Turkey EU minister warns European Parliament on amendments Armenian Genocide

June 3, 2015 By administrator

Sevil Erkuş – ANKARA

European Union Affairs Minister Volkan Bozkır has sent letters to senior European Parliament figures, urging them to consider proposals to amend an upcoming report on Turkey, warning that Ankara has “sensitivities over three topics in particular.” Report hurriyetdailynews

A planned vote on approving the report on Turkey on May 21 was postponed because of the lack of time for political groups in the European Parliament to discuss proposals for amendments.

In letters sent to European Parliament President Martin Schulz, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Elmar Brok, and the leaders of party groups in the parliament, Bozkır expressed Turkey’s concerns about some amendment proposals in the report, which will be voted on in June.

He stressed that any mention in the report regarding the European Parliament’s April 15 resolution recognizing the 1915 mass killing of Ottoman Armenians as genocide, or any call to exclude the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) from the EU’s list of terrorist organizations, would “not be acceptable” for Turkey, diplomatic sources said.

In his letter dated June 1, Bozkır also said any call to block opening new negotiation chapters for Turkey, or to lift financial assistance to Turkey, would make the report “unacceptable” for Ankara.

Bozkır added that the report should not include a “one-sided” perspective that could negatively influence the ongoing talks for reunification of Cyprus, according to the sources.

The European Parliament adopted the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2013 and detailed the EU’s policy on the matter on March 12, calling on EU member states to recognize the 1915 killings as “genocide.”

EU mission judges jail 11 ex-Kosovo Turkish Albanian guerrillas for war crimes

May 27, 2015 By administrator

EU judges in Kosovo sentenced 11 former Kosovo Albanian guerrillas to prison terms on Wednesday for war crimes committed during Kosovo’s 1998-99 uprising. Judges from the EU police and justice mission said atrocities were committed against Kosovar civilians held in a camp run by the then-Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which fought against Serbian forces. The charges in the two trials also related to the killing in 1998 of a Serbian police officer and a Kosovo Albanian civilian. Two of those convicted were close to ex-Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, Reuters said.

Why Armenia turned to Russia instead of the West

May 8, 2015 By administrator

By Fred Hiatt

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan speaks during a news conference in Yerevan, April 22, 2015. (REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili)

Not long before Ukraine signed the agreement with the European Union that precipitated a crisis with Russia that continues to unfold, Armenia, Ukraine’s small neighbor to the south, made a different decision.

Following a discussion with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced that his country would affiliate for trade purposes with the Eurasian Economic Union — Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan — rather than the European Union.

Sargsyan, who is in Washington this week for events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, offered a practical explanation when I asked him about the alignment during his visit to The Post on Thursday.

“Armenian cognac can’t really be sold in Paris,” Sargsyan, speaking through a translator, said. “But it does well in the Russian Federation.”

In other words, he said, he took a “pragmatic decision.” One-third of Armenia’s exports go to Russia and its partners, including agricultural products on which thousands of jobs depend. In addition, Russia sells natural gas to landlocked, energy-poor Armenia “at quite a good price.”

The president stressed that Armenia still pursues good relations with the European Union. But a free-trade agreement with Europe would not have delivered much, he said, especially as long as Armenia’s border with Turkey remains blocked. Armenia’s economy would have to evolve over ten to fifteen years to take advantage of a free-trade regime with Europe. “But in the meantime there is a need to survive,” he said, “and people are not ready to suffer during this long term.”

Armenians are suffering now from the rift between Russia and the West, he said, in three ways: Armenian exports to Russia, Russian investment in Armenia and remittances from Armenians working in Russia — which account for one-fifth of Armenia’s GDP — all are down. This hurts in a country of 3 million people that in 2013 ranked 152nd in the world in income per person.

But, he added, “had we not acceded to the Eurasian Union, we would have faced more painful problems.”

Sargsyan said he will not be seeing President Obama on this trip, but he was diplomatic on the president’s refusal once again, in deference to Turkish objections, to use the word “genocide” to describe the crimes against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 100 years ago.

“I think had he said it, it could have been useful,” Sargsyan said. “The United States should have put values over interests.”

Fred Hiatt is the editorial page editor of The Post. He writes editorials for the newspaper and a biweekly column that appears on Mondays. He also contributes to the PostPartisan blog.

#Armeniangenocide: Turkey is lobbying the European Parliament President

April 10, 2015 By administrator

According to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Turkish leaders have put pressure on the President of the European Parliament (EP) Martin Schulz during his visit on Wednesday in Ankara.

Turkish leaders told him their concerns about a vote on April 15 by the European Parliament will vote on a resolution at the centenary of the Armenian Genocide in 1915.

Friday, April 10, 2015,
Stéphane © armenews.com

The EU reiterates its willingness to cooperate with Armenia

February 27, 2015 By administrator

Despite the decision of Armenia in September 2013 not to sign the Association and the Free Trade Agreement with the EU in favor of a rally with the Eurasian Economic Union, the EU reiterates its commitment to closer ties with Armenia, and strengthen bilateral cooperation in the framework of the Eastern Partnership, in all areas consistent with recent policy orientations of Armenia, “said the Head of the Delegation of EU in Armenia Traian Hristea Wednesday, February 25 at a conference on the theme “EU-Armenia Cooperation and perspective in the current political context.” “Currently, we think with our Armenian counterparts to the future of relations between the EU and Armenia.

After the joint statement issued at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in November 2013, both parties filed a joint reflection on how to restructure a legal basis for their relations, “said the European official. “The EU and Armenia have launched in Brussels an inspection exercise of future legal and political framework for relations between the EU and Armenia, based on the commitments of Armenia to the Eurasian Union their potential impact on future relations with the EU.

The two sides agreed to maintain the association agreement, which was negotiated but not signed, and use it as a reference in that goal, “added Mr. Hristea. “To the extent that good governance, reform of the judiciary, rule of law, human rights are not affected by the process of integration in the Eurasian Union official, the EU has plenty to do with Armenia, and Armenia on its side is free to prove its commitment to reform.

The budget to be allocated to the human rights sector in this regard is hailed as a good move – but it is also a test, “the ability of Armenia to continue on this path, said Mr. Hristea, which stressed the need to make the best possible use of European aid to 140-170 million for 2014-2017, aimed primarily at private sector development, and reform of the administration public and justice.

The European delegate continued, “the EU is very concerned about the security situation in the region, particularly after the renewed tension without precedent on the contact line of Nagorno-Karabakh. “The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has no military solution and the status quo is intolerable. Although it is not part of the Minsk Group of the negotiation process of the OSCE, the EU intends to strengthen its support for efforts towards peace. “ “The EU also continues to support the Armenian-Turkish relations normalization efforts and encourages both parties to continue the process of normalization without preconditions, despite the withdrawal of the protocols signed in 2009 on the agenda of parliaments two countries. We also consider commemorating the centennial year of the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire as a test for the Armenian-Turkish relations, “concluded the European delegate.

Friday, February 27, 2015,
Gari © armenews.com

‘Greek ‘revolution’ woke up Europeans, spreads like wildfire’

February 17, 2015 By administrator

Public support for Greece across Europe is predictable as other countries are suffering just as much, Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, a former Greek ambassador, told RT. It’s a message to EU leaders who have been distant from people they are supposed to serve.

RT: Are you surprised by the show of public support for Greece in many parts of Europe?

Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos: No, it was expected actually, because the other countries are suffering just as bad as we are particularly Portugal and Spain. So once we started this, let’s put it ‘revolution,’ and we are waking up the European people, it caught like wildfire. So this is a good solid support of the European people and I hope that this message is getting across to the leaders of the EU who have been far away from the people who they are supposed to serve all these years.

RT: Do you see a growing disconnect between Brussels-led austerity policies, and public opinion in EU nations?

LC:…It is their interest that is at stake, because if they continue this intransigence and this hard-line, then Greece can also play hard-line and we would just refuse to cooperate. And this of course might lead to a possible departure of Greece from the eurozone with all the negative consequences that it will have for Europe more than it would have for Greece. For Greece it will have in the long-term beneficial results.

RT: Are you optimistic that a compromise can be reached at Monday’s meeting?

LC: I don’t think there are many chances for a compromise. What I presume might come out of the meeting is a sort of a text that nobody understands that will satisfy the EU, but might have no practical results because the Greek government is no way going back on what it promised to the Greek people. And I read in today’s newspapers for example that most of the measures that have been taken by the previous regime are now being changed. For example, a draft law is going to [be passed] in the Parliament next week for the 13th [month-Ed.] salary for the pensioners. Also there is going to be 12,000 euro [annual salary- Ed.]for tax that will be included as a tax limit. And also the extreme tax that was put on property is going to be abolished also.

RT: If Greece does not receive the bridge loan it is asking for – what are the alternatives for the government?

LC: Essentially what will happen…is there will be a denunciation on the basis of international law of the loan agreement. And if you denounce the loan agreement, not unilaterally, on the basis of international law, [the Vienna Convention on the law of treaties], which in the articles 48 to 51 4: 50 anticipated cases where international agreement is null and void. You do that, you keep the €26 billion that they are asking and if you continue your recovery that way plus you nationalize the Bank of Greece then also you have funds. So this will get us through the year, this is one way of financing ourselves during that interim period if it goes as bad as that.

Political not financial consequences scare EU

Pro-government protesters in Athens’ Syntagma Square ahead of the eurozone finance ministers’ meeting in Brussels demanded that no more concessions are made, noted Aris Chatzistefanou, a journalist and filmmaker.

“The same message that PM Mr. Tsipras had Friday night when there was an emergency Cabinet meeting with many left-wing ministers saying that we have already made enough concessions in these negotiations and we should keep to our positions otherwise it will be seen as a total betrayal of what we said to the electorate before the election. When they talk about concessions, it’s mainly three things: that they don’t talk any more about cancelling the debt which was one of the promises that this party made to the electorate. The second is they have agreed to accept 70 percent of the memorandum that is the austerity package imposed in Greece by the IMF and ECB and the European Commission. And the third is that we should have a primary surplus. That practically means a kind of continuation of austerity…”

“…This year only we have to repay something around €22 billion and almost €6-7 billion of this amount is the interest that we have to repay. So by making at least a memorandum in repaying the debt there is enough money to keep the economy staying alive for a few more months until the solution is found.Don’t forget that the same policy was applied even in Russia, in Argentina, Iceland, Ecuador and there was always a positive outcome for the economy. On the other hand, don’t forget that apart from the Western financial centers that are threatening Greece with stopping the liquidity of the banking sector there are some other financial centers that can be trusted,” Chatzistefanou said.

The main concern for Berlin now, he observed, is the political consequences of the Greek bailout talks in Brussels.

“There might be a domino effect if people in other European countries realize that this austerity imposed by Brussels and Berlin is not the only way out of the crisis… I think this is a big problem for Berlin at the moment. They are not afraid of the financial consequences. Don’t forget that Greece is a very small economy, 2 percent of the eurozone. They are afraid of the political consequences,” Chatzistefanou told RT.

Turkey cancels a meeting with the EU in Istanbul due to a point on the Armenian Genocide

February 11, 2015 By administrator

Relations between Ankara and Brussels have been strained due to the inclusion of an item on the Armenian Genocide in the report by the European Parliament including 442 points.

According to the Turkish website objektifbakis.com for this reason Turkey unilaterally canceled the Parliamentary Committee EU-Turkey to be held on 18 and 19 February in Istanbul.

According to the website of Turkey and expressed his protest in Brussels saying that it is a “diplomatic against attack” against the addition of the point on the Armenian Genocide to the proposals.

Armenpress

EU: Motion on #Armeniangenocide submitted to European Parliament

February 9, 2015 By administrator

Belgian MEP Gerolf Annemans, chairman of Vlaams Belang party, submitted to European Parliament a motion calling on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The document says:

– having regard to Rule 133 of its Rules of Procedure;

– having regard to the many studies and historical data on the situation of the Armenian population in Turkey at the beginning of the twentieth century,

– having regard to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide which defines genocide,

– having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 18 June 1987 on a political solution to the Armenian question,

– having regard to subsequent Parliament resolutions in which it has argued to a greater or lesser extent in favor of recognizing the Armenian genocide of 1915,

A. whereas these resolutions have not yet induced the Turkish government to recognize the genocide;

B. whereas a century after the events, the time has come to initiate reconciliation;

1. Calls on the Turkish government officially to recognize the 1915 genocide of the Armenians living in Turkey perpetrated by the last government of the Ottoman Empire;

2. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Turkish government, the Armenian government, the Commission, the Council and the Presidents of the Parliament of the Republic of Turkey and the Parliament of the Republic of Armenia.

The motion was signed by Marine Le Pen, Louis Aliot, Marie-Christine Arnautu, Nicolas Bay, Dominique Bilde, Marie-Christine Boutonnet, Steeve Briois, Mireille D’Ornano, Edouard Ferrand, Sylvie Goddyn, Jean-François Jalkh, Gilles Lebreton, Philippe Loiseau, Dominique Martin, Joëlle Mélin, Bernard Monot, Sophie Montel, Florian Philippot, Jean-Luc Schaffhauser, Mylène Troszczynski, Matteo Salvini, Mara Bizzotto, Mario Borghezio, Gianluca Buonanno, Lorenzo Fontana, Marcel de Graaff, Hans Jansen, Olaf Stuger, Harald Vilimsky, Barbara Kappel.

Armenia picks Russian economic ties, but tries to keep foot in the West

January 6, 2015 By administrator

By Karoun Demirjian

YEREVAN, ARMENIA — When Armenia broke ranks last year with other former Soviet states marching toward Europe and pledged to join Russia’s new customs union instead, the goal of keeping a foothold in both the East and the West didn’t seem all that challenging.

It wasn’t the first time the country had pulled off such a high-stakes balancing act: For years, Armenia has been the only full member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization military alliance to also participate in NATO peacekeeping missions. And with the United States and the European Union promising to continue economic development efforts, there seemed little to lose by joining Russia.

But that was before the Ukraine crisis, before Western-Russian relations sank to their lowest point since the Cold War, and before the ruble started plummeting erratically — pulling down currencies such as the Armenian dram along with it.

Now, as Armenia settles into its role as the smallest member of Russia’s new Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), the country is bracing for what even government officials admit could be a rough ride.

“I never heard of a situation where turmoil in a partner country was a helpful thing,” said Vache Gabrielyan, deputy prime minister and head of a new government ministry for international economic integration.

“The situation, of course, has changed,” he added. “But I don’t yet see any change that fundamentally alters the choice we made.”

Armenia’s decision to scrap negotiations with Europe over an association agreement — the sort that the E.U. recently signed with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova — and join Russia’s nascent trade bloc was announced abruptly after a September 2013 meeting between the president, Serge Sarkisian, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Western diplomats said they were “surprised,” and some members of the opposition said the deal was “the result of Russian blackmail.”

Members of the Armenian government justified the decision as one that will give Armenia the opportunity to improve economic ties with both the E.U. and the EEU.

“In the framework of our humble abilities, we strive to serve as a bridge for these two organizations,” said deputy foreign minister Shavarsh Kocharyan, one of the key negotiators of the deal to bring Armenia into the EEU. Picking a side was simply a necessity, he added, because “nowadays, every state needs to be in an economic cooperation bloc. Germany, France – are they on their own? Heh.”

The idea that Armenia could help build E.U.-EEU economic ties appears to have some support in the Kremlin. Last week, Russia’s E.U. ambassador told the EU Observer, a news Web site, that Armenia was one of several countries that could facilitate trade between Russia’s new customs union and Europe.

What few in the Armenian government will admit, however, is that in choosing to side with Russia, they didn’t have much choice.

Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet Union 23 years ago. But Russia remains the tiny country’s most vital link to the outside world.

Russia hosts the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia and is the largest source of remittances, which accounted for more than a fifth of Armenia’s national income last year. Russia has a monopoly on selling Armenia cheap gas through 2043, and Russian state-funded television broadcasts are how many Armenians get news and information.

While Europe remains Armenia’s largest export market, Russia is the key destination for non-raw material goods, which Gabrielyan says will help Armenia diversify its economy — especially, he said, because Armenia is not yet ready to compete in Europe.

Few public officials, even those who have criticized the president, discount those ties. Last month, Armenia’s parliament voted overwhelmingly to approve joining the EEU.

The EEU deal-making process “was misguided and should have been done differently,” said Vartan Oskanian, Armenia’s former foreign minister and a member of Prosperous Armenia, parliament’s second-largest party. But lawmakers backed EEU membership “given the importance we attach to Armenia’s relations with Russia.”

Yet the most important factor driving Armenia’s participation in Russia’s new economic union isn’t economic.

“We have a security issue which demands us to take faster steps,” Kocharyan said, explaining that benefits of European association would take longer to realize than joining the EEU. “Such long-term projects are very important, but we can never exclude the possibility that the day after tomorrow, we may have to impose peace on our neighbors.”

Russia is Armenia’s chief supplier of arms, at discounted prices, and maintains a military base in the country. Armenians consider that a vital asset in their two-decade-long, frozen conflict over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan that declared independence as the Soviet Union was coming apart.

Anniversary of Dink’s Assassination to Be Marked at EU Parliament

December 30, 2014 By administrator

STRASBOURG—On Jan. 21, the 8th anniversary of the assassination of Turkish Armenian journalist and editor-in-chief of the bilingual Agos newspaper, Hrant Dink, will be commemorated at the European Parliament. report asbarez

Hrant Dink was assassinated on January 19, 2007, in broad daylight on a busy street in front of his newspaper’s office in Istanbul.

His assassination was the culmination of a decade-long campaign of harassment by the country’s authorities, by the military and by extremist groups. But it triggered an unprecedented surge of solidarity and pro-democracy activism in Turkey after more than 100,000 people attended his funeral.

Today, Dink has become an icon of the movement for civil liberties in Turkey and in Europe. His memory serves as a beacon for intellectuals, activists and the wider public to challenge prejudice and intolerant nationalism. Hrant Dink was an Armenian, in a country where Armenians have long lived in fear. He was a journalist, in a country that jails more journalists than any other country in the world. And as an advocate of peace, he was reviled by nationalists.

After his death, Dink’s family and friends established a foundation that has since continued and broadened his work in Turkey for civil liberties, for the rights of minorities and for peaceful relations with neighbors, particularly Armenia.

2015 will mark the 10th anniversary of the start of Turkey’s accession negotiations with the European Union and the centenary of the start of the Armenian Genocide. The commemoration on January 21 will provide an opportunity to invoke Hrant Dink’s intellectual and political legacy and to take stock of the situation of the movement for civil rights and tolerance in Turkey that his assassination spurred.