Obstacle Before EU: Racism
By NEVVAL SEVINDI
Zaman, Turkey
Dec 16 2004
[Francois] Bayrou of France had said: “Turkey has shown time and
again that it is not European.” Indeed, the French have also shown
time and again how cruel they are to all their colonies.
Besides, they could even boast of killing so many people when they
bombed the Ivory Coast recently.
Wolfgang Schussel, on the other side, got stuck with money: “Turkey
will cost the EU 25-30 billion euros annually, moreover, there are
human rights violations.” I wonder whether or not he can still
remember today what Spain and Greece cost the EU? Or the money spent
on new member, the Czech Republic? It has turned retired civil
servants into civil police officers and has made them sentries
guarding metros. Their job is to hunt tourists and then rob them.
When I complained to the police, they told me, “the state is always
right.” I heard similar remarks last week from a German train station
officer wearing an earring. When I said, “It is not written on this
train that it is going to Neumunster, but you say it is,” his answer
was: “I am a civil servant of the German state. What I say is right,
okay?” Of course, Edmund Stoiber’s statement is meaningful in the
light of these words: “We will do whatever we can to prevent Turkey’s
membership. We shall accomplish this when we come to power in 2006.”
There are Nazis, who are now carrying out the signature campaign
initiated by Angela Merkel. With the other big reaction against EU
enlargement coming from Austria, it is evident that the
insurmountable obstacle facing Turkey and the EU is German racism.
The obstacle within Europe itself is the intolerant Hitler spirit,
sauced up with this superiority complex! The person who committed
murder in the Netherlands is a Moroccan, but since the only subject
on television channels is the situation of Turks, degraded Muslim
Turks, the hatred in the German society’s subconscious has now
appeared on the surface. There are many humiliating acts against
Turks in the books of Martin Luther, who is being marketed as the
“greatest humanist.” Frankly speaking, his books have nothing to do
with humanism.
Racism is the most talked about and most topical subject on the
German agenda. Enmity against foreigners and Muslims is dangerously
on the rise This monster that previously resided only among
low-income groups, is now dancing in high society saloons. The result
of a three-year research has been published by Bielefeld University.
Research Director Wilhelm Heitmeyer says that xenophobia is on the
rise in 2004, so is intolerance towards homosexual. It is assumed
that foreigners ruin the German cultural identity. 58 percent do not
want to live in the same neighborhood with Muslims. It is really
striking that hostility against women, Islam and foreigners go hand
in hand! This is male-dominant hostility.
While Germany, which for 40 years has not admitted that it is a
country of immigrants, cannot find any fault in itself, it views the
Turks as completely at fault. Beware! Isn’t this the phenomenon
called projection mirror? Are Turks the mirror in which they reflect
their vulgar instincts? Films depicting the torture of millions of
people or those killed, bringing before us the so-called Armenian
genocide or the Cyprus issue, have not still ended, even though they
have been made over and over again for 50 years. A law on foreigners
for the first time will come into force in January 2005.
Germans advocating the mother tongue right for Kurds have not even
found a place in their curricula for Turkish mother tongue courses.
It is not ways to develop the mother tongue, but ways to make it
forgotten that are always being sought. Another example of egregious
double standards: Besides its failure in not solving any problems,
the German Teachers’ Union (GEW) does not even have any project
whatsoever on this issue. Moreover, the union also approved low
incomes for Turkish teachers! Turkish mother tongue teachers have
been turned into social advisers or translators. Their main job is to
solve the problems of German managers and teachers and to teach their
mother tongue in the remaining time left. Look at what a German
teacher said to a Turkish teacher: “What will you do with our
children after educating all the workers’ children? If you had the
chance, you would make all Turkish children have higher education.
Then what will become of our children?”
This teacher, who defends not the bright students, but the German
children, while encouraging class superiority, is also sowing the
seeds of racism. What do you think he/she teaches these students? The
racism tree growing right in front of Germany overshadows the ideals
of Europe. Are the Europeans sleeping?
December 14, 2004

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Dec 16 2004
There are 1 Million Illegal-Immigrants in Turkey
Every year 250.000-300.000 immigrants enter Turkey… It is estimated
about 50.000 Armenians for instance work in Istanbul illegally.
Jan Soykok, JTW (Ankara
16 December 2004
According to the ILO reports there are about 1 million illegal
foreign immigrants in Turkey. Every year 250.000-300.000 immigrants
enter Turkey and half of them stay in the country while the rest of
them go to Europe and other places. Most of the immigrants come from
Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Romania, Ukraine, Russian
Federation and Georgia. Moreover thousands of foreigners come to
Turkey work illegally. It is estimated about 50.000 Armenians for
instance work in Istanbul illegally.
Police can only capture half of the illegal immigrants. Turkish
experts argue that Turkey cannot deal with this issue without
international co-operation. Dr. Mehmet Ozcan told the JTW that “this
is a common problem for Turkey, neighboring countries and the EU. So
all these states have to deal with this issue. Otherwise not only
Turkey but also the EU states will face a formidable social,
political and economic problems.”

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
12/16/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Chirac Gives a 'Yes, But' for Turkey's EU Membership 2) Youth in Athens Convey Opposition to Turkey EU Membership 3) Oskanian Commends European Parliament's Resolution as Joint Victory 4) Karabagh Leader Calls for Stronger Ties with Population 5) BRIEFS 1) Chirac Gives a 'Yes, But' for Turkey's EU Membership PARIS (AP/AFP)--President Jacques Chirac, beset by opposition to Turkey's drive to join the European Union, told a divided France that the mostly Muslim country belongs in the EU--but that Paris will block negotiations if Ankara fails to meet membership conditions. "Does Europe, and particularly France, have an interest in Turkey joining it? My answer is, 'Yes, but,'" was how Chirac summed up his position on national television late Wednesday, explaining that adhesion could only occur after up to 20 years of negotiations and each current EU state, including France, could slam the door at any time. The French would have the "last word" in a referendum, he said, giving the three principle criteria as a commitment to peace and stability, democracy, and economic and social development. France also wants the issue of the massacre of Armenians in 1915-23 to be on the table during membership negotiations, although Foreign Minister Michel Barnier has said France will not demand official recognition of the killings as a condition for entry. Turkey vehemently denies its genocide of 1.5 million Armenians, under its Ottoman Empire. On Wednesday, the European Parliament called on EU leaders to open membership talks with Turkey "without undue delay." However, it urged Ankara to carry out more democratic reforms, move toward recognizing Cyprus and acknowledge the Armenian killings. The summit, gathering the leaders of the 25 member states of the European Union, was expected to give the green light to the start of negotiations with Ankara. But Chirac's ruling conservative UMP party has pronounced itself against EU membership for Turkey, a large, relatively poor Muslim country, and surveys in France show most of the public was also against. Chirac's support for Turkey's eventual membership has been met with grave misgivings among ordinary citizens worried about an influx of cheap labor to France, already stung by 10 percent unemployment. Many also question Turkey's human rights record. A poll published earlier this week by the newspaper Le Figaro suggests two in three French oppose bringing Turkey into the 25-nation bloc. The Socialist Party is divided over the issue, and Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front, insists Turkey is a country that "cannot be European." "Only a rejection of the European constitution can save the French from this trap," Le Pen said Wednesday. "This willingness to integrate an Asian and Muslim country, against the will of the European people, illustrates the noxiousness of Brussels' Europe." By throwing his support behind Turkey, Chirac also has broken ranks with his own party, the conservative Union for a Popular Movement, which favors a "privileged partnership" between the EU and Ankara that would fall far short of membership. Although Chirac favors full membership for Turkey, while conceding it could take up to 20 years, a skeptical Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin argues that the influence of Islam in Turkey would clash with Judeo-Christian European values. Confronting that argument head-on, Chirac contends that bringing the nation of 70 million people into the EU is the best way to tamp down Islamic extremism and eliminate what some Europeans see as a threat Chirac had previously evoked a negotiating period of just 10 years. Suggesting talks could drag out twice as long with no certain result was latched upon by the French media Thursday. "Even though he was forced to steer a straight course, Chirac seemed hesitant sometimes to pull on the oars," the left-leaning newspaper Liberation said of the interview. It noted that Chirac's real reason for reiterating his position at such a crucial time was to save another referendum he has proposed for next year, and which he holds more dearly: a plebiscite on adopting the European Union's first constitution. The French president fears that though two-thirds of voters are in favor of the constitution, they may reject the constitution as a way of registering their opposition to Turkey's EU membership. In his interview, Chirac said that referendum "must not be distracted from its very important goal by considerations which have nothing to do with it." Le Figaro, a conservative daily that was the only national newspaper to put Chirac's interview on its front page, said that the event was forced upon the president because he was "completely out of step with his country's public opinion and isolated within his own camp." 2) Youth in Athens Convey Opposition to Turkey EU Membership ATHENS (Aztag Daily)--Armenian youth picketed European Union offices in Athens on Wednesday to protest Turkey's aspirations to join the European Body. "Turkey's criminal past casts a shadow on it European dreams," read one of their placards, while another declared, "Recognition of the Armenian genocide is the only way to Turkey's EU membership." Organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Youth Organization, the protest drew more than three hundred, including the youngest of ARF youth, the "badanees." In conveying their message to the EU, the youth presented the head of Athens EU office a statement of protest. 3) Oskanian Commends European Parliament's Resolution as Joint Victory YEREVAN (Arminfo)--Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian hailed the European Parliament's adoption of three strongly worded measures by the European Parliament calling on Turkey to properly recognize the Armenian genocide, lift its blockade of Armenia, and abandon it hostile policies toward Armenia and the Armenian people. In an interview with Public Television of Armenia, Oskanian stressed the political significance of the measures. Calling the resolution the joint victory of Armenia's diplomacy and the diaspora, particularly European Armenian organizations, Oskanian was cautiously optimistic. "If during the first stage, Turkey does not conform to the political criteria, including improvement of relations with Armenia, negotiations will not necessarily be broken off," he noted. The provisions were added on the eve of the December 17 vote of the European Council on opening membership talks with Turkey as amendments to a Parliamentary report on Turkey's progress toward accession to the European Union. 4) Karabagh Leader Calls for Stronger Ties with Population STEPANAKERT (RFE/RL)--The president of Mountainous Karabagh Republic Arkady Ghukasian said on Thursday that his government has lost touch with its people. Meeting with a large group of government officials and public figures in Stepanakert, Ghukasian promised a cabinet reshuffle and other "resolute steps" to boost his administration's standing. "Government officials are often indifferent to citizens' problems. There is mistrust towards the authorities," he said. "Judges often hand down wrong verdicts for profit-making considerations," he said without elaborating. His criticism came amid the improving economic situation in the Armenian-populated territory. Ghukasian declared that the local economy is on course to expand by 30 percent this year on the back of growing foreign investment. He also said that the government will have more money at its disposal next year. At the same time, he noted that many Karabagh Armenians live in poverty and are unaffected by the positive change. He urged local business people to do more to help the poor. 5) BRIEFS EU Talks 'To Settle' Cyprus Issue ANKARA (BBC)--As European Union leaders are set to hold accession talks at the two-day summit now under way in Brussels, commission head Jose Manuel Barroso urged them to reject any half measures during discussions of the membership bid. Asked about the latest progress on the Cyprus issue, Erdogan told reporters in Brussels it "will be resolved tomorrow," without elaborating. Barroso urged Turkey to "go the extra mile" and recognize Cyprus, which is an EU member. He asked what kind of message Turkey was sending if it did not recognize all the members of the club it wanted to join. Turkey, however, which occupies northern Cyprus, has said it will not bow to demands to recognize the country, calling the issue a "red line." Powell, Gul Discuss Turkey's EU Accession WASHINGTON, DC (AFP)--US Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke Wednesday with his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, on Turkey's EU accession. "The secretary spoke this morning with Foreign Minister Gul, just to check in and see where things are," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. "We'll continue to keep in touch with Turkish leaders on the subject," he told reporters. The European Union is waiting to give its approval to Turkey's negotiated accession during a summit which opened late Thursday in Brussels. No Change in Ties with Armenia over Dispatch of Military to Iraq YEREVAN (Itar-Tass)--Speaker of the Russian parliament's lower chamber Boris Gryzlov, said on Wednesday that a possible decision by Armenia to send military specialists to Iraq will not change relations between the two former Soviet republics. "Armenia is a sovereign state and the decisions it makes are decisions of a sovereign state," Gryzlov told a press conference in reply to a query concerning Armenian authorities' intentions to send military specialists to Iraq. Gas Leak Kills Family in Armenia YEREVAN (RFE-RL)--A natural-gas leak from a homemade heater killed a family of five in Armenia, officials said Thursday. The accident Wednesday in the city of Echmiadzin killed a married couple and their three small children, the Prosecutor General's Office said. It said the heater was set up without regard for safety standards. The family was among a growing number of victims of accidents resulting from the improper use of homemade heaters and from insufficient oversight by officials charged with enforcing safety standards. OSCE to Send Monitoring Mission to Karabagh BAKU (Interfax)--The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will send a monitoring mission to Karabagh to check reports from Baku about Armenia's plans to establish settlements in the area, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists in London. An agreement to organize a monitoring mission was reached with Armenia during talks between the Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers in Sofia and Brussels in early December, he said, adding that the co-chairman of the Minsk Group directly settling the conflict should join the monitoring mission. Exhibition Captures Essence of Childhood YEREVAN (Arka)--Photographer Zaven Khachikyan's latest exhibition, "We are all from Childhood," opened in Yerevan on December 16. Devoted to the 10th anniversary of UNICEF's efforts, Khachikyan captures the essence of the children's daily lives. He said, "In order to go forward, it is necessary to go back to childhood for some time and to see the reality of children's lives in Armenia in order to improve it in future." The exhibition, organized by the Armenian representative office of UNICEF and "West-East" center of photojournalism, will last until December 19. UN Food Program to Halt Food Aid for Azeri Refugees BAKU (Combined Sources)Food distribution for 140,000 Azeris displaced by the Karabagh conflict with Armenia a decade ago will come to a complete halt next month because of a $10 million shortfall in aid sought for the three-year operation by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). WFP country director Rahman Chowdhury said the agency had halved rations for refugees last month in an effort to stretch food stocks. The WFP faces a $10 million shortfall this year, he said, in part due to higher retail prices and rising gasoline and natural gas prices. "Most of the displaced are so poor they don't have the means to buy food. It's a dreadful situation, especially in winter, when temperatures drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius." All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

Itar-Tass, Russia
Dec 15 2004
Blair, Aliyev to negotiate UK servicemen transit via Azerbaijan
LONDON, December 15 (Itar-Tass) – British Prime Minister Tony Blair
and Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev have agreed to start talks on
future cooperation in British servicemen’s transit to Afghanistan via
Azerbaijan and back.
The leaders of the two countries also agreed to work out a programme
of Azerbaijani Armed Forces’ training in order to increase their
possibilities of contributing to peacekeeping operations.
Blair welcomed Azerbaijani Armed Forces’ efforts to maintain peace
and security in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, the British prime
minister’s secretariat told Itar-Tass on Wednesday in its comment on
the results of Tuesday’s talks between Blair and Aliyev.
Both sides adopted a joint communiqu· on the results of the talks.
Blair and Aliyev agreed to continue and strengthen bilateral
cooperation in the fight against terrorism and organised crime. They
lauded the development of relations with NATO’s Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council (EAPC) and the Partnership for Peace Programme,
according to a communiqu· signed on the results of Britain-Azerbaijan
talks.
The British prime minister and the Azerbaijani president said it is
important to increase the role of non-governmental and civilian
organisations in developing democracy, ensuring human rights and
humanitarian values. They also noted an important role of British
non-governmental organisations in Azerbaijan and other countries.
The leaders of the two countries agreed to work together in order to
settle the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh by peaceful means. They
supported the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts to settle the conflict and
stressed the importance of maintaining the regime of ceasefire, which
was established in 1994.
The British prime minister and the Azerbaijani president said they
are ready to help the South Caucasus become a zone of peace,
stability, good-neighbourliness and prosperity in the expanding
Europe. Blair and Aliyev stressed the importance of Caspian countries
in global energy security and welcomed successful cooperation between
British and Azerbaijani companies in conserving natural resources.
The communiqu· says Azerbaijan is committed to strengthening
relations with the European Union and its readiness to cooperate
closely so that Azerbaijan’s involvement into European integration
facilitates multi-party democracy, the supremacy of law, human rights
and the development of the market economy.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Le Monde
15 décembre 2004
« Vivre sous le ciel de l’Union européenne » ;
DOSSIER TURQUIE LES FRONTIERES ;
Voyage le long de ce qui pourrait devenir les nouvelles frontières de
l’union européenne : Géorgie, Arménie, Azerbaïdjan, Iran, Irak et
Syrie
Marie Jégo
La route qui défile au coeur d’un paysage de montagnes au nord-est de
Kars s’interrompt brutalement, barrée en son milieu par un bloc de
pierre agrémenté du drapeau turc et d’une citation de Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk. Barbelés et miradors courent sur des kilomètres. En face, à
700 mètres à peine, c’est l’Arménie. A flanc de montagne au loin, on
aperçoit même Giumri, la première ville arménienne, qui abrite
aujourd’hui une importante base militaire russe. Mais, hormis
quelques rares bergers, personne, jamais, ne passe par ici car le
passage est fermé depuis des années. La voiture qui vient de faire
irruption dans ce cul-de-sac désolé à 2 000 mètres d’altitude a semé
l’émoi dans la petite garnison toute proche. Le soldat en faction se
précipite sur la route, un gradé vient à sa rescousse.
Après l’inéluctable « Qu’êtes-vous venus faire ici ? » suit une
invitation à pénétrer dans le cantonnement. Une fois les identités
vérifiées, une recrue apporte le thé, servi dans de petits verres qui
brûlent les doigts. L’endroit est douillet, bti de neuf l’an
dernier, et la télévision grand écran aide sans doute à mieux
supporter les longues soirées d’hiver, quand la nuit tombe à 15
heures et qu’il fait – 35°C dehors. Peu habitués à voir du monde, les
soldats redoutent les questions. « Si vous avez aimé notre thé, nous
serions soulagés de vous voir partir », avoue le commandant. Son
empressement est d’autant plus grand que les inconscients buveurs de
thé, ignorants des usages, ne savent pas qu’ils se trouvent « en zone
numéro un, interdite aux étrangers », dont la seule évocation suffit
à faire rougir l’officier.
Désertée et battue par les vents, la frontière turco-arménienne,
vieille cicatrice de l’Histoire, en dit long sur les crispations
persistantes entre les deux Etats. La blessure des Arméniens, c’est
le massacre de 1,5 million des leurs entre 1915 et 1917, au moment de
la désintégration de l’empire ottoman. La Turquie, qui réfute ce
nombre et le terme de génocide, est, pour sa part, sensible au sort
des Azerbaïdjanais turcophones chassés de leurs terres par la guerre
(1988-1994) pour la conquête du Haut-Karabakh – un territoire
majoritairement peuplé d’Arméniens en Azerbaïdjan -, enjeu d’une
guerre de sept ans entre ces deux Etats de Transcaucasie.
C’est d’ailleurs en pleine guerre du Karabakh, en 1992, qu’Ankara
décida de clore la frontière, par solidarité avec les frères azéris
défaits. Malgré l’amorce, ces dernières années, d’un dialogue
turco-arménien, la réouverture se fait attendre. Et s’il est
possible, depuis deux ans, de gagner Erevan en empruntant un vol
direct depuis Istanbul, Kars, à l’extrême nord-est de la Turquie,
fait face à l’Arménie sans pouvoir l’atteindre. Située à une
soixantaine de kilomètres de la frontière, la ville (145 000
habitants) est privée des échanges transfrontaliers qui font le
bonheur de ses voisines.
FRONTIÈRE FERMÉE AVEC L’ARMÉNIE
En effet, à 200 kilomètres à l’est, Igdir ou Dogubeyazit prospèrent
grce au commerce avec l’Iran et avec le Nakhitchevan (territoire
azerbaïdjanais situé entre l’Arménie, l’Iran et la Turquie). A 100
kilomètres plus au nord, Ardahan connaît beaucoup de passages du fait
de sa proximité avec le poste frontière de Possof, vers la Géorgie.
C’est par là que doit passer l’oléoduc Bakou (Azerbaïdjan) – Tbilissi
(Géorgie) – Ceyhan (Turquie) (BTC), appelé à transporter le brut de
la Caspienne vers la Méditerranée et les marchés mondiaux. En 2007,
son tracé sera doublé par un gazoduc.
Cette future manne énergétique réjouit Nevzat Turhan, le préfet de
Kars, qui y voit une solution aux problèmes de pollution locaux : «
Comme il fait très froid et qu’il n’y a pas de gaz naturel, les gens,
pour la plupart, se chauffent au charbon. » Selon lui, « la fermeture
de la frontière pèse sur l’économie de la région ».
Le jeune maire de Kars, Naif Alibeyoglu, a bon espoir : « La
frontière s’ouvrira », peut-être même « dès 2005 ». « Naif bey »,
comme on dit parfois ici, a deux priorités : l’ouverture de la
frontière et l’approfondissement des liens avec l’Union européenne. «
C’est la seule alternative possible à l’extrémisme de George Bush et
à la guerre totale déclarée par Oussama Ben Laden », aime-t-il à
répéter. Mais l’intégration de la Turquie dans l’UE ne passe-t-elle
pas par la réconciliation turco-arménienne ? « Le dialogue aidant,
tout finira par s’arranger », veut-il croire. Et puis, « l’Anatolie
n’est-elle pas pour la Transcaucasie la voie la plus courte vers
l’Europe ? ». Enfant du pays devenu homme d’affaires, et un maire
apprécié de ses administrés – il entame son second mandat -, Naif
Alibeyoglu est représentatif de cette nouvelle génération d’hommes
politiques turcs que la nébuleuse de l’AKP, le parti au pouvoir, a su
attirer autour de son projet européen et réformateur.
Mais, vue d’Akyaka, un petit bourg à 13 kilomètres de la frontière
arménienne, l’ouverture au monde a une autre saveur. La gargote des
Trois Grillades affiche au menu des poissons pêchés « au barrage » de
la centrale électrique d’Arpacay, la seule chose que Turcs et
Arméniens exploitent en commun depuis vingt-trois ans. « Ça pêche des
deux côtés », tient à préciser Mehmet Erdagi, tenancier du lieu.
Entre deux gorgées d’un thé noir et brûlant, il raconte que, quand
bien même la frontière a été ouverte de 1923 à 1992, « le passage à
pied n’a jamais été autorisé ». Durant son enfance, dans les années
1950, « on n’y laissait pas même un oiseau voler ». Il fallut
attendre le dégel gorbatchévien de la fin des années 1980 pour que
des trains passent. « Deux fois par semaine, des touristes arméniens
allaient à Kars, mais, pour nous, cela ne changeait rien puisque le
train ne s’arrêtait jamais ici », dit-il en haussant les épaules.
« L’EUROPE SEMBLE LOIN »
Au café d’à côté, cultivateurs et fonctionnaires de la
sous-préfecture – « les têtes pensantes d’Akyaka » – palabrent autour
d’un verre de thé, comme chaque fin de journée. Le thème de «
l’ouverture de la porte » fait mouche. Sont-ils pour ? « Pas tant que
l’Arménie occupera les territoires azerbaïdjanais autour du Karabakh.
A 70 %, les gens de la région sont originaires de l’Azerbaïdjan ;
alors, forcément, ça les touche », explique un homme au col de
fourrure, chargé des finances à la sous-préfecture. Un autre ajoute
que la frontière reste, depuis l’époque de l’URSS, gardée par des
militaires russes. Eray, policier chargé de rédiger les
procès-verbaux avec « l’autre côté », lors du passage inopiné de
bétail par exemple, acquiesce : « La Russie contrôle la frontière,
c’est elle qui est mentionnée dans les PV. Je préférerais avoir
affaire aux Arméniens. »
Et l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’UE ? « Difficile d’être contre »,
explique un consommateur. « Ça ne changera pas grand-chose ici »,
tempère Eray. Occupés essentiellement à l’élevage et à l’agriculture,
les gens d’Akyaka ont du travail quatre mois par an. L’hiver est
rude, les ressources limitées, et les petites parcelles ne suffisent
pas à faire vivre toute la famille. « Nous étions cinq frères, mon
père avait 20 hectares, pas assez pour nous nourrir tous, alors je
suis parti chercher du travail à Kars », explique Orhan, la
soixantaine. La réduction récente des subventions à l’élevage, voulue
par Ankara au nom de la marche du pays vers l’économie mondialisée,
n’est pas vue d’un bon oeil. « Ceux-là n’auront plus nos voix ! »,
fulmine un éleveur.
« Ce n’est pas l’Union européenne qui nous donnera à manger ! »
conclut un homme en complet veston et casquette, sans lever les yeux
de son journal. « L’Europe semble loin », lche le garçon de café. «
Pas pour moi ! » s’exclame le jeune Murat, fort de ses quatre années
passées à Berlin, où il a travaillé « dans une disco, et aussi à
vendre des fleurs ». Et de raconter son séjour en prison en
Allemagne, pour défaut de papiers. « Leurs prisons sont dix fois
pires qu’ici ! », assure-t-il avec l’assentiment du public. Gêné,
Mehmet Erdagi, le patron du petit restaurant d’à côté, glisse : «
Excusez Murat, il n’a pas toute sa tête… » Derrière lui, le garçon
porte une bouteille imaginaire à ses lèvres et chuchote, d’un air
entendu : « Il boit ! » Dans le brouhaha général, une voix se fait
entendre : « La vérité, c’est qu’on n’entrera pas ; ils ne veulent
pas de nous, ils ne veulent pas de musulmans ! » Suit un murmure
d’approbation.
A près de 300 kilomètres de là, autour d’Igdir, l’activité
transfrontalière est visible. Les camions iraniens sont nombreux, la
ville regorge de petits hôtels, et ses habitants ne sont pas les
derniers à se rendre en Iran, « où les produits sont moins chers ».
Le poste frontière avec le Nakhitchevan, situé au fond d’un étroit
corridor entre l’Arménie et l’Iran appelé Dilucu – « le bout de la
langue » – voit pas mal de passages, « surtout au moment des fêtes »,
confie un douanier. C’est jour de marché, et des paysans
nakhitchevanais en guenilles attendent le feu vert pour passer. Le
contrôle n’en finit plus. Les plus nantis, des chauffeurs de vieilles
Mercedes garées le long du poste, patientent eux aussi. « Des
trafiquants d’essence », chuchote un paysan.
« ONT-ILS LE CHOIX ? »
Essence, fioul et brut sont le nerf du commerce transfrontalier pour
tout l’est et le sud de la Turquie. A 550 kilomètres au sud d’Igdir,
Silopi, principal point de passage à la frontière turco-irakienne, ne
désemplit pas. Les camions-citernes qui y font la queue sur une
dizaine de kilomètres vont chercher du brut qu’ils transporteront
ensuite jusqu’à la raffinerie d’Iskenderun. Une fois raffiné, le
pétrole retourne en Irak. « Pour les besoins des Américains »,
précise Bedi, la cinquantaine, propriétaire d’une petite entreprise
de transport. Ses affaires « marchaient bien » jusqu’à l’intervention
américaine. Depuis, tout va à vau-l’eau. Un de ses chauffeurs a été
assassiné, un autre a disparu, deux camions ont été détruits. «
Puisque le pétrole est acheté par les Américains, ils sont
responsables. Ils doivent nous indemniser ! » insiste-t-il.
Hamide Tekin et ses six enfants, sans ressources depuis la mort du
père, Veysi, tué le 14 novembre dans une embuscade à Beyci, non loin
de Tikrit, la ville natale de Saddam Hussein, cherchent en vain à qui
s’adresser. Originaire du village d’Ömerli, près de la frontière
syrienne, Hamide avait l’habitude de faire le trajet pour améliorer
l’ordinaire de la famille. Aujourd’hui, tout le village le pleure.
Mais, comme si sa mort ne suffisait pas, la famille s’est lourdement
endettée pour pouvoir récupérer le corps. Le beau-père du défunt a
erré des jours durant en Irak à la recherche de la dépouille mortelle
: « Rien que pour accéder à la morgue, j’ai dû payer 100 dollars. »
Le vieil homme poursuit : « Si tu savais le chaos qui règne en Irak !
Les gens sont prêts à te vendre au premier venu pour quelques sous !
De ce côté-ci, les choses changent en mieux, là-bas… »
Partis dans l’espoir de gagner quelque 200 euros, ces camionneurs,
enlevés, attaqués ou victimes de balles perdues, paient un lourd
tribut à la guerre. Ils sont 66 chauffeurs de poids lourds, pour la
plupart originaires des régions kurdes jouxtant la frontière, à avoir
trouvé la mort en Irak. Le ministre turc des affaires étrangères,
Abdullah Gül, a bien parlé de constituer un fonds d’assurances pour
les familles endeuillées, mais rien n’est encore venu. A Silopi,
avertissement dérisoire, on a affiché une carte d’Irak montrant les «
zones à risques ».
« Nos gars savent bien que leur vie est en jeu, mais ont-ils le choix
? Toute la région est occupée au transport routier. Avant, les
paysans naissaient la bêche à la main ; à présent, tout est dans le
volant. Sans camion, point de salut », explique Servet Cemiloglu,
maire d’Ömerli. Depuis des millénaires, les populations syriaques
(chrétiens d’Orient) cultivaient la vigne et faisaient leur vin. La
plupart sont parties récemment, comme les paysans kurdes, poussés par
la destruction de près de 3 000 villages au moment de la guerre entre
l’armée et les séparatistes du PKK (Parti des travailleurs du
Kurdistan) entre 1984 et 1998.
Depuis la normalisation – l’état d’urgence a été aboli, l’armée et
les forces spéciales sont moins visibles, les contrôles rares, les
accrochages aussi -, l’atmosphère s’est détendue, le retour dans les
villages se fait au compte-gouttes. A Ömerli, la municipalité a
récemment restauré une vénérable église « grce à l’aide des
syriaques réfugiés en Suède ». « N’allez pas penser qu’on a fait ça
pour de l’argent ! » s’empresse d’ajouter le maire. Partisan de « la
tolérance entre les peuples », il dit souhaiter le retour des
syriaques et regrette la décision de la municipalité, il y a vingt
ans, de refuser l’installation d’une cave viticole, pour des motifs
religieux. Deux camionneurs, Selim et Mehmet, acquiescent. Ils ne
veulent plus repartir en Irak, c’est trop risqué, et se demandent ce
qu’ils pourraient bien faire.
UN VENT DE LIBERTÉ
Depuis deux ans, des touristes étrangers, attirés par les trésors
archéologiques que recèle la région, ont fait leur apparition. A
Mardin, superbe ville ancienne aux pierres couleur de miel à flanc de
colline, chaque été désormais « le grand hôtel affiche complet »,
s’enorgueillit son jeune directeur, Bedrettin Gündes. Le vent de
liberté qui souffle sur ces régions, tout juste sorties de
l’engrenage de la guerre, doit beaucoup à la perspective
d’intégration de la Turquie à l’UE, chacun en a bien conscience.
« Nous voyons l’adhésion de la Turquie comme la meilleure garantie de
notre sécurité, confie Bedrettin. Pendant des années, on a dit aux
gens d’ici : «Vous n’existez pas !» Obtenir leurs droits, comme celui
d’enseigner le kurde ou de s’organiser, y compris sur le plan
politique, est devenu pour eux une question de dignité. » Réfutant le
scénario du séparatisme, il est persuadé que « Turcs et Kurdes
continueront de vivre sous le même toit », mais, de préférence, «
sous le ciel de l’Union européenne ».

`100 DAYS’ PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE MAYOR
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
15 Dec 04
On the hundredth day of his office the mayor of Stepanakert Edward
Aghabekian gave a press conference during which he stated that his
activities are directed at a more rational solution of the social
problems of the members of the community and accomplishment of the
municipal governments. According to the mayor, though there is a
legislative basis for the activity of the municipal governments in
Karabakh, there is no clear-cut distinction between the community
property and the state property. Presently the inventory record of the
property of the town community is taken, after which the City Hall
will use its right on the inventory. According to the mayor, the
development of the communities will be favoured by the fact that since
2005 the communities will direct the taxes on property and land. This
will allow increasing the town budget. Edward Aghabekian mentioned the
necessity of solving the question under whose jurisdiction a number of
town companies will pass; these are in the town but seem not to have
any connections with the City Hall. In the context of the growing role
of the municipalities in the government structure Edward Aghabekian
noticed that the mayor of the Azerbaijani town of Yevlakh, for
example, is in the governmental delegation in the Council of
Europe. In our country the municipalities do not have an essential
role in the government. HOUSING PROBLEM. Accordingto Edward
Aghabekian, during the hundred days of his office he received more
than 500 town-dwellers. The problem of most of them was connected with
housing. 154 families of killed azatamartiks and 123 families of
disabled persons need flats. According to the mayor, in the upcoming
two years it is planned to build houses in the streets Toumanian,
Azatamartikneri and Tigran Mets. As to the high-rise blocks in
Azatamartikneri Street, the idea of building flats for sale is not
successful; only 6 or seven of the 28 flats were sold. HEADS OF
DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY HALL FINED. During the past 100 days the City
Hall received about 900 letters and complaints and answered to all of
them. `If answers to any letter were delayed, then by the department
of architecture. By the way, the heads of several departments were
fined for disrespectful attitude towards the townspeople.’ He was
surprised at the fact that the demands of the people are
minimal. `They demanded elementary things without which we cannot
live. Can you imagine that there are houses in Stepanakert which do
not have electricity supply and people still have to use oil lamps. It
is not known why the problems of these people were not
solved. Although it should also be mentioned that there are people who
do not mind to snatch away one more piece of bread,â=80=9D said the
mayor. E. Aghabekian told that the City Hall applies sanctions against
the owners of illegal buildings. `Although the parliament granted
apeculiar economic amnesty for the owners of illegal buildings, fines
totaling 860 thousand drams was paid to the treasury of the town for
illegal building.’ The mayor of Stepanakert mentioned that after
taking his office he had been surprisedto know that the City Hall owes
salary debts since 2000. The salary of 14 thousand drams for the
doorkeeper is not paid. `’I saw the woman sweeping the streets at
night with her little child standing beside her. It is owing to this
woman that our capital is known as a clean town whereas we do not pay
her these wretched 14 thousand drams,’ said Edward Aghabekian. IS IT
RIGHT TOMOVE THE STATION TO THE OUTSKIRTS? `The project of the station
is not bad but the time chosen for moving it was bad,’ said Edward
Aghabekian in reference to the fact of moving the town station to the
place of the former tarmac factory. Besides the problems typical of
wintertime, roadworks are going on in Baghramian Street blocking the
traffic in that direction. Speaking about the convenience of this
change the mayor noticed that it would be better to ask the opinion
ofthe town inhabitants beforehand. `In general, I am for introducing
the institute of local referendums and I think that any step must be
preceded by the survey of public opinion,’ said Edward
Aghabekian. THERE IS WATER BUTâ=80¦ In 2005 significant sums will be
provided for the improvement of the water supply system of the
town. The sluice, filters, pipes will be repaired. According to the
mayor, the pipelines of the town pass through the cemetery, which is
dangerous. The situation is aggravating, as the pipelines are very
old. `In three years the tarmac of the street near the agricultural
college was dug and pipes were repaired for 123 times. It turns out
that this part of the pipes which was changed only four years ago were
probably replaced by old ones. Therefore, Damages are so frequent,’
said E. Aghabekian. THE MAYOR IS NOT IN ADVERSARIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH
THE GOVERNMENT. `The heads of the branches of power admit that I was
elected by the people and my activity is legal. I state that I am not
in contradiction with the top officials within the framework of my
authority. I was not elected for struggling against the
government. Sailing in the same ship we must lead it together not to
crash against the rocks,’ said the mayor. At he same time Edward
Aghabekian mentioned that during these three months he had not
received the documents on the reconstruction of the Victory Square
from the government.
NAIRA HAYRUMIAN.
15-12-2004

MONITORING OF THE BORDERLINE
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
15 Dec 04
On December 10 the OSCE Mission monitored the contact line of the
armed forces of Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the eastern direction near
the village of Talish in the NKR region of Martakert. On the side of
the NKR Defence Army the monitoring group was headed by the personal
representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk
(Poland). The group included the field assistants of the personal
representative Miroslav Vimetal (Czech) and Alexander Samarsky
(Ukraine). The monitoring took place according to the schedule and no
breaking of the ceasefire was reported. The monitoring mission was
accompanied by the representatives of the NKR ministries of defence
and foreign affairs.
AA.
15-12-2004

MONITORING OF PRISONS
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
15 Dec 04
The human rights organization `Center for Civil Undertakingsâ=80=9D
founded in October 2002 has been monitoring the prison of Shushi and
the remand prisonsince April 2003. The center sends reports on the
monitoring to the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the ICRC, the UN
Supreme Commissar on Human Rights, the organizations `Amnesty
International’ and `Penal Reform International’, as well as
corresponding agencies in NKR. The director of the Center for Civil
Undertakings Albert Voskanian said, the center has recently received
the permission of the NKR authorities to monitor all the five
regimes. On these days these five regimes have been monitored.
According to Albert Voskanian, the physical and psychological health
of the inmates, human rights, hygiene conditions, foodand recreation
are at a satisfactory level. The Center of Civil Undertakings made a
series of suggestions on elimination of drawbacks. According to the
press release of the organization, the center approves of the
abolition of capital punishment in NKR and appeals to transfer the
penitentiary institutions from the jurisdiction of the police to the
Ministry of Justice. Besides the monitoring the center gave 700 books
gathered by volunteers to the prison of Shushi and the remand
prison. In April 2003 the center held the first regional seminarin
Stepanakert devoted to prison reforms. Besides, the center works with
inmates who need psychological rehabilitation.
NAIRA HAYRUMIAN.
15-12-2004

ILHAM ALIYEV “TO SPARE NO EFFORTS TO LIBERATE TERRITORIES”
Azg/arm
16 Dec 04
Ilham Aliyev called for the EU, the CE and the UN to make more efforts
in the Nagorno Karabakh issue, when holding a speech at the London
Royal Institute of International Relations, Freedom radio station
informed referring to Reuters agency.
Emphasizing that he is for the peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh
issue, Ilham Aliyev didn’t exclude the military solution of the
issue. “Wewill never yield the aggression and will spare no efforts to
liberate our territories,” he said.
According to Azertag state agency, in London in Aliyev’s presence
Azerbaijan and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development
signed a credit agreement of $170 million. $110 million will be spent
on exploiting Shah Deniz gas mine, while $60 million will be spent on
the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum gas pipeline.
Baku-basedEkhonewspaper writes that Aliyev met with John Brown,
chairman of The British Petroleum, Jack Straw, British Foreign
Secretary, Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, as well as gave an
interview to Bloomberg TV withinthe framework of his two days official
visit to London.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Baltic Times, Latvia
Dec 15 2004
‘U.S.A. works best when working with Europe’

A.Elizabeth

Many Europeans are waiting to see whether the second administration
of George W. Bush will change its tune toward Europe – be it “old” or
“new” – and toward Russia, which, after the recent events in Ukraine,
has been much criticized in the West. A. Elizabeth Jones, assistant
secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs and one of the
State Department’s leading experts on the Baltics, was in Tallinn
last month, where she shared some of her thoughts on these issues.
The following are excerpts from her roundtable discussion with
Estonian journalists on Nov. 9.
The Estonian units in Iraq currently have a mandate until July 2005.
Will you request an extension of this mandate?
In terms of the coalition itself, a lot of that depends on our
bilateral discussions – how is it that we are going to address the
particular situation. Of course, we are extremely grateful for
Estonia’s participation in the coalition. Now it is very important
that Estonia participates through the entire period of the run-up to
the Iraqi elections and then into the elections itself and then into
the period right after that. Depending on the situation, I am sure we
will have very detailed discussions between the United States and
Estonia on the military level about what capabilities might be the
most required in Iraq.
Do you expect a change in U.S. policy toward Russia in George Bush’s
second term?
No, I don’t think policy will change. We have for quite some time
been working very hard with our Russian counterparts to impress upon
them the importance we attach to constructive engagement – to working
on, in a constructive way, all of the issues that are of importance
to all of us. For instance, it is very important to us that we engage
constructively on counter-terrorism – particularly in the post-Beslan
period for Russia.
It is very important that we work on the broad range of issues on the
frozen conflicts; very important for Russia to engage constructively
to resolve the issues involving South Ossetia and Abkhazia; very
important for Russia to engage in the OSCE or whatever format – the
most appropriate format – is to resolve the issues involving
Transniestra and Moldova. It is very important for Russia to engage
in the issues of Nagorno-Karabakh. There are a whole set of issues
involved in Chechnya, involving free media, involving rule of law,
involving democracy. All of these issues have to be part of the
discussion that all of us, not just the United States, have with
Russia.
How do you feel about the conflict in Chechnya, and do you feel that
it can be resolved through military means?
We maintain very strongly, especially with Russia, that it cannot be
solved by military means. The only way to resolve the issue in
Chechnya is to address the political, economic, social issues that
underlie the conflict.
What do you plan to discuss with Population Minister [Paul-Eerik]
Rummo?
Well, I want to get his sense of what he sees as the situation here
with the Russian minority-that is, are the programs working? One of
the things that we are proud of, as members of NATO, is all of the
work that was done in order to assure that these minority issues were
addressed in the run-up to being invited to join NATO. It was one of
the requirements on the table, actually, in terms of membership, to
address minority issues in an appropriate way. I am interested in
checking with him to see how that issue has progressed.
Is there a problem with the Russian-speaking national minority?
Our sense is that the issue is being addressed very well here,
actually.
Do you foresee an improvement in the U.S.A.’s relations with Europe,
especially with France, over the next four years?
One of the things that is very interesting to focus on is the
extremely good work and good cooperation that have been underway
between the EU institutions and the U.S. on counter-terrorism. This
has particularly been the case since 9/11, obviously. The kinds of
arrangements and agreements and exchanges that have been agreed
between the home and justice affairs ministers of the European Union
and the United States are really terrific. Intelligence exchange, law
enforcement cooperation – all those things work extremely well.
We are in constant conversation with the European Union on issues
involving border controls, issues involving Central Asia, the
Caucasus and particularly on issues involving Ukraine and Belarus.
We, the United States, find, that when we collaborate and cooperate
with the European Union to work on free and fair elections in
Ukraine, or to work on changing the situation in Belarus, or to work
on best ways to assure stability and prosperity in Georgia, we do a
much better job when we can do it together.
We find that our representations in Ukraine or in Uzbekistan or in
Azerbaijan – or, wherever it is – work better when the United States
and the European Union work together. It is received better when the
message is the same. We have huge collaboration, and it is not hard
to get to the point of what to do next in each of these countries in
our conversations with the European Union.
The biggest issue that divided us was Iraq. We still have a
disagreement with several European countries-certainly not all of
them-about whether we should have gone to war in Iraq. Now, that
question is over. We find that every single one of our European
friends and allies, including France and Germany, say that we
disagreed then, but it is now behind us. Now we must find a way to
address all of the issues that remain.
While the human rights situation in Russia has been deteriorating,
the U.S. has avoided criticizing Russia. Is there a reason for this?
Well, you are not reading or listening to many of the things that we
have been saying. Let me just lay out for you a few of the things
that underpin the public statements that we make. First, I would
point you to the op-ed piece that Secretary [Colin] Powell put in
[the Russian newspaper] Izvestia at the end of January. That was a
very, very clear and very detailed statement about the importance to
us of all of the issues on the agenda – along the lines I outlined at
the beginning of our conversation this morning. We use those themes
in a variety of ways.
That said, our goal is to get the kind of improvements that the
international community seeks in Russia. The question then is how
best to get those improvements. Is it better to have quiet
conversations, or is it better to say things publicly? We try to find
the balance with that so that in public we say some things and we
have a much more extensive conversation in private in order to
accomplish our goals. That’s always the key. Are we trying to make
statements or are we trying to get things done?