Turkish envoy says Azerbaijan should grant visas to Armenian officers

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
9 Sep 04

[Presenter Namiq Aliyev] The Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan,
Ahmet Unal Cevikoz, believes that official Baku should grant visas
to the Armenian officers to take part in the NATO exercises [on 13-26
September]. He explains his position by the Azerbaijani government’s
commitments to NATO.

[Cevikoz speaking to journalists in Turkish] The Armenians’ involvement
in the Azerbaijan-hosted exercises is a very sensitive issue. But
one should bear in mind that after joining the Partnership for Peace
Programme, Azerbaijan made commitments regarding its relations with
NATO. One of these commitments is to give an opportunity to all NATO
members and partners to take part in exercises on its territory. If
Armenia wants to observe the Azerbaijan-hosted exercises and has
appealed over the issue, Azerbaijan should provide this opportunity.

Azeri authorities sanction anti-Armenian protest

ANS TV, Baku
9 Sep 04

The Baku executive authorities have replied in the affirmative to the
request of the United People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party to hold a
protest against the arrival of Armenian servicemen who are planning
to visit Azerbaijan to participate in exercises to be held in Baku
within the framework of NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme [on
13-26 September].

However, minor changes have been made. The Baku authorities gave
permission to the party to hold the protest not outside the Nariman
Narimanov cinema as requested, but near the Xatai underground station
outside the Xatai culture centre. The sanctioned protest, which is
expected to be attended by thousands of people, is to start at 1200
[0700 gmt] on 12 September.

The party’s chairman, MP Qudrat Hasanquliyev, has told ANS that a
group of MPs will not join the Milli Maclis [parliament] session
tomorrow in protest against the Armenian servicemen’s expected
visit to Baku. These are Qudrat Hasanquliyev, Alimammad Nuriyev,
Rufat Agalarov and Mais Safarli. Talks are under way with other MPs,
and the list is likely to expand.
From: Baghdasarian

Azeri TV says Armenian officers’ visit undermines state sovereignty

ANS TV, Baku
5 Sep 04

The Azerbaijani commercial TV station ANS has lashed out at
the government for not putting up “serious resistance” to NATO’s
pressure to host Armenian officers at the upcoming exercises on 13-26
September. In its weekly analytical programme, ANS editor in chief
Mirsahin said that “thousands of Azeris will probably meet them, not to
welcome, but to prevent this visit”. Speaking about the West’s stance
on this issue, he said that “Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia do not
exist for NATO as independent states, there is the South Caucasus
state”. Describing TV’s position as a call to nearly wage a war,
Mirsahin spoke about the possibility of a wider action of protest
by media outlets which could suspend “their activity on a long-term
basis”. The following is an excerpt from report by Azerbaijani TV
station ANS on 5 September:

[Presenter Mirsahin] There are no people in Azerbaijan who demand
Armenians’ withdrawal from the occupied lands in exchange for hostages’
lives. That is good. Azerbaijan has [leader of the Karabakh Liberation
Organization] Akif Nagi, but he and his team are already in jail.

A new political season has started. The authorities began this season
with the old team with the exception of a few replacements. National
Security Minister Namiq Abbasov has been ousted from the team, while
the well-forgotten member of the old team [ex-Foreign Minister] Hasan
Hasanov and relatively-forgotten [former ambassador to China] Tamerlan
Qarayev have been returned to the old team [appointed ambassadors to
Hungary and India, respectively]. Describing this as a move towards
national reconciliation, the president has called for an end to enmity
and malice. Here we should emphasize that Mr Aliyev’s proposal is
not new. The head of state has made three initiatives of this kind to
society since last September. We hope that the president’s proposal
will make an interesting turn in the political season.

As far as the opposition is concerned, it is quite weak in the
beginning of the new academic year. One could also describe the
situation in this camp after the presidential elections [15 October
2003] as a loss of balance. From this viewpoint, the summer was
favourable for the authorities’ opponents: a few round tables, a few
interviews and a few statements of local importance. This is a result
of the traditional opposition’s activity in summer that could not be
described as a danger for the incumbent authorities.

There is another interesting point here. Given the weakening of
the traditional opposition, the establishment of a new opposition
movement is gaining momentum. An idea that unites the new opposition
has to do with Azerbaijan’s vital problem, that is the restoration of
its territorial integrity. That is why, the entire nation and every
citizen fully and unanimously accept it. For this reason, this new
movement could be more dangerous for the authorities. This movement
is not without prospects although at first glance its leaders look
unpopular and the movement itself seems to be not serious.

The recent processes around the Karabakh Liberation Organization
have proved that any Azerbaijani political organization can gain
political dividends from this problem and take a place in the nation’s
heart. Let us analyse. What has happened in reality? [Passage omitted:
Reported details of protest against Armenian officers’ attendance at
Baku-hosted NATO seminar in June; court ruling against the protesters
was too harsh.]

This court ruling was not accidental. There were factors which made
this verdict necessary. First of all, mass indifference. In other
words, the authorities have received carte blanche to do what they
liked. Then came Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov’s
extremely cold-blooded statement.

[Azimov speaking to journalists] The arrival of two or three men is
not our defeat at all. But if we do not let them in, this is not our
victory either.

[Presenter] Then came Baku mayor Hacibala Abutalibov’s refusal
to authorize [anti-Armenian protests]. Then came [deputy chief of
Baku’s Yasamal district police department who was active dispersing
anti-Armenian protesters] Cingiz Mammadov’s club. [Video shows Cingiz
Mammadov brutally beating up a protester.]

Finally, Cingiz Mammadov’s protection at the ministerial level.

[Ramil Usubov, Azerbaijani Interior Minister, speaking to journalists]
I believe that Cingiz Mammadov is too harsh on himself. At the same
time, when he is on duty, he always tries to fulfil his duties. What
people say about him is defamation.

[Presenter] It is interesting, how many years in prison [judge]
Famil Nasibov, [prosecutors] Basir Haciyev and Tofiq Humbatov,
who have sentenced an Azerbaijani to three-five years in prison for
breaking a window of Avropa Hotel [NATO seminar venue], could give
to [Azerbaijani officer] Ramil Safarov who has been arrested and
charged with killing an Armenian officer in Hungary? Perhaps, capital
punishment or life sentence. This court ruling openly demonstrated
that the Azerbaijani court system is not independent and it even can
pass verdicts which are against Azerbaijan’s national interests. But
this already goes beyond all bounds, this oversteps the limits of a
crisis in the court system or this is a logical end of the situation
when the court system is based on telephone calls and orders.

All this should be probably and mostly about the fact that these
tendencies pose an extremely serious threat to Azerbaijan’s
independence. It is possible that one day NATO or the OSCE could
do anything in Azerbaijan against its people’s will. Not one, but
100,000 Armenians could come to Azerbaijan under the aegis of these
organizations. But we, the owners of this land, have to continue
grazing calmly. Sorry, this country is not a pasture. It used to
be a land of fire. When making the following statement, the head of
Azerbaijan, where interests of the USA, Russia and Iran are present,
perhaps wants to explain this.

[Ilham Aliyev, speaking to journalists] If you look at other
former Soviet republics, you can see that most of them have limited
opportunities to conduct an independent policy. There are different
factors here: political, geographical, economic and others. But
Azerbaijan lives as a fully independent state. This independence is
our priority.

[Presenter] True, what Azerbaijan has done for the West exceeds
what the West has done for Azerbaijan because when Azerbaijan does
something for the West, it does this precisely for the West. But when
the West does something for Azerbaijan, it does this precisely for the
West. Azerbaijan has sent its soldiers and officers to Afghanistan
and Iraq probably because it wants them to enter Nagornyy Karabakh
some time. But this is not happening yet. In the meantime, Nagornyy
Karabakh has been establishing its orchestra. Russia again plays
the first fiddle in this orchestra. The Armenian prime minister
congratulates the leadership of the separatist regime in Nagornyy
Karabakh on the occasion of another anniversary of this rebellious
entity’s independence, to be more precise, another year of the talks
[as heard].

The West is already inviting the Armenians not only to Baku hotels,
but to military grounds to conduct joint exercises. This is because
Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia do not exist for NATO as independent
states, there is the South Caucasus state. From NATO’s viewpoint,
there is a conflict between ethnic Azeris and ethnic Armenians. It
is beneficial to settle it without a headache. That is why, they
have been preparing to send another group of the Armenian military to
Azerbaijan. Thus, if nothing extraordinary occurs in the nation’s gene
within one week, representatives of the Armenian Defence Ministry
will come to Baku on 12 September to take part in the exercises
in Azerbaijan.

On the eve of this visit, which damages our state independence,
Azerbaijani media outlets have signed a joint statement of protest. The
ANS Media & Broadcasting Corporation suspended its broadcasts for
three hours. The overwhelming majority of the country’s newspapers
and news agencies joined this protest and published blank front pages
on Saturday [4 September]. But this is only the beginning. If the
Armenian military are allowed to visit Baku, the media protest will
expand depending on the course of events and this will result in
suspension of their activities on a long-term basis. In any case,
this is a serious warning to the authorities which do not put up
serious resistance to NATO’s pressure and, in doing so, damage state
sovereignty. But if there is no another way out, you should hang
yourself. [Passage omitted: ANS was not always against peace talks.]

We tell you this because we have realized that talking to the Armenians
is idle talk before our president and foreign minister realize
this. That is why, now ANS is nearly openly calling on the nation
to wage a war. We recall all this also because we want that those
who paint ANS as almost racists, understand our current position as
a conclusion. It is not a coincidence that Armenian fugitives Artur
Apresyan and Roman Teryan have come to ANS. Probably because we are
not racists.

But now we are talking about the state’s influence and national
pride. After shame in Xocali and Susa, Kalbacar and Fuzuli, Agdam and
Zangilan, Qubadli and Lacin [occupied districts] we have repeatedly
said that time of revenge for this blood will come. This blood has
been spilt. But if the Armenians come to Baku now, thousands of
Azeris will probably meet them, not to welcome, but to prevent this
visit. For the time being, the Armenians are on one side and Baku on
the other. If anyone does not agree with this, let them send their
sisters to welcome the Armenian military with salt and bread.

Iranian president highlights importance of signed documents in Armenia

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
8 Sep 04

[Presenter] President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad
Khatami is on a two-day official visit in Yerevan at the invitation
of Armenian President Robert Kocharyan. [Passage omitted: depiction
of welcome ceremony]

Our region needs stability, Iranian President Khatami said in
Yerevan. He believes that the development of science and education
guarantees security. Khatami spoke more about economic issues
in Armenian-Iranian relations and many of the documents signed in
Yerevan are manifestation of this. The Iranian leader believes that
his country’s policy is designed to build friendly relations with all
its neighbours. Armenian-Iranian relations could be a good example
for those wishing to coexist peacefully.

[Correspondent] The presidents noted the importance of permanent
consultations of the two countries’ legislative and executive
bodies. The protocol of the fifth session of the Armenian-Iranian
commission on economic cooperation, co-chaired by Artashes
Tumanyan [the head of the Armenian presidential administration] and
[Iranian Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance] Safdar Hoseyni
was also endorsed. A cultural cooperation programme for 2004-2007
was signed. The memorandum on Armenian-Iranian mutual understanding
stipulates cooperation in the customs and energy sectors. [Passage
omitted: covered aspects of Kocharyan’s speech.]

[Khatami, speaking in Persian with Armenian voice-over] We have
common interests in this region which could overshadow differences
of opinion. If we choose the way leading to peace, we shall manage
to resolve all problems.

[Passage omitted: economic cooperation dominates the agenda.]

[Khatami, with Armenian voice-over] Energy and communications are
signs of a country’s development. The major part of our agreements
covers this sectors. Armenia is on the North-South corridor. The more
opportunities Armenia gets in this project, the more the countries
along this corridor would benefit. The North-South corridor connects
Europe with the Caspian Sea. And the more we cooperate in these two
sectors, the more the region’s development would benefit from this.

[Passage omitted: the presidents spoke about Karabakh, the terrorist
attack in North Ossetia.]

Minister outlines Karabakh solution to be considered by Azeri, Armenian leaders

ANS TV, Baku
8 Sep 04

[Presenter] Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on a visit to France
today [8 September] met the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman from France,
Henry Jacolin, and Senate Speaker Christian Poncelet. ANS TV’s
correspondent Qanira Pasayeva has details from Paris. Good evening,
Qanira. Please, tell us what you have.

[Correspondent over video of Paris] Good evening, Natavan. First,
I would like to talk about the president’s meeting with OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairman from France, Henry Jacolin. This meeting lasted
about an hour and its interesting point was that after the meeting with
Jacolin, Ilham Aliyev had a 45-minute conversation with [Azerbaijani]
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

In an interview with us, Jacolin did not go into detail about the
talks, however, he added that after the upcoming Astana [Kazakhstan]
meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan [at a summit of
the Commonwealth of Independent States], he would be able to speak
about the progress. He also added that for the first time, at the
Prague meeting of the [Azerbaijani and Armenian] foreign ministers
[on 30 August], very serious processes and issues were covered.

Elmar Mammadyarov left the conversation with the president a short
while ago, saying that the co-chairmen would report to the presidents
in Astana on their proposals. It is intriguing that one of these
proposals, to be debated by the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents,
is the liberation of Azerbaijan’s occupied districts around Nagornyy
Karabakh. The Armenian troops must be pulled out of these areas and a
guarantee must be given to the internally displaced persons that they
would return to those districts and would not come under attacks.
A similar guarantee will be given by Azerbaijan to the effect that
it will conduct discussions on the status of Nagornyy Karabakh.

Mammadyarov said that there would be other proposals. However,
the major proposal the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents will be
presented with by the co-chairs is the above mentioned one. When
we asked Mammadyarov if Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
had accepted that this was to be presented at the meeting of the
presidents in this way, he said that Oskanyan had already agreed to it.

This proposal is not unlike the former stage-by-stage option, including
several components of the package option. However, we all expecting
for the outcome of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents’ meeting,
Jacolin said. [Passage omitted: some other aspects of the meetings.]

Armenian opposition member to appeal to European Court over arrest

Aravot web site, Yerevan
8 Sep 04

Text of unattributed report by Armenian newspaper Aravot web site
on 8 September headlined “The appeal to the Council of Europe has to
be supplemented”

8 September: The head of the Armavir territorial branch of the National
Democratic Union [NDU], Lavrentiy Kirakosyan, who was released from
Nubarashen prison ahead of schedule on 30 August, is planning to
add fresh facts to his lawsuit submitted to the European Court of
Human Rights.

We should say that Kirakosyan was sentenced to 18 months in prison
on charges of possessing drugs and served almost five months in jail.

In connection with his administrative arrest during the elections in
2003, he appealed to the European Court and now he is going to send
the materials of the “fully fabricated” case on drugs to Strasbourg.

Azeri pundit says rapprochement with France, Iran may harm Karabakh solution

Azadliq, Baku
9 Sep 04

Text of Xayal Sahinoglu’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq
on 9 September headlined “What does another visit to France by the
successor promise?” and subheaded “Xaladdin Ibrahimli thinks that
a close rapprochement with this state must cause concern. Unpleasant
points appear while watching the chronology of Ilham Aliyev’s visits”

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who has paid another visit to
France, discussed the Karabakh problem with Jacques Chirac again. It is
doubtful that the discussions of this problem will lead to a solution
in favour of Azerbaijan. First, these discussions usually have a
formal nature and do not seriously affect the end result. Moreover,
observers regard as unsuccessful the regular visits to France by the
Azerbaijani leader in terms of their geopolitical orientation.

The member of the presidium of the People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party
[PFAP] and political scientist, Xaladdin Ibrahimli, thinks that it
is necessary to visit all the co-chairing countries in view of the
fact that the visit to France is part of the government’s balanced
policy. Ibrahimli sees as unnecessary regular discussions on the
Karabakh problem with Chirac. France’s policy on Azerbaijan and Armenia
is well-known. The PFAP representative thinks that Azerbaijan should
be a little more cautious while setting up relations with this country
since it has been taking a pro-Armenian stance.

“Unpleasant points appear while watching the chronology of Ilham
Aliyev’s visits. Although the USA is one of the main mediators of the
OSCE Minsk Group, the president has still not paid an official visit
to the USA, unlike Russia and France. There are many disagreements
in US and European policy on the Caucasus. The USA, Russia and France
are taking different stances on Iran. It is normal that Azerbaijan is
establishing ties with Iran, France and Russia. However, too close a
rapprochement with these states causes concern. Unlike the pro-Armenian
states, there are some positive aspects in the rapprochement between
the USA and Azerbaijan.

Moreover, Ibrahimli added that the fact that Iran and France have
stepped up their activities on the Karabakh settlement does not
promise Azerbaijan any good.

“The Iranian and French positions on Karabakh are well-known. If
the solution to the conflict falls into their hands, this will mean
an imbalance in the Karabakh problem. One may cite as an example the
fact that the Iranian president is visiting Yerevan when Ilham Aliyev
is in France.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EU commission meets religious minority representatives in Turkey

Anatolia news agency, Ankara
9 Sep 04

Istanbul, 9 September: Turkey’s membership to the European Union
(EU) and the problems of minorities in Turkey were discussed during
the meeting of Guenter Verheugen, EU commissioner for enlargement,
in Fener Greek Patriarchate on Thursday [9 September].

Chief Rabbi of Jews in Turkey Ishak Haleva told reporters after the
meeting that they had a fruitful meeting with Verheugen. He added,
“everything is fine in Turkey after EU adjustment laws and the most
important thing is that there is goodwill.”

Meanwhile, Vatican’s representative in Turkey George Marovich said that
important progress was made regarding Turkey’s entry to the EU. He
added, “Turkish people deserve to be governed by democracy. Turkey
will bring richness to Europe with its accession to the EU. Europe
will also benefit from Turkey’s richness.”

The Syriac Catholic community’s representative, Yusuf Sag, told
reporters that Turkey’s membership to the EU and minority issues were
taken up during the meeting.

Patriarchate First Secretary Filadepfias, Chief Rabbi of Jews in
Turkey Ishak Haleva , Vatican’s representative in Turkey George
Marovich , Latin Catholic community’s representative Louis Pelatre,
Syriac Catholic community’s representative Yusuf Sag, and Armenian
Orthodox community’s representative Kirkor Damatyan joined the meeting
with Mr Verheugen.

Iranian president awarded title of Yerevan State University honorary doctor

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
9 Sep 04

[Presenter over video awarding ceremony] After visiting the
Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
visited Yerevan State University. After the warm reception in Yerevan
State University, the rector of the university, Radik Martirosyan,
announced the decision of the university’s scientific council to
award the university’s gold medal and the title of honorary doctor
to Seyyed Mohammad Khatami.

During the meeting with the university staff, Mohammad Khatami
spoke highly about historical relations between Iran and Armenia,
even regardless of the religious differences.

[Mohammad Khatami] The Armenians and Iranians have been like-minded
on science, the economy, politics and culture.

Azeri MP accuses Iran, Armenia of producing chemical weapons

Assa-Irada
9 Sep 04

Baku, 9 September: “Azerbaijan’s neighbours Iran and Armenia are
involved in the production of chemical weapons. If the UN conducts
serious probes, it can easily prove this,” MP Elman Mammadov voiced
this sensational statement at today’s session of the Milli Maclis
[Azerbaijani parliament] standing commission for security and defence.

However, Milli Maclis Deputy Chairman Ziyafat Asgarov, who chaired
the session, immediately replied that this issue had nothing to do
with the agenda and did not let the MP complete his statement.