araz Azimov, the Azerbaijani side tends to trust the
sincerity of European experts. At the same time, the deputy minister
said if these reports are confirmed, the Azerbaijani side might ask
the fact-finding mission to provide an explanation of how this could
have happened.

[Passage to end omitted: known background details]

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Studies Program
Armenian Studies Program
California State University, Fresno
5245 N Backer Ave PB4
Fresno, CA 93740-8001

Email: [email protected]

ASP Office: 559-278-2669
Office: 559-278-4930
FAX: 559-278-2129

Armenia Semester Abroad Program- 2005

Armenian Studies Program of California State University, Fresno
Fall 2005 Armenia Semester Abroad Program

Semester begins – September 5, 2005

Experience a semester abroad in Yerevan, Armenia. The Armenian
Studies Program at California State University, Fresno has organized
a one-semester program designed to introduce students to Armenian
language, history, art, and contemporary events. The semester
schedule is composed of five courses: Armenian language (4 units);
Armenian art and architecture (3 units); Armenia today (3 units);
Armenian studies (3 units); Independent study (2 units).
Courses, based on curriculum used by the Armenian Studies Program at
California State University, Fresno, will be taught by faculty from
Yerevan State University.
The academic committee in charge of curriculum is composed of Dr.
Dickran Kouymjian, Haig and Isabel Berberian Professor of Armenian
Studies and Director of the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State,
Dr. Tom Samuelian of Arlex International, and Barlow Der Mugrdechian
of the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State.
Full information on the program is available at the following web
site:

Eligibility: The program is open to all high school graduates, ages
18-32, who have maintained a minimum 2.75 GPA in college.
Fees: Fees for the program are $2,250 per person (for 15 units of
courses) and an additional fee of approximately of $160 for health
insurance. Room and board, air fare, and transportation and any
additional costs are the responsibility of the student. (The Program
will assist in finding living arrangements)
Deadline: Students are required to fill in the following application
form and return it to the Armenian Studies Program by May 1, 2005 for
study abroad in Armenia in the Spring semester 2005.
Minimum class size:
A minimum of 5 students must be successfully admitted to the program
for the Fall 2005 program to take place.
Required information for application: Official college transcript;
One page essay on why you would like to participate in the Armenia
Study Abroad Program, what has prepared you for study in such a
Program, and why you are qualified to participate; One passport sized
color photo; Names and telephone numbers of two references
(non-related). In addition please submit Name, Address, City, State,
Zip, Telephone number, Email address, Date of birth: (Please clearly
print all information and make sure that the telephone number and
email address are current). Send the application form, and all
requested material to: Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Armenian Studies
Program, 5245 N Backer Ave. PB4. Fresno, CA 93740-8001
If you have any questions contact: Barlow Der Mugrdechian office
telephone: 559-278-4930 o email: [email protected]
Travel fellowship: Travel fellowships are available to qualified
applicants who are accepted into the Fresno State Armenia Semester
Abroad Program through BirthRight Armenia/Depi Hayk (BR/DH). (See
below for Eligibility). The travel fellowship covers reimbursement of
roundtrip economy class airfare at the average price for that period
upon successful completion of the program and BR/DH requirements. The
application form is posted on the

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
02/01/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) ARF Youth Delegation Participates in Fifth World Social Forum
2) PACE to Gather Commission on Implementation of Controversial Resolution on
Karabagh
3) Judges, Defense Attorneys, and Prosecutors Issue Joint Statement on
Constitutional Amendments
4) EU Reminds Turkey of Condition for Talks
5) Renowned Baritone to Dedicate Yerevan Performance to 90th Anniversary of
Armenian Genocide
6) Memorial for Professor and Poet Leonardo Alishan

1) ARF Youth Delegation Participates in Fifth World Social Forum

PORTO ALEGRE–A delegation of Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Youth
Organization (ARF-YO) members joined over 155,000 activists from 135 countries
at the fifth World Social Forum held in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre.
Participants of the five day conference, which convened on January 26 under
the
slogan of “another world is possible,” gathered in Brazil to organize for
tolerance, justice, and peace.
Established in 2001, the World Social Forum is a meeting place for those who
are interested in building a world in which meaningful relationships among
humans flourish. As the Forum’s charter of principles reads: “The alternatives
proposed at the World Social Forum stand in opposition to a process of
globalization commanded by the large multinational corporations and by the
governments and international institutions at the service of those
corporations’ interests, with the complicity of national governments. They are
designed to ensure that globalization in solidarity will prevail as a new
stage
in world history. This will respect universal human rights and those of all
citizens–men and women–of all nations and the environment and will rest on
democratic international systems and institutions at the service of social
justice, equality and the sovereignty of peoples.”
Representing the ARF at the conference were Onnik Tamjian and Khachig
Der-Ghougassian of South America’s Armenian National Committee, Mkhitar
Markarian of Armenia, Anet Armen of the United States and Damian Mnagian, and
Juan Botista Karageozian of Argentina, both of whom were instrumental in
educating Forum delegates about the genocide committed against the
Ottoman-Armenians in 1915.
To date, ARF delegations have participated in World Social Forum organized
conferences held in Florence (2002), France (2003), London (2004) and the
Ecuadorian capital of Quito (2004). Next year, Forum conferences will be held
in several locations around the globe, in anticipation of the 2007 conference,
which is scheduled to take place in Africa.

2) PACE to Gather Commission on Implementation of Controversial Resolution on
Karabagh

(Combined Sources)–The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will
organize an ad hoc commission to review the implementation of its
resolution on
Mountainous Karabagh, adopted by the body on January 25.
The resolution calls on Azeri authorities to establish contact with
Karabagh’s
leaders–which they have persistently refused to do–and to refrain from any
attempts to retake lost territory by force.
Adopted early last week, amid protests from the Armenian delegation that
described it as biased in Azerbaijan’s favor, the controversial resolution
describes Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR) as a mono-ethnic area “which
resemble the terrible concept of ethnic cleansing.” The resolution,
however, is
legally non-binding.
Delegation heads of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE)
Minsk Group member-countries will form the commission, which is to be set
up in
March 2005.
According to Azeri sources, PACE will seek the assistance of Council of
Europe
Secretary General Terry Davis, as well as Armenian and Azeri presidents, in
order to specify the commission’s authorities.
Pointing to the biased nature of the report, the deputy chair of the Armenian
delegation to PACE Armen Rustamian told the body last week, “Azerbaijan is
expecting to use this document as a justification to issue an ultimatum it has
been preparing for a long time. Azerbaijan wants to solve the [Karabagh] issue
according to its own scenario–that is, through war.”
A 10-member OSCE fact-finding mission is currently in the Jebrail and Fizuli
regions of Karabagh to investigate Azeri allegation that they are being
illegally populated with Armenians.
The fact-finding team led by a senior German Foreign Ministry official, Emily
Habber, and accompanied by the French, Russian, and US co-chairs of the OSCE’s
Minsk Group visited the Kelbajar district west of Karabagh on Monday, before
arriving in Stepanakert to meet with Karabagh President Arkady Ghukasian.
Ghukasian denied that the government of MKR is encouraging the
resettlement of
Armenian families in those areas and said those Armenians who have moved there
since the 1994 ceasefire are mostly former refugees from Azerbaijan. Ghukasian
also urged the visitors to inspect Azeri-controlled areas of Karabagh that
were
formerly populated with Armenians.
“We have heard many interesting details and I am confident that those details
will help us assess the situation correctly,” Habber told local journalists.
The OSCE mission will spend ten days traveling around the occupied lands and
submit a report to the Minsk Group later on.

3) Judges, Defense Attorneys, and Prosecutors Issue Joint Statement on
Constitutional Amendments

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–In a conference organized by the American Bar
Association
Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (CEELI) and funded by USAID,
Armenian judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys met in Tsakhkadzor on
January 28-30 to discuss three packages of constitutional amendments proposed
by Armenia’s various political groups. They were joined by NGO and Media
Representatives.
The discussions began by focusing on the section of proposed constitutional
amendments related to the judicial system, with each of the groups debating
problems and issues of concern.
“Legal professionals of Armenia are very enthusiastic about constitutional
reforms and want to contribute to the process. During these roundtables
judges,
advocates, and prosecutors demonstrated their command of the issue,” said
ABA/CEELI country director Karen Kendrick.
On the closing day, a joint session summed up the results and drafted a
statement on the judicial section of constitutional reforms, providing
recommendations for a transparent and more effective functioning judiciary
system.
The statement marks the first time the three legal professional groups
issue a
joint declaration, to demonstrate a common approach and agreement on
legal-judicial system reforms.
Founded in 1990, the CEELI is a public service project of the American Bar
Association. More than 5,000 legal professionals have contributed over $180
million in pro bono legal services to projects in Central and Eastern Europe
and the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union. Targeting Judicial
reform in Armenia, CEELI seeks to enhance the independence, competence, and
accountability of judges and to develop resources necessary for the
transparent
administration of justice.

4) EU Reminds Turkey of Condition for Talks

BRUSSELS (Reuters)–The European Commission has reminded Turkey that it must
sign a document extending its customs union with the EU to cover Cyprus before
it can begin membership talks with the bloc as planned on October 3.
“If Ankara dragged its feet for political reasons, the negotiations would not
open,” senior Commission official Jean-Christophe Filori told visiting Turkish
journalists on Tuesday.
The move is highly sensitive in Turkey because it is seen by diplomats as
tantamount to de facto recognition of the internationally backed Greek Cypriot
government in Nicosia without a peace deal to reunite the divided island.
Turkey, which won its date to start long-delayed EU entry talks at a summit
last December, recognizes only a breakaway Turkish Cypriot community in the
north of Cyprus.
Asked what would happen if Turkey did not sign the protocol, Filori said: “If
the delay is a result of political resistance (in Turkey), yes it would be a
problem and the negotiations would not start.”
Filori is a senior aide to EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, responsible
for Turkey.
Turkish financial markets are acutely sensitive to any suggestion of problems
in Turkey’s bid to join the EU.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, aware of the high stakes involved, said last
week there would be no delay in signing the document, though he gave no date.
“We are analyzing the situation with regard to international law and once we
have made sure of our position, we will be in touch with the European
Commission and we will make an effort to achieve a result as soon as
possible,”
he told reporters in Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum.
“We would never want to extend the process,” Erdogan said.
The Greek Cypriot government is viewed by the other 24 members of the EU as
the sole legal representative of Cyprus, which joined the EU with nine other
states in May 2004.
Filori said the EU had no plans to get directly involved in any revived
diplomatic drive to reunite Cyprus, saying this would remain the
responsibility
of the United Nations.
A previous UN peace plan was defeated last year when the Greek Cypriots
rejected it in a referendum shortly before joining the EU. The Turkish
Cypriots
had backed the plan.
Filori said a framework document establishing the structure for Turkey’s
accession talks would be ready by June at the latest. He declined to say how
long he thought the negotiations would last.
“Taking on the acquis communautaire (EU law) is a huge task and takes a huge
amount of time,” Filori said, referring to the tens of thousands of pages of
European law which prospective members must adopt and implement.

5) Renowned Baritone to Dedicate Yerevan Performance to 90th Anniversary of
Armenian Genocide

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–One of the most famous world baritones, Renato
Bruson, will perform in Armenia on February 5 together with the Armenian
Philharmonic Orchestra, at Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall. The concert,
dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, will mark Bruson’s
first visit to Armenia.
Initiated by the head conductor of the State Philharmonic Orchestra of
Armenia
Eduard Topchian, negotiations with Bruson began last year, but the agreement
was reached recently.
Arias and overtures from Giuseppe Verdi’s operas will be performed, with the
cost of tickets ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 drams ($6-20).
“We have established all the conditions for the Armenian spectators to
have an
opportunity to hear the world-famed baritone,” said Topchian.
A concert with world-famed tenor Placido Domingo in Yerevan is currently in
the works, which will also be dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian
genocide. The State Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia has been negotiating
with
Domingo’s manager for the past several months.
Bruson, one of the foremost Verdi and bel canto baritones of his generation,
was unable to afford any kind of musical schooling at a young age, but his
family encouraged him to sing in the local church choir. After finishing
regular school, he auditioned for the Padova Conservatory, and was offered a
five-year scholarship, where he studied with Elena Fava Cerati, who trained
him
thoroughly in the bel canto style and technique.
He made his opera debut as the Conte di Luna in Il Trovatore at Spoleto in
1961.
He appeared at the Met for the first time in 1969, as Enrico in Lucia di
Lammermoor, and made his La Scala debut in Linda di Chamonix in 1972.
In 1973, he made his Chicago Lyric Opera debut as Renato in Un Ballo in
Maschera, and in 1975 he made his Covent Garden debut in the same role,
substituting for an ill Piero Cappuccilli. His Vienna State Opera debut was in
1978, as Verdi’s Macbeth.
He sang with Riccardo Muti for the first time in 1970, and over the years
became an adherent of Muti’s insistence on singing come scritto, without
singer-interpolated high notes, believing that this focuses attention on the
music and drama rather than the singer.
He frequently championed the songs of Tosti, and was named an honorary
citizen
of Cortona, Tosti’s home city, in recognition of this. While his Verdi roles
are perhaps his best-known, especially Macbeth, Rigoletto, Renato (Un Ballo in
Maschera), and Simon Boccanegra, he sang in no fewer than seventeen Donizetti
operas during the 1970s and 1980s, just ahead of the crest of a great
resurgence of interest in lesser-known nineteenth-century works.
With his soft, rich, deep voice he has emerged as the leading romantic
baritone of our time, specializing above all in Donizetti and Verdi, but not
disregarding eighteenth-century opera.

6) Memorial for Professor and Poet Leonardo Alishan

Accomplished former University of Utah professor and poet, Leonardo Paul
Alishan, 53, passed away on January 9, 2005 as a result of a horrific house
fire.
Nardo was born on March 4, 1951 in Tehran, Iran to Armenian parents, Michael
and Annette. He married Neli Assadurian on July 19, 1974. Three wonderful
children was the result of their union, Michael, Ara, and Eileen.
Nardo immigrated to the United States in 1973 and received his doctorate
degree in 1978 in comparative literature from the University of Texas at
Austin. He moved to Utah and joined the University of Utah’s Middle Eastern
Studies’ department the same year.
He enjoyed teaching and spending time with his students, which were his
biggest source of inspiration. He left an everlasting impression on everyone
who came in contact with him, and made their lives richer and more meaningful.
His students admired his knowledge, candidness, humbleness, and warm
personality, and rewarded him twice with voting him the most distinguished
professor at the university. He also received a faculty award from the
University of Utah for the 1994-1995 school
year.

Nardo was an accomplished researcher and poet, which received
numerous awards for his literary body of work. His love for literature
benefited Iranian, Armenian, and English literary communities in different
capacities. He authored several articles and papers covering traditional and
modern Iranian poets and writers, while becoming one of the top authorities in
the world on `David and Sassoun,’ the Armenian national epic. He was
especially
proud of his two published poetry books, `Dancing Barefoot on Broken Glass’
and
`Through a Dewdrop.’
Nardo’s legacy lives in his oldest son Micheal, who has inherited his
wonderful personality, in Ara, who has inherited his gentle soul and artistic
inclinations, and in his youngest child Eileen, his ultimate love, which
completes the circle. His legacy will always be alive in every student and
individual who came to know this wonderful mind and exceptional literary
genius.
He is survived by his children, Michael, Ara, and Eileen; wife, Neli; Nephew,
Damian; Preceded in death by father, Michael; mother, Annette; brother, Sacco.
A memorial reception will take place on Saturday, February 5, 2:30 p.m.-5:30
p.m., at Cabrini Villas, 9600 Cabrini Drive, Burbank, CA 91504. For
information
call (818) 731-3365.

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From: Baghdasarian

THE RUSSIAN-TURKISH RAPPROCHEMENT COULD BENEFIT ARMENIA

Eurasia Insight

EurasiaNet.org
2/01/05

By Haroutiun Khachatrian

Improving Russian-Turkish ties could benefit Armenia, as many experts
and officials believe Moscow will place additional pressure on Ankara to
lift a trade embargo and normalize relations with Yerevan. The
Russian-Turkish rapprochement comes amid a growing US presence in the
Caucasus, a region where both Russia and Turkey are considered regional
superpowers and where both are eager to maintain their diplomatic and
economic clout.

A visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkey in December 2004 –
the first ever by a Russian chief-of-state – intensified the diplomatic
dialogue between the two states, which for decades had been sparring
partners. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reciprocated the
visit with an official trip to Moscow on January 10-12.

A sizeable increase in trade and business ties provided the backdrop for
these summits – Erdogan has forecast that bilateral annual trade is
expected to more than double by 2007 to $25 billion — but the Turkish
press has argued that the true significance of these meetings is
political. “Turkish-Russian ties gain a political dimension”, The
Turkish Daily News wrote recently. During Erdogan’s trip to Moscow,
Putin spoke out in favor of developing economic ties with Turkish
Cypriots, a sensitive foreign policy point for Ankara, and promised to
act as a mediator to resolve disputes between Turkey and Armenia.

“We both agree that it is necessary to strive towards establishing
friendly relations between neighbors,” the Russian news agency Interfax
quoted Putin as saying on January 11. “[Russia] will do everything
possible to settle conflicts in the post-Soviet space . . . acting
exclusively as a mediator and guarantor of future accords.”

Watching from the sidelines, analysts in Yerevan see the improved ties
with Moscow as a sign that Turkey wants to cut its own path in foreign
affairs, independent of the views of Washington, a fellow member of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization and longtime military partner.
Turkey’s relations with both the United States and Israel, a key
American ally, have been strained of late. Turkish leaders are concerned
about the presence of US forces in Iraq, and, last year, expressed
dissatisfaction with Tel Aviv’s treatment of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

“We know that our responsibilities are not just internal anymore but in
the Balkans, the Middle East, and the Caucasus and throughout the
world,’ Erdogan said in his 2005 New Year’s speech, the Turkish daily
Zaman reported. `Being conscious of this responsibility, we will carry
Turkey to a more active point.”

Ruben Safrastian, head of the Turkey department at the Armenian National
Academy of Science’s Institute of Oriental Studies, argues that this
`active point’ means regaining influence over countries that were once
part of the Ottoman Empire. That motivation parallels attempts by Russia
to maintain its sway in countries, including Armenia, that were once
part of the Soviet Union, he said. “Moscow is trying to use the
privileges gained from high oil prices not only in the economic sphere,
but also strategically. Thus, the two [regional] superpowers,
dissatisfied with their role in the world, are trying to find a new
place, a new niche,’ Safrastian said in a recent interview with the
Regnum.ru Russian news agency. Among the potential results of such an
alliance: a Turkish partnership with the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, (which includes Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) and joint Turkish-Russian reconstruction
projects in post-war Iraq. It is in the Caucasus that both countries
will put their partnership to the test, observers believe. An Armenian
diplomat, who asked not to be named, commented that US-Turkish relations
started to worsen after Washington began training Georgian troops in
2002. Turkey, formerly Washington’s partner for advancing Western
interests in the region, is becoming a competitor with Washington for
influence, the diplomat said. Although Turkey continues to train
Georgian military officers, and handed over $2 million worth of military
equipment in 2004, its programs pale in comparison with US training
initiatives. Washington has set aside $15 million in 2005 alone for its
ongoing Georgian military training program, and Georgia has responded in
kind with a contribution of over 800 troops to the US Iraqi
reconstruction effort.

Turkey is now looking to engage Russia diplomatically in order to check
the growing US influence in the region, the diplomat said. Safrastian
echoed this view, telling Regnum.ru that `The Caucasus is no longer a
source of discord for Russia and Turkey.’ According to this scenario,
Russia’s increased involvement in the economies of the south Caucasus
countries would be reinforced by expanded trade with Turkey.

While Armenian media and political parties have paid relatively little
attention to these events, the government has been watching closely.
Although no Russia-facilitated breakthrough is in the works for
Armenian-Turkish relations, the topic’s presence on the Putin-Erdogan
summit agendas was nevertheless considered by Armenian officials as
unprecedented.

Accordingly, optimism in Yerevan for a breakthrough is on the increase.
The Armenian diplomat said that the government sees the frequent
meetings in 2004 between Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and
his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul as the basis for an
Armenian-Turkish thaw. “They had very thorough discussions and
discovered that the two countries can cooperate well in many areas,’ he
said. `We believe that Turkey may initiate some steps to overcome the
current deadlock.’

Nonetheless, Yerevan is treading carefully. In a January 25 interview
with the Turkish national daily Zaman, Oskanian said that he does not
believe Russia’s mediation will be decisive in resolving long-standing
disputes between Turkey and Armenia. In this interview, apparently meant
as a message to Turkey’s political leadership following the
Putin-Erdogan summits, Oskanian again dismissed the reasons usually
cited for Ankara’s unwillingness to normalize ties with Yerevan. The
Armenian government, he said, does not insist that Turkey recognize the
slaying of over a million Armenians in 1915 as genocide, nor is it
considering claiming any territories or financial compensation from
Turkey for lands lost after the border between the Soviet Union and
Turkey was finalized in 1921. Oskanian’s stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, the primary reason for Turkey’s decision to close its border
with Armenia in 1993, was more prickly, however.

The conflict, Oskanian said, is not a relevant problem for Turkey.
`Turkey cannot mediate because it is partial. Russia, for instance, has
no preconditions and is neutral. Turkey frequently offers its help as a
mediator, and we hold bilateral meetings. We are not against meetings,
but don’t accept [Turkey’s] mediation.’

Rather, the key to reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia, the
foreign minister said, would be a decision by Ankara to reopen Turkey’s
border with Armenia. `No one can insist that there can be normal
relations between two countries if the border between them is closed. .
. [W]e can’t wait 10-15 years or longer, for Turkey to be accepted into
the EU, for there to be some positive movement. We hope that very soon
Turkey will open the border.’

Editor’s Note: Haroutiun Khachatrian is a Yerevan-based writer
specializing in economic and political affairs.

TURKISH SCHOLARS SEEK TO ENGAGE ARMENIAN COUNTERPARTS IN HISTORICAL DEBATE

Civil Society

EurasiaNet.org
2/01/05

By Igor Torbakov

As Turkey prepares for what promises to be a lengthy European Union
accession process, officials in Ankara are striving to remove obstacles
that stand in the way of their integration ambitions. Accordingly,
authorities appear to be welcoming a research project by Turkish
historians designed to shed additional light on the circumstances
surrounding the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians from 1915-1923.

Armenian leaders have campaigned for international recognition of what
they insist was genocide committed by Turkish forces amid the chaos of
the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Yerevan’s calls have received
support in the capitals of some influential EU capitals, in particular
France, which has a sizeable Armenian émigré population.

In early January, the Turkish Historical Society – a semi-official
institution founded in the beginning of the 1930s – announced that it
had finished a large research project commenced in 2001. The result of
the historical exploration is four volumes of documents in which `the
allegations made by Armenians are answered one by one,’ according to a
Turkish journalist familiar with the research. The project marks the
first comprehensive attempt by Turkish scholars to challenge the
Armenian version of the tragic events of the past.

Armenian officials and historians assert that the Young Turk government
in power in Istanbul in 1915 ordered the systematic slaughter of
Armenians. Turkish leaders have insisted the mass deaths of Armenians
did not constitute genocide, alleging that Armenians were largely
victims of a vicious partisan struggle during and after World War I.

The authors of the recent four-volume study appear to endorse the
mainstream Turkish view of events. They also advocate the continuation
of research, calling for a multi-national inquiry into the events.
Professor Yusuf Halacoglu, head of the Turkish Historical Society, said
in a January 12 interview with the Reuters news agency that the
commission should comprise scholars from Turkey, Armenia, the United
States, France and Britain.

Turkey is due to start EU accession negotiations on October 3, while on
April 24 Armenians throughout the world will mark the 90th anniversary
of what they call the `first genocide of the 20th century.’ Many Turkish
officials and experts believe Yerevan may attempt to engage Ankara in a
`battle over history.’ According to Turkish media reports, commemoration
activities will include conferences, meetings, exhibitions and new
publication projects. A few Turkish commentators are urging the Turkish
government to adopt a more pro-active stance in the ongoing debate.
`Saying `we never committed genocide’ is no longer enough. We will be
forced to pay the price for inactivity. We need to do something,’ wrote
Mehmet Ali Birand in a commentary published by the Turkish Daily News on
January 4.

Right after EU leaders agreed last December to open accession talks with
Turkey, both the European Parliament and France, urged Turkey to
recognize the 1915-1923 killings of Armenians as genocide. `We will
raise all the matters, including the Armenian genocide, to hear Turkey’s
response in the course of accession negotiations, which will be very
long and very difficult,’ French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier was
quoted as saying.

Halacoglu, the Turkish historian, believes that France’s stance can be
viewed as an `opportunity.’ `Armenian and Turkish historians should sit
down and debate the matter,’ he said in a December 15 interview
published in the daily Milliyet. `This has nothing to do with the EU.
Let the historians resolve the matter.’

Such a direct dialog on the `genocide’ issue between Turkish and
Armenian historians actually began last year when researchers from the
Turkish Historical Society and their colleagues from Armenian Academy of
Sciences and Yerevan’s Genocide Museum formed the so-called Vienna
Armenian-Turkish Historians’ Platform (VAT). At VAT’s first meeting held
in Austrian capital in July 2004, the two sides started exchanging
archival documents pertaining to the events of 1915-1923. But VAT’s next
meeting, reportedly scheduled for last December, was cancelled. And in
mid-January, the Anatolia news agency reported that a VAT meeting due to
take place in May 2005 had also been cancelled.

Whatever the reason for VAT’s difficulties, it appears that the work of
this bilateral forum has virtually come to a standstill. This may
explain why Turkish researchers and pundits urge the formation of an
international commission of inquiry. This commission, in Halacoglu’s
opinion, would ideally work under the auspices of the United Nations, or
another international body, to help ensure impartiality and to encourage
all states to open up their archives to the panel. `The Armenian
archives, which are closed, should also be opened to the public,’
Halacoglu said.

The idea of forming an international commission appears to be part of
Ankara’s broader strategy of seeking rapprochement with Armenia. As
Birand points out, `If these [`genocide’] studies are initiated, we will
gain time. In addition, while this process continues, Turkey can broaden
its economic relations with Armenia and open the border gate.’

In the meantime, however, Turkish historians are getting ready to debate
their Armenian colleagues on the basis of their latest research.
Speaking January 5 on the CNN-Turk television program, Hikmet Ozdemir,
head of the Turkish Historical Society’s Armenian Desk, said a publicity
campaign would be launched in February.

Editor’s Note: Igor Torbakov is a freelance journalist and researcher
who specializes in CIS political affairs. He holds an MA in History from
Moscow State University and a PhD from the Ukrainian Academy of
Sciences. He was Research Scholar at the Institute of Russian History,
Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow; a Visiting Scholar at the Kennan
Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington
DC; a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University, New York; and a Visiting
Fellow at Harvard University. He is now based in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Moscow Times

Lavrov expresses careful optimism over Karabakh settlement

Interfax. Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2005, 9:06 PM Moscow Time

BAKU. Feb 1 (Interfax) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there
are reasons to express careful optimism regarding the settlement in
Nagorno-Karabakh, especially taking into account the fact that bilateral
meetings between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers are taking
place.

“We feel that there are reasons for careful optimism, especially if we take
into account the resumption of meetings between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
foreign ministers. We will support the sides in their aim to come to an
agreement,” Lavrov told journalists on Tuesday, following his arrival in
Baku. Lavrov’s visit to Baku will last for two days.

“We presume that all mediators working in the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, the
U.S. and France) are maintaining contact with both sides – Armenia and
Azerbaijan,” Lavrov added

Track II Diplomacy and the Prospects of Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation

CONFLICT PREVENTION AND RESOLUTION FORUM

School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Johns Hopkins University
1740 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
February 1, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Since the early 1800s, the relationship between the Turkish and Armenian
people has been tragic, filled with hatred and conflict. Now, a
reconciliation commission has been working on opening a new era in the
relations between the two sides. The initiative is trying to bring
cooperation and communication between the governments of both countries.
This is an example from which to learn about the necessity of Track II
diplomacy and its contribution to conflict resolution. David L.
Phillips, who has recently written a book on Track II diplomacy and the
prospects of Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, will be joined by Matt
Bryza to discuss this important topic.

Speakers:
David L. Phillips, Deputy Director of the Center for Prevention Action
at the Council on Foreign Relations
Matt Bryza, National Security Council Deputy Director of Europe and the
Caucasus

Location: Kenney Auditorium, Nitze Building
School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Johns Hopkins University
1740 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC

Date: Tuesday, February 8, 2005

Time:
9:00 – 11:00 AM

Contact: Tali Chazan at 202-265-4300

Please note that there is no parking at SAIS, and the nearest Metro stop
is Dupont Circle.

You may view notes from our previous speakers on the Search for Common
Ground website at

*******************************************************************************************************

ABOUT THIS FORUM:

The Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum (CPRF) sponsors launched
this forum in 1999 as a platform for exploring innovative and
constructive methods of conflict prevention and resolution in the
international arena. Rather than a typical Washington debating or
briefing session, this forum seeks not only to inform its attendees
about various perspectives in a conflict, but also to contribute to
viable solutions to complex conflicts by providing a secure venue for
stakeholders from various disciplines to engage with each other in
cross-sector, or multi-track, problem-solving. As such, the Forum
insists on the basic ground-rules of non-attribution, mutual respect, no
interrupting, and no partisan grandstanding. The CPRF principals believe
that through this sustained policy focus on conflict prevention and
resolution, monitoring of events and trends in conflicted regions,
information exchange, and collective problem-solving, practitioners of
international relations working independently can combine their
strengths and minimize their weaknesses in resolving violent conflict.

CPRF Sponsors:
Center for Strategic and International Studies, Joseph Montville
Center for Preventive Action/Council on Foreign Relations, William Nash
Conflict Management Program/SAIS – Johns Hopkins University, I. William
Zartman
The Conflict Prevention Project/Woodrow Wilson International Center for
Scholars, Anita Sharma
Partners for Democratic Change, Raymond Shonholtz
Alliance for International Conflict Prevention & Resolution, William A.
Stuebner
Search for Common Ground, John Marks

The Russia Journal

Russia’s trade with Armenia shrinks

WORLD/CIS » :: Feb 01, 2005 Posted: 13:54 Moscow time (09:54 GMT)

EREVAN – Russia’s trade with Armenia shrank 10.6 percent in 2004 to USD266m,
the Armenian National Statistics Service has reported. Trade with Russia
accounted for 12.9 percent of Armenia’s overall foreign trade. Armenian
exports to Russia were cut by 17.3 percent to USD78m. Imports fell 7.5
percent to USD188m. Armenia boosted its foreign trade by 5.1 percent in 2004
to USD2.066bn. Trade deficit amounted to USD636m. Exports advanced 4.3
percent to USD715m. Imports grew 5.6 percent to USD1.351bn. Trade with the
European Union contributed the most to Armenia’s foreign trade, namely,
USD735m. Trade with the CIS was USD433m, or 21 percent of total foreign
trade. /RosBusinessConsulting/

Daily Bruin
Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Nations must take action to end cycle of genocide

By Raffi Kassabian

At the Jan. 27 ceremonies for the 60th anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz, the prevalent reaction was “never again.” And yet we still
continue to see genocide occurring today, most notably in Darfur, Sudan.

The systematic annihilation and displacement of millions of Sudanese in
Darfur is nothing less than a part of the repetitious cycle of
systematic genocide that continues to haunt the world community to this
day.

How can today’s governments stand by while groups of people in the world
are subject to targeted extinction policies? How can the United States
send its sons and daughters into battle exclaiming that democracy and
freedom in Iraq are worth their lives, yet ignore those very same
principles in another situation?

Darfur demands a similar sacrifice, but the determination of engagement
is conspicuously absent when addressing this crisis.

Over 1.5 million Armenians were systematically executed, raped and
deported by the Ottoman Empire in what is acknowledged as one of the
first genocides of the 20th century. Volumes of academic research on the
subject are accompanied by acknowledgments by genocide scholar societies
as well as proclamations by numerous countries and state governments.

But the United States, a country that continually unfurls the banner of
ethical and moral values to justify the pursuit of domestic as well as
foreign policy agendas, has yet to come to terms with the Armenian
Genocide and join the world in admitting, let alone seeking justice for,
this crime against humanity.

Instead, in deference to the Republic of Turkey, an alleged “strategic
partner and NATO ally,” according to the U.S. Agency for International
Development, the United States has avoided facing the Armenian Genocide.

The threats of limited access to NATO bases and the loss of military or
other business contracts is apparently enough for the United States to
drop the ethical banner in this particular case and pick up the pennant
of obscure “national interests” excuses.

Until there is an equitable pursuit of justice, we are left to fight not
one battle, but two. Not only must we fight to prevent crimes against
humanity, but we must also fight the denial of such crimes. In doing so
we can ensure that we are combating the recurring cycle of genocides.

The citizens in Darfur cry for their justice. Their government has
failed to protect their lives, families and homes, but instead has
instigated or even organized those responsible for murdering and
dislocating them.

For nearly 90 years, successive Turkish governments have actively denied
the Armenian Genocide. It is their hope to absolve themselves of any
punitive measures that are a natural part of the process of justice for
this crime.

Because the Turkish government has not been held accountable for its
crimes against humanity in the past, the government has been able to
continue human rights abuses into the present day. It stifles the lives
and tramples on the rights of its minorities.

Turkey is noted for having some of the highest numbers of imprisoned
journalists, and it continually strikes down – via legal or brute
tactics – those who question the fallibility of the state. The Turkish
government wants to intimidate its own citizens into silence or
self-censorship on issues like the Armenian Genocide.

The world continues to turn a blind eye out of convenience and enables
this behavior of the Turkish government, facilitating what I call the
“Campaign of Silence.”

When the United States and governments worldwide behave in such a
manner, is it any wonder why “never again” sounds so hollow? Is it any
wonder that after 1915, there was a 1938? Is it any wonder that the
Armenians were followed by Cambodians, Rwandans and now the citizens of
Darfur?

The silence continues today because we as human beings have not come to
terms with our past. We have turned the other cheek because it is easier
than seeking justice.

Adolf Hitler proclaimed to the Nazi Army before invading Poland, “Who,
after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” Will we
finally learn to consistently apply American values to our national
interests – recognizing everyone’s rights to a pursuit of happiness,
freedom and self-determination?

Or will the next genocidal government say, “Who, after all, speaks today
of the annihilation of the people of Darfur?”

————————————————————————
Kassabian is a fourth-year political science and communication studies
student.

Las Vegas Sun
January 31, 2005

The Armenian connection

Sisters, safely back in Las Vegas, work on permanent status
By Timothy Pratt
<[email protected]>
LAS VEGAS SUN

Mariam Sarkisian, the younger of the two Armenian sisters who were released
from federal custody Friday after two weeks in a Los Angeles holding cell,
was expected to resume her life as a junior at Palo Verde High School today.

Meanwhile, Jeremiah Wolf Stuchiner, one of the lawyers who defended the
Sarkisians, said he would be applying for a permit Tuesday at the Bureau of
Citizenship and Immigration Services that the sisters need to legally return
to work at Tropicana Pizza, the family business their father, Rouben, runs
in Henderson.

Mariam’s first chore today will be studying for final exams she missed while
she and her sister Emma were being held in the headline-grabbing case that
nearly saw them put on a plane to Armenia, their birthplace.

The girls were detained Jan. 14 when immigration authorities acted on a
deportation order dating to 1993.

“I’ve never wanted to go to school so bad,” 17-year-old Mariam said Friday
afternoon amid the hubbub at the pizzeria surrounding their return.

“But it’s going to be hard catching up,” she added.

Mariam’s courses include an elective course in fashion design, which is what
she wants to study at a technical school when she obtains her high school
diploma in 2006. The teenager hopes to become a designer when she is older,
because it is a career where “you can be yourself and do what you want to do
with no limits,” she said.

Emma, 18, said her first order of business on settling back into her life in
Las Vegas was to get permission to work at the pizzeria and then to obtain a
driver’s license.

Work permits are available to both girls as a condition of the so-called
deferred action that immigration authorities took to release the sisters,
Stuchiner said.

That action means the girls still have no legal status in the United States,
but they can remain in the country and are able to work. The work permit
then serves as a means of identification, Stuchiner said, that the girls can
use for such purposes as obtaining a driver’s license.

In the future, Emma wants to go to college, perhaps out of state, she said,
“to have some freedom.”

She said she is “going to take college more seriously than high school.”
Emma graduated from Palo Verde in June and didn’t study very hard, she said.

As for her future, she said she “always wanted to be a singer” when she was
younger, but her experience being detained and threatened with deportation
has made her think of other options.

Now, she said, she is “thinking of being a judge or a lawyer so this doesn’t
happen to anyone else.”

Alternatively, she said, she would like to work in the entertainment
industry.

Both girls said they look forward to becoming citizens, in order to resolve
the problem that led to their detention and separation from their family.

That problem became apparent when Rouben Sarkisian took the girls to local
immigration officials seeking paperwork he thought they should be able to
obtain after years of attempts to gain legal status for them. But he found
instead that a series of events — including him marrying a U.S citizen and
becoming a legal resident, the step below citizenship — had not changed
their status.

The sisters still had a deportation order hanging over their heads.

Stuchiner said “the most logical avenue” for the teens to become citizens,
is for their father to become a citizen and then petition for his daughters.

Sarkisian applied for citizenship in July, Stuchiner said, and should
receive a date for his interview and exam in the next few months. That date
is usually three weeks to a month from whenever the notice arrives in the
mail.

Emma said one thing she would like to do when she becomes a citizen is
travel around the world — including a trip to Armenia.

Though the sisters were born there, neither has ever been back since they
were brought to the United States as pre-schoolers in 1991. They don’t even
speak its language.

“If I was a citizen, I could visit Armenia. I want to know what it’s like
…(and) keep in touch with my roots — but of my own free will,” she said.

Many Las Vegas residents wrote or called their congressmen or the media
while the case of the Sarkisians was unfolding. Many expressed disbelief
that two teenagers who had spent most of their life in the United States
were not already citizens.

On Friday, Marsha Cook, a Henderson resident who had been following the
case, walked into the pizzeria and said, “Are you Emma?”

“I just wanted to say, ‘Welcome home … and I hope you become a citizen
soon,”‘ she said.

Father Phil Carolin, executive director of the Citizenship Project, a
nonprofit organization that has helped about 1,250 people become citizens,
said “the main hurdle is the language” for most immigrants when it comes to
passing the citizenship interview and exam.

Sarkisian said he “speaks English okay and understands,” but has chosen to
speak through Russian interpreters while in the media spotlight in the last
few weeks.

Carolin’s organization offers classes in English as a second language as
well as in history and government, subjects that are covered in the
citizenship exam.

Another hurdle for many immigrants, Carolin said, is that “many of these
people hold down two or three jobs” and never find time to study.

Sarkisian’s job often requires him to work up to 14 hours a day, Emma said.

Looking back not only on the last two weeks, but on his 56 years, he said,
“My life is like an airplane — I don’t see it.”

“Only work, only work.”

Saturday turned out to be Sarkisian’s birthday and the toasts with vodka
were flowing at Tropicana Pizza.

“I already have my biggest gift,” he said of his daughters’ return.