Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th Street, NW Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
March 26, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
PEW SURVEY CITES 63% OF TURKISH CITIZEN HAVE UNFAVORABLE VIEW OF
U.S.
WASHINGTON, DC – A recent survey of nine countries conducted by the
Pew Research Center for the People and the Press revealed that
despite billions in U.S. financial assistance and efforts by the
Bush Administration to support its accession into the European
Union, the Turkish population continues to have a negative view of
the United States, reported the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA).
The March 16, 2004 poll, titled “A Year After Iraq: Mistrust of
America in Europe Ever Higher, Muslim Anger Persists,” reveals that
“in Turkey, where bin Laden is highly unpopular, as many as 31% say
that suicide attacks against Americans and other Westerners in Iraq
are justifiable.”
Other responses include:
** 52% in Turkey have unfavorable views of Christians; 49% have
unfavorable views of Jews.
** 63% in Turkey have either a very unfavorable or somewhat
unfavorable view of America
** 55% in Turkey say that the United States is overreacting to
terrorism.
** 56% in Turkey oppose America’s war on terrorism.
** 61% in Turkey believe that the true motive of he US-led war on
terrorism is to dominate the world.
** 64% in Turkey do not believe that the US-led war on terrorism is
a sincere effort to reduce international terrorism.
The complete report is available on the Pew Research Center
website:
The ANCA distributed these key statistics to Members of Congress
and staff this week, as part of an ongoing education campaign,
countering the intensive multi-million dollar lobbying efforts by
the Turkish Government to white-wash their image within the United
States. Among the top beneficiaries of Turkish government lobbying
funds are former Louisiana Republican Congressman and House Speaker
hopeful Bob Livingston as well as former House Rep. Stephen Solarz
(D-NY), the self-described “Congressman from Istanbul.”
#####

Azeri presence in Iraq, Afghanistan explains increased US aid – Armitage
Mediamax news agency
26 Mar 04
YEREVAN
US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in Yerevan today
that the suggestion of the US administration to increase military aid
to Azerbaijan in 2005 is explained by the presence of this country’s
servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mediamax quotes Armitage as saying that he “openly and candidly”
discussed this issue with the Armenian foreign minister. Therefore,
the US diplomat said, the “temporary breach of parity” in the
allocation of military assistance to Yerevan and Baku is explained
only by the desire to ease the strain on the Azerbaijani state budget.
The deputy secretary of state stressed that Armenia continues to be
the first country in the world by the per capita volume of American
assistance.

US deputy state secretary says no accords reached in Key West
Mediamax news agency,
26 Mar 04
YEREVAN
US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in Yerevan today
that the “sides made considerable progress in the Key West talks three
years ago”.
Asked by a Mediamax correspondent in Yerevan today, Armitage said he
was involved in the negotiations and knows that “when former
Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev returned from Key West to
Azerbaijan and submitted the conflict settlement alternative to his
country, he faced serious difficulties”.
“Therefore, we can talk about some progress made in Key West, but not
about agreements,” Armitage said.
The deputy secretary of state stressed that “a solution to the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict cannot be imposed from outside” and
expressed the hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan would resume the talks
in the near future.
Richard Armitage stated that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen were
ready to help the sides find a peaceful solution.

Armenia set to annex Karabakh officially – Azeri MP
ANS TV, Baku
26 Mar 04
Presenter The Armenian parliament is preparing to adopt a decision to
annex Karabakh and other occupied territories to Armenia. It is
expected that the decision will be adopted in June, MP Anar
Mammadxanli made this sensational statement.
Mammadxanli The Armenian and so-called Nagornyy Karabakh parliaments
are preparing to legitimize the occupation. That is to say, the
Armenian parliament and the Karabakh parliament want to announce their
merger and to adopt a decision annexing the occupied territory – the
former Karabakh autonomous region – to Armenia. In doing so, they are
trying to involve Azerbaijan in a war since this will already be a
dead end.

Foreign firms may be working for Armenian intelligence – Azeri minister
ANS TV, Baku
26 Mar 04
Presenter It cannot be ruled out that the Armenian special services
are not working in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani National Security Minister
Namiq Abbasov said, adding that they come here within the framework of
delegations from various foreign organizations.
Abbasov Of course, I cannot say that they are not working here. It
would not be serious to say so. Given that I can work there, why
should they not be able to work here? There are 30,000 ethnic
Armenians in Azerbaijan. Tens and hundreds of representatives of
pro-Armenian countries arrive in Azerbaijan every day. These are firms
and international organizations that come here under various
guises. No-one can say with confidence that these people are not
working for the Armenian special services. We expelled three people
from Azerbaijan six or seven years ago. I will not name them. We
banned them from entering Azerbaijan. They worked for an organization
which was engaged in activities beyond their business interests. They
were supposed to work as a humanitarian organization, but went to the
front line to learn where our army units were stationed.

Armenia’s ruling coalition warns against attempts to undermine law and order
Mediamax news agency
26 Mar 04
YEREVAN
The ruling Armenian coalition issued a statement today expressing
concern over the calls “whose authors are trying to capitalize on the
existing unresolved problems to provoke public outrage and thus change
power in the country”.
The Republican Party, as well as the Orinats Yerkir and Dashnaktsutyun
parties, which are members of the ruling coalition, stated that “any
attempts to artificially drag Armenia into new electoral processes may
have an adverse effect on the security of our country which is already
facing numerous challenges”.
The ruling coalition called on relevant Armenian agencies to respond
“resolutely and appropriately” to the attempts to undermine
constitutional law and order. The members of the coalition added that
they would continue doing their best to resolve the country’s social
and economic problems.

Armenian leader, US deputy state secretary discuss bilateral ties, Karabakh
Mediamax news agency
26 Mar 04
YEREVAN
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan received US Deputy Secretary of
State Richard Armitage in Yerevan today.
Mediamax quoted Kocharyan as saying during the meeting that he was
pleased with the level of bilateral US-Armenian relations and stressed
the importance of expanding this cooperation.
During the meeting the Armenian president and the US deputy secretary
of state discussed the prospects for the development of the South
Caucasus and ways of resolving the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

US deputy state secretary arrives in Azerbaijan
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
26 Mar 04
The fight against international terrorism will be discussed in the
course of US Deputy State Secretary Richard Armitage’s visit to
Azerbaijan which begins today. Mr Armitage arrived in Azerbaijan
nearly an hour ago. His meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev is planned for tomorrow.
The sides will discuss the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh
problem, bilateral relations, international terrorism and the fight
against transnational crimes. Armitage discussed the settlement of the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict with Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan during his visit to Armenia before arriving in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan’s ANS TV reported at 1700 gmt on 26 March 2004 that Richard
Armitage will arrive in Azerbaijan in a few hours

Azeri agency downplays Iran-Armenia-Europe gas pipeline project
Turan news agency
26 Mar 04
BAKU
The Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, the construction of which is expected
to begin by late 2004, will go across Georgia’s territory through the
Black Sea and Ukraine to western Europe. Thus, the Iranian and Turkmen
gas will go to the European Union countries bypassing Russia, Armenian
Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan told reporters yesterday 25 March .
The idea of laying the pipeline emerged in 1994, when the Georgian
section of the gas pipeline supplying gas to Armenia from Russia was
constantly out of operation due to chronic instability in Georgia. To
create an alternative source of power supply, in 1995 Armenia and
Tehran signed an agreement on laying the 141-km-long Iran-Armenia gas
pipeline.
Armenia, however, could not start implementing the project: either the
sides could not agree on the gas price (Iran does not agree to supply
gas at Russian prices), or financial problems arose etc. Since early
2004, the Armenian side has been saying at all levels that a contract
will be signed soon and the construction will begin this year.
If we believe Movsisyan, Armenia is about to launch a large-scale
project which in the first place jeopardizes the energy security and
political ambitions of the country’s strategic partner, Russia. The
latter will sustain huge losses if gas is successfully transported via
the Turkmenistan-Iran-Georgia-Ukraine-Western Europe route. Russia
will lose at least transit tariffs from supplying Turkmen gas to
Ukraine, gas markets in Georgia and Armenia, and partly in Ukraine,
sales markets in eastern and partly western Europe, and finally the
economic levers of exerting pressure on its CIS neighbours.
Despite a very difficult geographic route, the project is feasible
technically, but will require huge investments. The implementation of
its subwater part will cost at least 2bn-3bn dollars. In addition,
many players along the route have great expectations concerning
transit tariffs, which in the long run will make the project
commercially unattractive. Given the fact that Armenia’s entire gas
market, including its gas distribution and gas transport network, is
managed by Russia, the project is unlikely to have bright future. The
project is based not on realities of the current market economy, but
on illusions of an Armenian myth similar to “Greater Armenia”.

Armenia of great importance to USA – deputy state secretary
Mediamax news agency
26 Mar 04
YEREVAN
US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in Yerevan today
that “Armenia is of extremely special importance to the United
States”.
According to Mediamax news agency, Richard Armitage said this during a
news conference in Yerevan today following his talks with Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan.
“By this visit we would like to highlight our interest in the South
Caucasus and in Armenia’s very important role for the United States,”
the American diplomat said, expressing the hope that the political
dialogue with Yerevan will be stepped up.
Richard Armitage also said that he discussed global issues of
international politics and regional problems with the Armenian
president and foreign minister.