Azerbaijani Defense Minister spoke against Iran’s policy

October 11, 2010 | 15:55 

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev condemned Iran’s policy during the meeting with his Iranian counterpart Ahmad Vahidi.

Speaking of his country’s aspiration for regional peace, Abiyev noted that it is difficult to achieve due to Armenia’s “occupation” policy. “The main reason is certain countries do not recognize Armenia as a country-invader. Some countries being in friendly and fraternal relations with Azerbaijan provide Armenia with economic and military assistance,” Azertag quotes the Defense Minister.

Thus, Safar Abiyev in fact condemned Iran’s police on successful development of relations with Armenia in all fields.

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Karabakh conflict cannot be resolved under external influence, Polish Ambassador says

October 11, 2010 | 14:49 

Poland’s stance on Karabakh conflict  does not differ from the European Union’s, namely, it is based on three principles, territorial integrity, nations’ right to self-determination and non-use of force or threat, the Polish Ambassador to Armenia Zdzislaw Raczynsky told reporters on Monday.

As to the Azerbaijani gratitude to Poland for its position on Karbakh problem, Raczynsky replied: “I think both Baku and Yerevan see and appreciate Poland’s balanced view on the conflict resolution. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced it during the Polish Premier’s visit to Armenia. Poland’s stance on Karabakh peace process is strictly neutral. We support none of the conflicting parties, meanwhile, assisting the three states.  I think the issue cannot be solved under an external influence. It is an issue to be solved by the consent of Armenian, Karabakh and Azerbaijani communities,” the Polish official stressed.

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Turkish politicians cross Armenia-Turkey border

October 11, 2010 | 02:21 

Leader of Strong Turkey Party (GTP) Tuna Beklevic, deputy chairperson Baybars Orsek, Head of the party’s provincial office in Kars Dundar Gultekin and other officials crossed the Armenia-Turkey border along the River Araks and entered Armenia as a sign of protest.

Beklevic stated if the border remains closed till 2011, over 1000 Armenians and 1000 Turkish youths will cross the border this way, Turkish Zaman daily reports.

“We demand a positive response on the border opening from the Turkish and Armenian Governments,” the GDP leader said.

On October 10, the Turkish mass media disseminated the information. The Armenian side has not yet commented on the matter.

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Slovenian President pays tribute to Armenian Genocide victims

October 11, 2010 | 15:25 

On October 11, Slovenian President Danilo Turk and his spouse Barbara Miklic Turk laid a wreath at the memorial to the victims of the 1915 massacres of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey.

The Slovenian President planted a fir tree at the memory park of Tsitsernakaberd complex. Later, Turk visited the Armenian Genocide Museum and left a note in the commemoration book.

As reported previously, Danilo Turk is on an official visit to Armenia. The large delegation of 25 Slovenian businessmen, led by Turk will participate in the Armenia-Slovenia business forum in Yerevan.

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Enraged Serbian filmmaker leaves Turkey

October 11, 2010 | 10:18 

The Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica, who had been invited to Altın Portakal (Golden Orange) International Film Festival as a jury member, was enraged by the statements addressed to him by Turkish art critics and politicians. He has left Turkey.

Before leaving, the filmmaker held a press conference and severely criticized Turkush Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay, who stated he would not take part in the festival because of the Serbian filmmaker. Kusturica said he considers the Turkish minister “an enemy” because of his behavior.

Kusturica also noted that just a few months ago he and his No Smoking Orchestra visited Bursa for a live performance, where they were greeted warmly and enthusiastically by the city’s officials. So what has happened since, that made the Minister refuse to attend the festival because of Kusturica, asked the filmmaker.

The Serbian producer also sharply responded to the well-known Turkish film producer Semih Kaplanoğlu, who announced on Thursday that he had withdrawn his film from the festival, as Kusturica was on the jury for the international competition. If Mr. Kaplanoğlu is so sensitive about genocides, why he does not speak of the Armenian Genocide during World War I. Thus he would have added crimes against humanity to his sensitivity. The Serbian filmmaker stated he has always voiced his attitude to the crimes against humanity committed in Bosnia. The Serbians were against the crimes as well, and many Serbians were murdered in Bosnia.

The Antalya Foundation for Culture and Art (AKSAV), an Antalya Metropolitan Municipality-affiliated body, which has been organizing the Altın Portakal for the past two years, had announced Kusturica’s taking part in the festival in late July. However, his presence in the festival sparked ire during the past week, with several Bosnian cultural associations based in Turkey and a number of Bosnian women’s associations voicing criticism of AKSAV for inviting the filmmaker who once made comments supportive of war criminals responsible for the Srebrenica massacre in 1995 during the Bosnian war, to Antalya, Today’s Zaman reports.

In protest at Kusturica’s participation in the festival, Semih Kaplanoğlu, the director of the Berlin film festival Golden Bear-winning drama “Bal” (Honey), announced on Thursday that he had withdrawn his film from the festival. Some Turkish public and political figures, as well as workers of culture, were critical of the festival organizers as well.

The festival will last until October 14.

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Two women of Armenian origin injured in Turkey

October 08, 2010 | 12:14 

On October 7, two women of Armenian origin were injured in a car accident in Istanbul, Turkish Haberler website reports. A car was travelling at speed, when it collided with another car at a street corner and ran down the two women. Both are Turkish citizens.

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Armenian political forces pessimistic about revitalization of Armenia-Turkey process

October 08, 2010 | 14:28 

The Armenia-Turkey process is like a stillborn baby, impossible to revitalize, Head of the “Heritage” parliamentary faction Stepan Safaryan stated at a briefing in the Armenian National Assembly on Friday.

Safaryan did not trust the Armenian Foreign Minister’s assurances that Ankara and Yerevan had not been conducting talks for several months. “Several days ago, one of the Italian newspapers issued the Turkish side’s statement, confirming talks on Armenia-Turkey rapprochement are underway between Ankara and Yerevan,” Safaryan said.

In his turn, Leader of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction Vahan Hovhannisyan said the process marred Armenia’s image. Today, foreigners make investments in Georgia’s economy bypassing Armenia and the international agencies adopt resolutions conflicting with our interests. In this context, the international image of Turkey greatly improved and Ankara benefited from the normalization process. Today, the world community takes Turkey’s claims in the Karabakh peace process more seriously. According to him, the only right but delayed step by Yerevan was the withdrawal of its signature from the Armenia-Turkey Protocols.

The MPs from the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Artak Zakaryan and Hovhannes Sahakyan from Rule of Law Party (OYK) did not share this viewpoint. According to them, Armenian’s image was not affected by the normalization process, moreover, thanks to it, Armenia acquired a status of an initiative country in the eyes of the international community.

The Armenia-Turkey Protocols were signed in Zurich, Switzerland on October 10, 2009.

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