Armenian Political News

RFE/RL Report

Sarkisian Rules Out Turkish Role In Karabakh Talks
02.06.2010

Armenia plans no further fence-mending negotiations with Turkey and will
continue to oppose any Turkish involvement in the ongoing international
efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, President Serzh
Sarkisian said on Wednesday.


Visiting the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, Sarkisian again
blamed Turkey for the effective collapse of the Turkish-Armenian
agreements to normalize bilateral ties. He defended his decision in late
April to freeze Armenian parliamentary ratification of the two
`protocols.'

`The main reason for that is very simple: Turkey is today not prepared
to ratify the protocols,' he told leaders of the local Armenian
community. `In order to justify the collapse [of the normalization
process,] it is setting more and more preconditions. Furthermore, it is
trying to intrude a sphere -- I mean the process of resolving the
Artsakh (Karabakh) issue -- where it obviously has nothing to do.'

`At the moment, we have nothing to discuss with an unreliable and
untrustworthy partner which periodically breaches preliminary
understandings,' Sarkisian said in remarks posted on his website.

The Armenian leader similarly accused Turkey of wasting its `stock of
confidence as a partner in negotiations' during a visit to Brussels last
week. He referred to the Turkish linkage between protocol ratification
and a Karabakh settlement acceptable to Azerbaijan. Yerevan argues that
neither protocol makes any reference to the Armenian-Azerbaijani
dispute.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed, however, that
Karabakh peace is an implicit requirement of the Turkish-Armenian
agreements signed in October. Accordingly, Erdogan and other Turkish
officials have pressed the U.S., Russian and French mediators to step up
their peace efforts.

Ankara has also signaled its desire to gain a role in the Karabakh
negotiating process. Armenian leaders have ruled that out, saying that
the Turks can not act like honest brokers because of their close ties
with and unwavering support for Azerbaijan.

Sarkisian on Wednesday again excluded any peaceful settlement that would
lead to the disputed territory's return under Azerbaijani rule. `We are
not going to haggle over the Artsakh people's right to
self-determination,' said the Karabakh-born president.

While freezing the universally backed Turkish-Armenian deal, Sarkisian
was careful not to formally rescind it, a stance that has earned him
praise from the United States and the European Union. Like official
Yerevan, the Western powers say Armenia and Turkey should establish
diplomatic relations and open their border without any preconditions.

SENATE SHOULD SCRUTINIZE BRYZA BEFORE CONFIRMING HIM

AS AMBASSADOR TO BAKU
By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier
Noyan Tapan

After a lengthy delay, Azerbaijan consented last week to the
appointment of Matthew Bryza as U.S. Ambassador to Baku, an unnamed
American official told EurasiaNet.org. The California Courier confirmed
Bryza's nomination through its own Washington sources. The White
House is expected to shortly issue an official announcement.

It is noteworthy that there has not been an American Ambassador in
Azerbaijan since last July. When John Evans was recalled as Ambassador
to Armenia in 2006 for using the term Armenian Genocide, the Bush
administration pressured the Senate to quickly confirm his successor,
claiming that the United States urgently needed an Ambassador in that
country. Surprisingly, there has not been a similar sense of urgency
in Washington, during the year-long absence of a U.S. Ambassador from
Azerbaijan! Pres. Aliyev must have viewed this holdup as a snub to
his country.

Until 2009, Matthew Bryza served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State and U.S. Co-Chair of the Minsk Group negotiators on the Karabagh
(Artsakh) conflict. Interestingly, he was dubbed by colleagues as
"Baby DAS" (Deputy Assistant Secretary) for his swift promotion,
despite his youthful age and limited diplomatic experience.

The delay in his appointment to Baku could be attributed to
Azerbaijan's misgivings concerning Bryza and discontent with recent
U.S. foreign policy initiatives. During the course of his upcoming
Senate confirmation, Bryza should be questioned regarding his past
actions and recent tensions between Azerbaijan and the United States.

Here are some questions that members of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee should consider asking Bryza during his nomination process:

-- Why did it take so long for Azerbaijan to consent to your
appointment? What complaints did Azerbaijan have against you and
against U.S. foreign policy in the region? What assurances were
given by the United States to Azerbaijan to allay its concerns before
consenting to your appointment?

-- Despite your and Minsk Group's persistent efforts to resolve the
Karabagh conflict, Armenia and Azerbaijan are still far from reaching
a peace agreement. What do you think are the remaining obstacles
to resolving this conflict? Given your expertise in this region,
what steps would you take as U.S. Ambassador to secure Azerbaijan's
consent to a peaceful resolution of the Karabagh conflict rather than
resorting to war?

-- Pres. Aliyev has been pressuring Turkey not to lift its blockade
of Armenia. How would you dissuade Azerbaijan from undermining
Armenia-Turkey relations?

-- Given the absence of democratic norms in Azerbaijan, known for
forged elections, lack of media freedom, and repressive measures
against opposition parties and minorities, how would you persuade
Azerbaijan's leaders to establish rule of law?

-- What messages did you convey to Georgia's leadership prior to
the Georgia-Russia war of 2008? Is there any truth to reports that
you had advised the Georgians that the United States would intervene
militarily in case of an attack by Russia?

-- Do you believe you can carry out your diplomatic duties
professionally and objectively, given your wife's outspoken views
on Armenian, Azeri and Turkish issues? [Bryza married Zeyno Baran,
a Turkish-born foreign policy analyst at the Hudson Institute. Their
wedding took place at the former home of the prominent Balian family of
architects on an island near Istanbul. It was attended by Azerbaijan's
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and high-ranking Turkish, Georgian,
and American officials].

-- Did you have any role in the recall and premature retirement of
Amb. John Evans? Do you think that an Ambassador should be fired
simply for using the term Armenian Genocide? What are your own views
on the Armenian Genocide? Do you think it is appropriate for Pres.

Obama to break his campaign promise to acknowledge the Armenian
Genocide?

-- In a letter to Secretary Clinton, the Armenian National Committee
of America accused you of not being impartial on "Armenia-related
matters," harboring a "pro-Azerbaijani bias in the Nagorno Karabagh
peace process," and advocating "U.S. complicity in Turkey's denials
of the Armenian Genocide." What assurances can you give the American
people that you would fairly and objectively carry out your diplomatic
duties in Azerbaijan as the official representative of the United
States?

The members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee should closely
scrutinize Bryza's nomination to ensure that, if confirmed, he
represents U.S. interests in Baku, and not the other way around,
since both he and his wife, Zeyno Baran, have had extensive ties
with both Turkey and Azerbaijan. In her 2005 Senate testimony,
Baran expressed her opposition to the congressional resolution on
the Armenian Genocide, while her husband, Bryza, told a reporter that
Turkey was his "second home."

CANCELLATION OF ERDOGAN'S ARGENTINA TRIP IS THE PRICE

TURKEY PAYS FOR GENOCIDE
By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier
Noyan Tapan

Not satisfied with its neo-Ottoman policies of regional domination,
Turkey has decided to extend its influence far and wide, to the four
corners of the globe.

While making inroads into the Islamic world by pretending to
sympathize with Palestinian suffering, Turkey has alienated Israel,
its long-standing political and military partner, and its NATO allies.

Encouraged by his much publicized recent visit to Iran with Brazil's
President, and anxious to counter growing recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by South American countries, Prime Minister Erdogan embarked
last week on his first trip to Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

In paving the way for that visit, Turkey's Ambassador in Argentina had
worked diligently with local officials to allow Erdogan, accompanied
by seven ministers and 300 businessmen, to inaugurate the installation
of Kemal Ataturk's bust in a major Buenos Aires park.

ã~@~@ In response to the Turkish Ambassador's lobbying efforts,
the local Armenian community launched a counter-attack, placing paid
announcements in two major newspapers and asking Buenos Aires City
officials not to honor Ataturk, blaming him for continuing the genocide
initiated by the previous Young Turk regime. Armenians also objected
to Erdogan's visit, accusing him of heading a denialist government.

ã~@~@ Buenos Aires officials responded positively to Armenian concerns,
because of long-standing cordial ties with the local community.

Moreover, in recent years, the city government had published two
textbooks on the Armenian Genocide, which are used in city schools.

Importantly, these books include references to Ataturk's role in
continuing the genocidal activities of his predecessors.

ã~@~@ Ultimately, what caused the collapse of the Turkish scheme
was the discovery that Turkey's Ambassador had attempted to deceive
Buenos Aires City officials. He had falsely claimed that he was
merely requesting permission to replace Ataturk's bust, which had
been supposedly missing for several years. The Ambassador had asked
for a prompt decision from city officials in order to have Ataturk's
bust unveiled during Prime Minster's visit to Argentina on May 31.

ã~@~@ Upon review of the Turkish Ambassador's demands, Buenos Aires
officials discovered that there had never been a bust of Ataturk in
that park. The missing bust actually was that of a well-known Egyptian
human rights activist. Argentina's large Arab community was extremely
unhappy learning that the Turkish Ambassador, using false pretenses,
was trying to replace their beloved hero's missing bust with that
of Ataturk.

ã~@~@ Turkey's envoy must have intentionally misrepresented the facts,
knowing full well that city officials would not agree to pass a law
allowing the installation of Ataturk's bust. The Ambassador tried to
trick them by requesting a permit simply to replace the "missing" bust.

ã~@~@ When Erdogan found out that there would not be an installation
of Ataturk's bust, he asked Argentina's President Cristina Kirchner
to overrule city officials. However, Kirchner explained that she
was not empowered to take such action, because Buenos Aires had an
autonomous government and any attempt to interfere in local matters
would violate Argentina's democratic constitution.

ã~@~@ Despite the fact that Erdogan is an Islamist and not an Ataturk
admirer, he had no choice but to defend "the honor" of Turkey's revered
founder and national hero. Otherwise, the Prime Minister would have
come under severe attack back home from Turkish nationalists and
the powerful military. Recent polls show that his party (AKP), for
the first time since coming to power, has fallen slightly behind the
opposition Kemalist Party (CHP), which could spell trouble for the
Prime Minister in next year's parliamentary elections. Under these
circumstances, Erdogan was forced to cancel his much-touted trip
to Argentina, after visiting Brazil. Not surprisingly, the Turkish
foreign ministry angrily denounced the Armenian community of Argentina
for undermining Prime Minister's critical visit.

ã~@~@ This is the first time that the Prime Minister of Turkey has been
forced to cancel an overseas trip due to the vigilance of an Armenian
community. Argentinean-Armenians must be commended for their effective
activism. Armenian communities worldwide should follow their footsteps
by taking legally appropriate actions to cause cancellation of visits
by Turkish officials, annulment of military and commercial contracts,
and disruption of diplomatic relations with Turkey, including the
recall of its ambassadors.

ã~@~@ Turkey's leaders should be constantly reminded of the massive
crimes committed by their predecessors. As long as the Turkish
government does not acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and make
appropriate amends, it should be made to pay a heavy political and
economic price for years to come!

ERDOGAN SAYS TURKEY'S HONOR WEIGHED IN FOR

CANCELLING ARGENTINA TRIP
Today's Zaman
June 1 2010
Turkey

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who cancelled a trip to Argentina
on Sunday after Buenos Aires authorities halted the display of a
bust of Turkey's founder, a move Turkey blamed on Armenian lobbyists,
has said that he did "what suited Turkey's honor."

"We had to do what suited Turkey's honor and we believe we did it,"
he said on Monday.

Addressing the businessmen who joined his tour of South America,
Erdogan also said: "The visit to Argentina was planned earlier. The
relevant ministries of the two countries agreed to erect a bust
of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey,
in Buenos Aires. There have been serious efforts by the Armenian
lobby in Buenos Aires in the past two to three days. Buenos Aires
has approximately 200,000 citizens of Armenian descent. The Armenians
used intense pressure. There is an autonomous administration there.

The decision did not depend on the central administration."

He added that the president of Argentina called him and said they could
not change the situation there, after which the Turkish delegation
assessed the situation and removed Argentina from its schedule.

Erdogan was to pay a two-day visit to Argentina on May 30 and 31. The
bust of Ataturk was to be inaugurated at Jorge Newbury Park during
Erdogan's visit.

Moving ahead on his South America trip to Chile, Erdogan said Turkish
businessmen could take significant steps in Chile.

"The land area of Chile is similar to Turkey, but the national income
is much more than Turkey because the population is lower than Turkey.

Chile does not require visas for Turkey. Turkish businessmen could
do very well in this country," he said, addressing the businessmen
accompanying him.

Erdogan also said that US exports to Chile amount to $30 million,
but Chile's imports from the United States amount to $200 million.

"There is a serious imbalance. I believe there are many items
which Turkey can send to this country [instead of the US]. We [the
government] will do what is necessary to open the way and you will
walk along this path," Erdogan said.

ARMENIAN DIASPORA, POLITICIANS PROTEST BRYZA'S

DIPLOMATIC NOMINATION AS BAKU ENVOY
Marianna Grigoryan
EurasiaNet.org
June 1 2010
NY

US President Barack Obama's nomination of onetime Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict mediator Matthew Bryza to be Washington's envoy to Azerbaijan
is sparking opposition from Armenian diaspora organizations and from
within Armenia itself.

Obama's May 25 nomination statement described Bryza and one other
ambassadorial nominee as "talented and dedicated individuals." During a
22-year diplomatic career, Bryza has served in Moscow and Warsaw, and
has held advisory positions within the National Security Council and
White House. During those stints he worked closely on energy policy
planning for the Caspian Sea region. In his last post, as deputy
assistant secretary of state of European and Eurasian affairs, Bryza
served as the US chairperson of the Minsk Group, the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe's vehicle for overseeing talks
between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh
region. [For background see EurasiaNet's archive].

Some US-based Armenian diaspora organizations have expressed
doubt that Bryza can function as an unbiased and balanced envoy to
Azerbaijan. They are likely to lobby against the appointment during
confirmation hearings in the US Senate. Armenia's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs has not yet commented on the nomination.

Diaspora objections target both the professional and the personal. The
friendly connections that Bryza built with Azerbaijani and Turkish
officials while working on energy projects sparks much of the concern
- the attendance of such officials at his 2007 wedding in Istanbul
is cited as a case in point. In addition, some diaspora members take
issue with Bryza's marriage to an ethnic Turk, foreign policy analyst
Zeyno Baran, director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Eurasian
Policy, based in Washington.

"The members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee should
closely scrutinize Bryza's nomination to ensure that, if confirmed,
he represents US interests in Baku, and not the other way around,
since both he and his wife, Zeyno Baran, have had extensive ties with
both Turkey and Azerbaijan," commented Harut Sassounian , publisher
and editor of The California Courier newspaper and head of the United
Armenian Fund, in a May 25 commentary that was reprinted in many
Armenian newspapers.

At a 2007 press conference in Yerevan, Bryza was asked whether he
consulted with his wife on the Karabakh negotiations. He insisted
that he keeps private matters separate from policy concerns. "My
family life and work go separately. I put my heart and soul into my
professional activities, and so do I in my private life," he said.

Some Armenian politicians say they are unsettled by Bryza's ties to
members of the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments. Such connections
could work against Armenia's interests, they argue.

"The number one objective for the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs is
their impartiality, and Matthew Bryza has several times demonstrated
bias against Armenians. So our concerns are not groundless," Naira
Zohrabian, a senior member of the governing coalition's Prosperous
Armenia Party, asserted in reference to statements allegedly made
by Bryza about an Armenian withdrawal from territory surrounding
Karabakh. "[W]e hope that the USA will be consistent in the southern
Caucasus, and will abstain from double standards when considering
his nomination as an ambassador."

Manvel Sargsian, a senior political expert with Yerevan's Armenian
Center for National and International Studies, expressed concern about
what he termed "his unscrupulous and tough statements" as a co-chair
of the Minsk Group. "I don't think some official can cause serious
realignments [in US policy], but a candidate for this position must
be really unbiased and impartial," Sargsian said. "In this regard,
the concerns are justified, and this is particularly vivid in the
Diaspora."

One of the most influential US Armenian Diaspora organizations, the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), has already launched an
online campaign urging Armenian-Americans to email their senators and
ask that they closely scrutinize Bryza's "track record and testimony"
on points ranging from the recognition of Ottoman Turkey's 1915
massacre of ethnic Armenians as genocide to Azerbaijan's blockade of
Armenia and the alleged destruction of Armenian religious monuments.

"[W]e continue to have an array of concerns about Mr. Bryza's conduct
of US diplomacy - as an NSC [National Security Council] official,
a deputy assistant secretary of state, and as the US negotiator in
the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process - and, as such, look forward to
a vigorous process of advice and consent by the Senate," said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian in a May 25 statement.

Not all Armenian politicians are ready to criticize Bryza's
nomination. Stepan Safarian, head of the opposition Heritage Party's
parliamentary faction, calls Bryza's work as a Minsk Group co-chair
"rather active and dynamic." Safarian added that Bryza's knowledge of
"the peculiarities of Armenia and Azerbaijan" could prove "a big asset"
to him as ambassador to Baku.

Suren Surenyants, a member of the opposition Republic Party's
political board, echoed that appraisal. "We all have a complex about
inventing non-existent problems," Surenyants said. "There is nothing
extraordinary in appointing Bryza as an ambassador. He must not be
a friend or an enemy to anyone; he will continue working for the US
government just the way he used to work before."

Editor's note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance reporter based
in Yerevan.

INDIA TO FINANCE ARMENIAN FILM ON GENOCIDE
PanARMENIAN.Net
May 31, 2010 - 21:23 AMT 16:23 GMT

Director of Armenia's National Cinema Center Gevorg Gevorgyan said
that India displayed interest towards creation of a feature film on
the Armenian Genocide by 2015.

According to Gevorgyan, Prokash Sharma independent production center
expressed readiness to invest unlimited funds, if the Armenian side
submits a ready script, as the film should comply with the world
standards to secure wide distribution.

"Albert Mkrtchyan is collecting materials for the film. Supposedly,
he will become the film director. However, the film may have several
directors. We also invited foreign script writers," Gevorkyan stressed.