PIPELINE PERKS FOR RUSSIA IN ARMENIA-IRAN ENERGY DEAL

Samvel Martirosyan 12/21/04

Expanding Armenia’s energy sources is a critical goal for the administration of President Robert Kocharian – for both economic and political reasons. Chronic energy shortages contributed to much of the country’s economic decline after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Armenia’s economic woes continue to attract the criticism of the country’s opposition.

Oil could reinforce Tehran’s ties with Yerevan still further. At a December 4 meeting between Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian and Iran’s Armenian Ambassador Alirza Hagigian, plans were discussed for construction of a 60-kilometer oil pipeline from the Iranian town of Julfa to the Armenian border town of Meghri.

Geopolitics, though, rather than the attractions of the Armenian energy market, appears to drive much of Iran’s push for partnership. With American troops stationed in neighboring Afghanistan and Iraq and Iran’s nuclear energy program under intense international scrutiny, the country’s ruling clerics have taken steps to assure the outside world that the Islamic Republic is a force for stability in the region. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami’s September 2004 visit to Armenia, a close US ally, reinforced that campaign with a "good neighbor" message that "Iran is interested in peace and stability in the South Caucasus."

But in drawing closer to Iran, Yerevan has risked alienating another longtime ally – Russia. In Yerevan, Kremlin concerns about the prospect of Armenia providing a conduit for Iranian gas to Europe, a key Russian market, are widely believed to have resulted in a reduction of the pipeline’s size to a width too narrow for exports.

More: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/business/articles/eav122104.shtml#

Turkey still far from European standards of press freedom

18 December 2004
Reporters Without Borders

European deputies voted on 15 December for the discussions to start without "needless delay" but on the basis of Ankara complying with certain conditions.

In particular they are seeking the repeal of Article 305 of Turkey’s new criminal code, that comes into effect on 1st April 2005 and which they consider runs contrary to freedom of expression.

Even though the new criminal code that becomes law on 1st April 2005 removes the offence of "mocking and insulting government ministers", there remains a problem with Article 305.

This punishes alleged "threats against fundamental national interests". It specifically targets freedom of expression, particularly on issues involving Cyprus or Armenia. The European parliament voted on 15 December for a resolution calling, among other things, for the immediate repeal of this article, viewed as incompatible with the 1950 Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Turkish Historical Society Chairman Says He Can Provide Documents On How Armenians Massacred More Than 519,000 Turks

12/17/2004
Turkish Press
Anadolu Agency

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Historical Society (TTK) Chairman Prof. Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu has stated that there is no document that could lead to accusation of Turkey with the so-called Armenian genocide. ''However, I can easily provide documents how 519,000 Turks were massacred by Armenians along with the names of villages these Turks lived in,'' said Halacoglu.

Halacoglu remarked that the issue of the so-called Armenian genocide must be discussed extensively and in details by a committee of scholars from Turkey, Armenia, Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Russia and the United States who will convene to study Russian, British, American, French and Armenian confidential and classified documents. ''Those who continuously talk about genocide should reveal what they had in their own archives. Lets see what they have in Hinchak archives. We will possibly see in that archive how the Armenians massacred Turks, and how they planned such brutal acts, and why they massacred Turks,'' told Halacoglu.

Halacoglu said that they opened Ottoman archives and they even put it into internet. Halacoglu further expressed that based on their studies in the archives worldwide, they have not come across even with a single document that may prove Armenian claims of a genocide. ''Did the Armenians suffer difficulty which could be termed as a tragedy? Yes. Yet the Turks suffered more than the Armenians. The Muslims suffered a true tragedy. Armenians constantly claim that there was a genocide committed by Turks. We must note that the Armenians can not refer to any document which may prove that there was indeed a genocide. The bottom line is that the Armenians are lying.''

''The meeting between Turkish and Armenian delegations were planned to be held in Vienna in 2005 after two processes of document exchange. But this meeting seems not certain. If they do not show up in this meeting, we will make public the documents we have.''

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Kurdish PEN Centre and human rights in modern Kurdish literature

16 December 2004
KurdishMedia.com
By Dr Zorab Aloian


The modern Kurdish literature - although essentially united – evolves in three major dialects and two alphabets.

The Kurdish language and culture in the 20th century to a big part owes to the those mostly Yezidi Kurds who escaped the Ottoman massacres and found refuge in Armenia. The Soviet state in general and Armenian intelligentsia in particular promoted the preservation and developments of Kurdish literature. The first Latin-based Kurdish alphabet was created in 1928 in Armenia, the first Kurdish novel – roman – was written by Arab Shamilov, an Armenian Kurd. The first theatre, the first movie, the first section of Kurdish writers, Kurdish schools and academic institutions in Armenia – they are a very positive reverberation of common Armenian-Kurdish destiny. The Kurds, on their part, highlight this memory and display their sympathy towards the Armenian wounds.

Thus, the writer, Felat Dilgesh from Istanbul wrote a short story called Zûra (Anosh). It is about an Armenian girl saved by a Kurdish family during the genocide campaign after the World War 1. The girl received a new name Zûra, remained in the Kurdish family, but her separation from the repressed family was a heavy burden on her soul. The author describes, how Zûra was every day looking for her mummy, checking every room in the house.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

European Parliament Accepts Resolution Calling For Start Of Entry Talks With Turkey

12/15/2004
Turkish Press
Anadolu Agency

STRASBOURG (AA) - European Parliament on Wednesday accepted resolution calling for start of Turkey accession talks ''without undue delay''.

The resolution called on Turkey to open its borders with Armenia and the Turkish and Armenian governments to support the peace process. It said sorrowful experiences of the past should be overcome with the support of independent experts. The amendment envisaging recognition of so-called genocide on Armenians as a condition for start of negotiations was rejected.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

FACTS ON EUROPEAN ATTITUDES TOWARDS ARMENIAN MASSACRE

14 December 2004
The Tocqueville Connection

PARIS, Dec 14 (AFP) - France in 2001 became the third European Union nation to pass a measure describing the 1915-1917 Ottoman Empire massacre of Armenians as a genocide. However, the French government did not use the G word until Tuesday, days before the EU was to face a key decision on Turkish accession talks. The National Assembly in France, which has an Armenian community of 450,000, voted in 2001 to qualify the massacre as a genocide, although the French government has until now, preferred to refer to it as a "tragedy".

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Turkey 'must admit WWI genocide'

13 December, 2004
BBC News

France has said it will ask Turkey to acknowledge the mass killing of Armenians from 1915 as genocide when it begins EU accession talks.

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said Turkey had "a duty to remember".

Armenians say 1.5 million of their people died or were deported from their homelands under Turkish Ottoman rule.

France is among a group of nations that class the killings as genocide. Turkey denies any organised genocide, claiming they were quelling a civil uprising.

Mr Barnier said France did not consider Turkish acknowledgement a condition of EU entry, but insisted his country would raise the issue once talks opened.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss plans to invite Turkey for accession talks, Mr Barnier said Turkey "must carry out this task as a memorial".

In addition, France believes that accession talks should not begin before the second half of 2005, Mr Barnier said. Turkey has pushed for immediate negotiations.

"I believe that when the time comes, Turkey should come to terms with its past, be reconciled with its own history and recognise this tragedy," Mr Barnier said.

'So-called genocide'

His comments drew no immediate official response from Turkey, which has consistently denied orchestrating genocide and the Armenian figures.

A foreign ministry spokesman in the Turkish capital, Ankara, told Reuters that Turkey has never and will never recognise "any so-called genocide".

Armenia alleges that the Young Turks, in 1915 the dominant party in the Ottoman Empire, systematically arranged the deportation and killing of 1.5 million Armenians.

Turkish relations with independent Armenia, which borders Turkey to the north, have long been coloured by the issue.

Around 300,000 Armenians live in France, more than in any other European country, and community leaders have pledged to pressure French President Jacques Chirac on the genocide issue during Turkish accession negotiations.

France passed a law officially recognising the Armenian genocide in 2001, cooling relations with Turkey and scuppering a major arms deal.

Another 14 nations, including Switzerland, Russia and Argentina, also classify the killings as genocide.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

Turkey warns of terror wave if EU membership is rejected

13.12.2004
EU Observer
By Lisbeth Kirk

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned European Union leaders that violence from Islamic extremists could escalate if the EU rejects Turkey as a member.

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.

EU to decide on membership talks with Turkey

Thursday, Dec 9, 2004
Associated Press

European leaders will decide in a Dec. 16-17 summit whether to begin EU accession talks with Turkey.
Dutch Minister for European Affairs Atzo Nicolai attended the ceremony and urged Turkey to decrease "state intervention in worship."

"As friends, we owe it ourselves to be critical ... of each other," Mr. Nicolai said.

Mr. Erdogan, a devout Muslim, is keen to project a positive image of the country's treatment of minorities. He was the first premier to visit a chief rabbi shortly after suicide attacks on two synagogues last year, and earlier this week he sent a message to Jewish citizens for the holiday of Hanukkah.

Mr. Erdogan also presided over the opening of an Armenian museum on Sunday — a rare gesture by a Turkish premier.


Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.