Turkish Diplomats Secretly Meet In Europe

[Gavur]

Armenian Fm On Armenian-turkish Relations

YEREVAN, JANUARY 10. ARMINFO. 2005 saw no significant changes were observed in Armenian-Turkish relations due mostly to Turkey's policy on Armenia, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said at a press-conference today.

Turkey continues linking the improvement of Armenian-Turkish relations with Armenia's no longer demanding the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, recognizing Turkey's territorial integrity, settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, etc, while Armenia makes no preconditions for its rapprochement with Turkey. Armenia has always been for negotiating mutual problems, finding solutions to them, making no preconditions. Meanwhile Turkey and Azerbaijan continue debarring Armenia from regional projects.

Oskanyan says that the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide gave rise to wide political and public discussions in Turkey itself. In Apr the Turkish parliament held a special hearing of the problem with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan proposing Armenian President Robert Kocharyan in a letter to set up a joint group of historians. This was the first written proposal made by such a high-ranking Turkish official. In his response Kocharyan reaffirmed Armenia's position that it is ready to discuss any issue of Armenian-Turkish relations on intergovernmental level after the establishment of normal relations between the countries. In May and July Turkey organized two meetings of the Armenian and Turkish deputy FMs in Vienna for specifying the positions of the sides after the Erdogan-Kocharyan correspondence.

In 2005 NGOs continued showing activity in Armenian-Turkish relations, says Oskanyan.

[Gavur]

Hamlet Gasparian Doesn't Deny Rumors About Armenian-turkish Negotiaions, But Refutes

HAMLET GASPARIAN DOESN'T DENY RUMORS ABOUT ARMENIAN-TURKISH NEGOTIAIONS, BUT REFUTES DETAILS ANNOUNCED BY TURKISH MEDIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 07 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 7, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. There have been and
will be contacts between the Minitries of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
and Turkey.

Hamlet Gasparian, Spokesman of the RA Mnistry of Foreign Affairs,
announced this at the request of the Noyan Tapan correspondent
commenting on the information published in the Turkish periodical
"The New Anatolian" over the resumption of the Armenian-Turkish closed
negotiations. According to him, the contacts are continuing today,
the Armenian-Turkish relations are being discussed.

The Turkish periodical referring to the diplomatic sources also
reported that the negotiations are being held around three issues:
the recognition of current Armenian-Turkish borders, lifting of the
blockade of the border and the Armenian Genocide.

According to the Turkish periodical, Ankara announced that the issue
of lifting the blockade of the border will be discussed in case
when "the Armenian side withdraws its troops from the 4 Azerbaijani
occupied regions".

In the connection of the third issue, the Turkish sources announced
that the Armenian side suggested forming a committee consisting of the
parliamentarians of the two countries, in the subcommittee of which
a group of historians will also be included. The Turkish side treated
this suggestion with retaining. But the sides came to an agreement in
order to involve scientists of Turkey, Armenia and Armenian Diaspora
in the subcommittee.

Hamlet Gasparian refuted the above mentioned information, mentioning
that "the details of the publication doesn't correspond to reality".

[Gavur]

Ankara contacts with Armenian Diaspora

The New Anatolian / Ankara



The rapid rise at the numbers of decision acknowledging the "Armenian genocide" of the national and local parliaments in the world let Ankara to find ways for preventing such trend. A high ranking official from Turkish Foreign Ministry met with the representatives of Armenian Diaspora in the U.S., on the eve of the April 24, the day that the Armenians mourns for their lost due from the so-called genocide.

With the efforts of the Armenian Diaspora, 16 national parliaments of countries from very different geographical locations, took decisions recognizing the so-called Armenian genocide. "The number of the parliaments which took such decisions was only 7 between 1982 and 2003," said a Turkish official who spoke in condition of anonymity. "But during the last three years, between 2003 and 2005, 7 similar decisions were taken by national parliaments of different countries. The numbers shows that the trend is very negative from the Turkish point of view".

Turkey did not get any concrete results from its contacts with the Diaspora, according to the same source. "Almost 20 per cent of the Armenian Diaspora in the U.S. is very tough on the issue. They see the genocide issue as the only cement that brought together the Armenians together," the source explained. "The other 80 per cent does not raise its voice. But follow the campaigns of the extremes".

Contacts with Armenia

Turkish officials also tried to continue their contacts with the Armenian state within the framework of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's proposal of the establishment a joint commission of Turkish and Armenian historians to research the issue. "But, these continuing efforts of Ankara to find a common ground with Yerevan could not bring any concrete result until now," added the Turkish official.

Besides, Ankara which closely monitors the activities of Armenian diplomats, also changed its policy of viewing Diaspora as the sole responsible of the worldwide acceptance of so-called genocide. "Looking at the contacts of the Armenian Ambassadors abroad, we know that Armenian State also is in the center of the genocide propaganda activities," said a Turkish diplomat. "All the Turkish Ambassadors working abroad had a constant instruction of monitor both the activities of their Armenian colleagues and the developments about the so-called genocide at the political arena of the country that they were posted. But due to the fait-accompli of the Armenian Diaspora, sometimes even the foreign ministries of some countries learnt that their parliament took a decision about so-called genocide, days after the decision had been taken. Venezuela is a good example of it. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry learnt the decision its national parliament from the condemnation of Turkish diplomats".

Current situation

Both Armenian Diaspora and Armenian state continued their efforts to expand the worldwide acknowledgement of genocide, according the Turkish source. Currently, there were two drafts about the issue waiting at the U.S. House of Representatives, one at the Senate.

"The more dangerous development is that the Armenian Diaspora pass another phase at their efforts," said the Turkish source. "After having a decision from a national parliament about the recognition of so-called genocide, they push for a second decision which contains punishment for whom ignore the genocide as a fact. This is the case now for France. They also wanted to include the issue into the curriculum of the schools of the countries that their parliaments took decision recognizing genocide, such as in Argentina or Belgium".

How to struggle against the Armenian efforts?

Turkey, on the other hand, used all its sources to prevent further expansion of the Armenian claims in the world. "Until now, this is only the Parliaments that took decision about the issue," said a Turkish diplomat. "Now, our aim is to prevent that the governments of these countries also acknowledge the issue as a fact and determine its policies towards Turkey by taking into consideration such Parliament's decisions".

The list of National Parliaments that recognize genocide

Greek Cyprus- April 29, 1982
Greece- April 25, 1996
Belgium- March 26, 1998
Sweden- March 29, 2000
Lebanon- May 11, 2000
Italy- November 17, 2000
France- January 18, 2001
Switzerland- December 16, 2003
Canada- April 21, 2004
Slovakia- November 30, 2004
Netherlands- December 21, 2004
Poland- April 19, 2005
Argentina- April 20, 2005
Russia- April 22, 2005
Uruguay- May 3, 2005
Germany- June 16, 2005
Venezuela- July 14, 2005
Lithuania- December 15, 2005.

[Gavur]

Turkey Seeks To Normalize Ties With Armenia

Anatolia news agency
31 May 06

Ankara, 31 May: "Turkey is intending to pursue efforts to normalize
relations with Armenia," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik
Tan said on Wednesday [31 May].

Tan told a weekly news conference that Turkey was resolved to establish
peace, tranquillity and stability in its region as its traditional
foreign policy principle.

"Success of Turkey's efforts to normalize relations (with Armenia)
depends on a more flexible and constructive approach from Yerevan as
well as to the overcoming of bilateral and regional problems. It also
depends on Armenia's willingness of abiding by international law,"
Tan noted.

Giving information to journalists about the process, Tan said Turkey
has asked Armenia to establish a joint commission comprising Turkish
and Armenian experts to investigate the incidents that had occurred
in 1915.

Tan said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote a letter
to Armenian President Robert Kocharyan in April 2005 including this
suggestion.

"Upon the response letter of Kocharyan to Erdogan, a negotiation
process has started between the two countries to seek a common ground.

Three rounds of talks were held so far," Tan indicated.

[Gavur]

No Breakthrough In Secret Turkish-armenian Talks

The New Anatolian, Turkey
May 31 2006

Secret talks between Turkey and Armenia, launched after Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote a letter to Armenian President Robert
Kocharian, have failed to make any headway coming out of their third
round, said media reports yesterday.

A part of the third session of secret talks was held on the sidelines
of the Turkey-European Union Troika meeting in Vienna, Austria last
March. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul closely followed the meetings
with Armenian officials that were kept secret from the media,
CNN-Turk reported.

Sources say that the Armenian response reached Ankara early this
month to Turkey's suggestion for the establishment of two committees
to discuss mutual relations wasn't welcomed, and the answer "to the
Turkish suggestions that they received was watered down."

The Turkish side had proposed the establishment of two committees to
simultaneously hold talks on political issues and the Armenian genocide
allegations. In response, Yerevan rejected the Turkish suggestions,
stating that holding discussions about the "genocide" would make the
controversial issue debatable. It underlined that scholars can debate
the issue in conferences. Nevertheless Armenia did request the revival
of political talks between the two countries.

Following Yerevan's objection to the establishment of the two
committees, including one comprised of historians from both countries
to study the Armenian genocide claims, Ankara is now preparing for
the fourth round of secret talks.

Foreign Ministry officials underlined that continued debates over
the genocide claims have "poisoned" Turkey's relations with other
countries. Ankara will continue to exert effort to find a middle
ground and to solve its problems with Yerevan, they added.

[Gavur]

Armenian MFA Does Not Deny or Confirm Reports on Armenia-Turkey Secret Talks

31.05.2006 16:36 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia does not deny or confirm reports on secret meetings between diplomats of Armenia and Turkey, acting Spokesperson of the Armenian MFA Vladimir Karapetyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. «Armenian and Turkish diplomats contact at various levels,» he said.

According to Turkish sources, after the letter sent by Turkish PM Erdogan to Armenian President Kocharian «three secret meetings» were held between diplomats of those countries. «The latest round of talks, was held under the auspices of the European Troika in Vienna in closed regime,» the New Anatolian agency reports.

[Gavur]

Ambassador Markarian's Letter to the New York Times

From: Haik Gugarats <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 10:36:40 -0400
Subject: Ambassador Markarian's Letter to the New York Times

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg151130.html

The Armenian Genocide

The New York Times
May 31, 2006

To the Editor:

Although Turkey's ambassador to the U.S. asserts arguably that `history
should be left to historians,' (letter, May 24), the Turkish Government
makes history a precondition for normalizing interstate relations with
Armenia.

Turkey needs first of all reconcile with its own history, and it must
remove all taboos and stop persecution of Turkish authors who dare
address the 1915 events.

Turkish scholars will then be able to examine the rich historical
record, including the 1919 Turkish military tribunal which passed a
death sentence against the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide.

It is the Turkish state's denialist policy that forces growing number
of nations to intervene and express their position on the
subject. Historical and legal experts, including Raphael Lemkin who
invented the term genocide, and the International Association of
Genocide Scholars, have long recognized that the 1915 events fit the
definition of the 1948 Genocide Convention in all its aspects.

Tatoul Markarian
Ambassador of Armenia
Washington, May 27, 2006

[Gavur]

Armenian Official Says No Secret Talks Held With Turkey In 2006

Arminfo
1 Jun 06

Yerevan, 1 June: The Armenian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that
Armenian and Turkish diplomats have held several meetings.

Commenting on recent reports in the Turkish media about meetings
between Armenian and Turkish diplomats, Armenian Deputy Foreign
Minister Gegam Garibdzhanyan told journalists today that such meetings
had really taken place.

"There was an exchange of letters," Garibdzhanyan said. But he also
said that the statement by Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik
Tan that three such meetings have already taken place and a fourth
one is being prepared is groundless and not a single adviser of the
Armenian Foreign Ministry is dealing with this issue. Garibdzhanyan
said that such meetings have taken place, but not in 2006.

He expressed Armenia's position on Armenian-Turkish relations
once again and said that Armenia suggests lifting the blockade of
the Armenian-Turkish border without preconditions, establishing
diplomatic relations and recognizing the Armenian genocide of 1915
in Ottoman Turkey.