Kurdistan: Why it could spark new front in Iraq war Jul 25, 2009
"If we had borders with a neutral state if we had borders with Israel, with Armenia, with the Ukraine, with any other country, it would be better for us. If we had an ocean between us it would be better for us," he says. Ultimate solution must be political. (Christian Science Monitor)
Turkish foreign policy: Dreams from their fathers Jul 24, 2009
Relations between these Turkic allies took a dive in April when Turkey unveiled a draft agreement to establish diplomatic ties and reopen its border with Armenia. In a dramatic shift, Turkey even dropped its long-running precondition that Armenia must withdraw from the territories that it occupied in the 1990s after its war with Azerbaijan over the mainly Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh ... Mr Erdogan declared that friendship with Armenia was no longer possible unless it withdrew from... (The Economist)
Black boxes recovered from Iran crash site Jul 17, 2009
All 168 people aboard the Caspian Airlines aircraft bound for Yerevan, Armenia, on Wednesday were killed ... Most of the passengers were Iranians, many of them from Iran's large ethnic Armenian community, as well as 11 members of Iran's national youth judo team ... Five Armenian citizens were among the dead, Armenia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, along with two Georgians, including a staffer from the Caucasus nation's embassy in Yerevan. (MSNBC -- International)
Iranian protestors to carry roses as weapons Jul 9, 2009
Keep quiet under all circumstances, the circular advises those planning to march in Thursday's unauthorized demonstrations in Iran cities. "The heaviest weapon to carry is one rose in the hand," it says. (Harper's Magazine)
Middle East Jul 5, 2009
But if Washington really wants this critical ally - and its strategic location - the US must tread carefully on certain issues, none more so than the question of Armenia. - Patrick Wrigley (Apr 8,'09). (Asia Times Online)
Breaking barriers Jul 5, 2009
Armenia-Turkey thaw tinged with pain. By Tom Esslemont BBC News, Margara, Armenia ... Attempts to reconcile Armenia and Turkey with a "roadmap" towards the restoration of full diplomatic ties have delighted some villagers near the countries' border - and angered others. (BBC News)
Transeuro Energy Corp. Proposed Restructuring and Debt Retirement Plan Jul 2, 2009
The Company's properties are located in Canada, Armenia and Ukraine ... The Company's properties are located in Canada, Armenia and Ukraine ... The settlement also provides that HAES will be entitled to 50% of the net proceeds arising on any future sale of the rig in Armenia. (CCNMatthews Press Releases)
Statement From the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the United States Jun 16, 2009
WASHINGTON, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 11, 2009, the Armenian National Committee of America's (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian's sent a letter to the Foreign Affairs Legislative Aid ... It claims that the change in proposed FY10 economic aid to the countries of the Caucasus compared to FY09 is +20 percent for Azerbaijan, +19 percent for Georgia, and -38 percent for Armenia ... ANCA compares appropriated funds for FY09 with requested funds for FY10 in the case of Armenia, while for... (PR Newswire)
A handshake shakes a region May 20, 2009
Turkey's warming with Armenia stirs up ethnic and energy issues in the strategic Caucasus ... And so it's discovering again under far more welcome circumstances: a long-awaited warming between Turkey and its Caucasus neighbor, Armenia ... It was furious with Turkey for agreeing in April to a "road map" to normal relations with Armenia, which backs a separatist Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan called Nagorno-Karabakh. (Christian Science Monitor)
Ohio elections spat involves Turkish history May 15, 2009
At issue are comments made by an Armenian-American congressional candidate during the 2008 campaign. A Republican congresswoman from Cincinnati, Jean Schmidt, claims her opponent violated election law when he accused her of being a puppet of Turkish efforts to deny that the mass killings of Armenians during World War I constituted genocide ... 5 million Armenians "genocide" make her morally unfit to serve in Congress. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
55th Annual NAASR assembly scheduled for Saturday May 15, 2009
Erik Goldstein, Chairman of Boston University s Department of International Relations, will give a talk entitled Great Britain and the Re-Emergence of Armenian Statehood, at the luncheon program preceding the 55th Annual Assembly of Members of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research on Saturday, May 16, at the NAASR Headquarters, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA. The Assembly will be convened at noon and lunch will be served at 12:15 p.m.. Britain as Great Power and the Armenians... (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
Malta returns to Eurovision final May 13, 2009
The singer, who finished 3rd in 2008 and was runner-up in 2005, went through along with Sweden, Armenia, Iceland, Portugal and Israel ... Israel Malta Bosnia-Hercegovina (pictured) Iceland Sweden Portugal Finland Romania Turkey Armenia. (BBC News)
Czech interim gov't faces uneasy mission May 9, 2009
The launch, meant to stabilize the EU's eastern borders and enhance multilateral and bilateral cooperation with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, was hailed by EU leaders. However, the plan's "sphere of influence" has irked Russia, which regards it as a potential security threat. (Xinhuanet, China)
Summit to draw ex-Soviet republics closer to EU May 7, 2009
The six ex-Soviet republics to whom the partnership would apply are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine countries with widely differing relationships both with Moscow and the West. Particularly problematic are Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
NATO begins Georgia military exercises after mutiny May 6, 2009
The mutiny led neighbouring Armenia to pull out of the NATO exercises, but Washington played down its importance, calling the mutiny an "isolated incident.". Georgia and Russia fought the five-day war last year over South Ossetia, a Russian-backed breakaway region of Georgia. (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
Georgia fingers Russia May 6, 2009
The mutiny led neighbouring Armenia to pull out of the NATO exercises, due to start on Wednesday. Officials said the uprising at the Mukhrovani base 25 kilometres outside Tbilisi lasted several hours. (iAfrica.com)
Turkey and Armenia: Mountain chess May 6, 2009
Can Turkey and Armenia ever make up ... It involves America, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey ... Unlike chess-players, though, all the participants can win in this game, it is hoped, if they agree on a common aim: peace between Turkey and Armenia, which would help to thaw the frozen conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the (mainly Armenian) territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. (The Economist)
Seeing Red: Georgia blames Russia for 'mutiny' May 6, 2009
Armenia withdraws from war games ... "It's hard to say what will come next," says Alexander Iskandaryan, director of the independent Center for Caucasian Studies in Yerevan, Armenia ... Late Tuesday, Armenia announced it would be withdrawing from the NATO military exercises. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
Timeline: Turkey May 5, 2009
2001 January - Diplomatic row with France after French National Assembly recognises the killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide ... Murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink shocked Turkey ... 2007 January - Journalist and Armenian community leader Hrant Dink is assassinated. (BBC News -- Europe)
No through road Apr 28, 2009
Cold War haunts Armenian border ... Armenia has been commemorating the 1915 mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks - and a Cold War-style closed border remains a symbol of that deep scar ... The Armenia-Turkey border, laced with barbed wire, has been shut since 1927 - except for a very short period at the beginning of the 1990s. (BBC News -- Europe)
Armenia and Turkey: Lobby Groups Opposing Confirmation of Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asia and Caucasus Apr 28, 2009
The nomination of a key State Department official responsible for Central Asia and the Caucasus is being held up because of concerns about his views on Turkish-Armenian relations. At the heart of the simmering controversy surrounding Philip Gordon s confirmation as assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia is his comments on the mass killings and deportations of ethnic Armenians in Ottoman Turkey that occurred during the second decade of the 20th century ... Since gaining independence... (EurasiaNet.org)
Friends by the Bosporus Apr 13, 2009
Only one cloud hung over Mr Obama s trip: his campaign pledge to call the mass killings of the Ottoman Armenians in 1915 genocide ... But in a blow to the Armenian diaspora, which has long lobbied for a congressional bill to label the massacres as genocide, Mr Obama suggested that Turkey s recent efforts to reopen its border and re-establish diplomatic ties with Armenia should not be overshadowed by America s position on the issue ... Turkey and Armenia are expected soon to sign an agreement,... (The Economist)
Obama woos Turkey but will it woo back? Apr 7, 2009
And now it's involved in a historic effort to open its border with Armenia even as the two countries still bitterly disagree whether the 1915 massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire constitutes "genocide" or not. At the same time, the US is uniquely positioned to assist Turkey. (Christian Science Monitor)
In Turkey, Obama says US not at war with Islam Apr 7, 2009
US president discussed Armenian massacre, democracy, and EU membership ... Obama also tackled the one issue that again could derail Turkish-US relations: how to deal with the 1915 massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire ... In his election campaign, Obama said hed call the killings of the Armenians genocide. (Christian Science Monitor)
Obama praises Turkey, urges Armenia reconciliation Apr 7, 2009
ISTANBUL (AFP) US President Barack Obama, seeking to boost ties with a key Muslim ally, touted Washington's strong ties with Turkey Monday and tread carefully on neighbouring Armenia's decades-old genocide claims ... He urged Turkey and Armenia to move forward in their tentative dialogue to normalise ties and signalled he would not interfere in their dispute over whether the massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire was "genocide" ... "I want to focus not on my views right now, but on the... (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
Obama wraps up in Europe Apr 7, 2009
" Obama also sent a fresh olive branch to Iran, backed dialogue between Israel and Syria and promised a new initiative within months to improve healthcare, education, and trade with the Islamic world. Easing bilateral relations He also attempted to ease bilateral relations with Turkey that were bruised by former president George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq, and portrayed his hosts as a pivotal player in the troubled region. Obama renewed his support for Turkey's bid to join the European... (iAfrica.com)
Turkey Is Ready to Welcome Obama Apr 6, 2009
Another contentious point on the agenda is the continuing effort in the U.S. Congress to recognize the 1915 mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces as a genocide, a term Turkey rejects ... He may be helped by the fact that Ankara is quietly working to normalize relations with Armenia and is expected to re-open its border shortly. (Time.com)
Puerto Rico ex-governor cleared Mar 21, 2009
Turkish children drawn into Armenia row. Baby's right to life appeal fails. (BBC News -- Americas)
* Azerbaijani poll scraps term limits Mar 20, 2009
Despite a ceasefire, Azerbaijan remains locked in a simmering conflict with neighboring Armenia over the breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorny Karabakh, which Aliyev has vowed to retake. This story has been viewed 314 times. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Azerbaijan votes on scrapping presidential limits Mar 18, 2009
Despite a ceasefire, Azerbaijan remains locked in a simmering conflict with neighbouring Armenia over the breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorny Karabakh, which Aliyev has vowed to retake. Dozens of other constitutional changes are included in the referendum, such as restrictions on photographing, videotaping or recording people without their permission -- and a prohibition on showing "disrespect" to "state symbols" and increased state oversight of local governments. (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
NEWSWEEK International Editions: Highlights and Exclusives, March 9, 2009 Issue Mar 2, 2009
Contributor Grenville Byford reports on the 1915 massacre of Armenians in what is now Eastern Turkey, and the ongoing debate over whether it was "genocide." "In all probability, Turkey and Armenia can only resolve the genocide dispute if they recognize that 'was it a genocide?' may be the ultimate question, but it is not the most important one today," he writes. Two questions outrank it: what common facts can Turks and Armenians be brought to accept, and is the common ground sufficient for both... (PR Newswire)
Backstage at the theater of 'terror' Feb 27, 2009
That was only one among a myriad of reasons, all related to a compounded Soviet financial disaster: the fall in oil and gas prices; the fallout from Chernobyl; a horrible earthquake in Armenia; a very bad performance in agriculture; and the perestroika paralysis. By early 1989, a majority of Russians considered the invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 as a major mistake. (Asia Times Online)
Turkey I: Choosing where to stand Feb 21, 2009
Not only is it in Turkey's interest to restore ties to Israel, but Erdogan must also show the United States and Europe that he is a reliable partner by addressing other issues of concern - such as normalizing Turkey's relations with Armenia and Cyprus ... The Armenian Genocide Act will soon be introduced in the U.S. Congress ... With leaders in both chambers on-record supporting recognition of the Armenian genocide, this year the bill is likely to pass. (International Herald Tribune)
'Byzantium art': A fit-all category that belies its elusiveness Feb 8, 2009
Four hundred years later, it had recovered the southernmost tip of Italy and Sicily, part of Greece, much of Anatolia and even Armenia, but had lost historical Syria. Around 1350, "Byzantium" had shrunk, with much of Greece, including Athens and Thebes occupied by Venice, and a few islands controlled by Genoa. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
