I Believe You Will: Mammadyarov and Davutoglu Discussed Karabakh Conflict

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov hopes that his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu will take very useful initiatives in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, reports Azerbaijani news agency Trend.

“Turkey is highly respected in the international arena, and therefore I believe that Ahmet Davutoglu will take very useful initiatives in the Karabakh settlement”, Mammadyarov said at a joint press conference following a summit of Turkic-speaking countries.

The summit was held in Bodrum town in western Turkish province of Mugla on Thursday bringing together foreign ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Nabucco Support Agreement To Be Signed in Ankara

An agreement that will support the realization of Nabucco gas pipeline project is expected to be signed in Ankara in August by the ministers of the participant countries – Turkey, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, reports Azerbaijani news agency APA, citing Turkish sources.

The signing ceremony was scheduled for July 30, but then the date was changed due to working schedules of the ministers. The Turkish newspapers said supply problems were expected to be resolved this year and financial issues – in first months of 2011.

Nabucco shareholders are negotiating the gas supply issues with Azerbaijan, Iraq, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. If the negotiations succeed, the pipeline extension will be enlarged from 3 300 km to 4 000 km, which will cause 10% boost in pipeline costs.  Read more... (227 words)

Turkish Government Refuses To Approve Key Military Appointments

Turkish government has refused to approve key military appointments in a move that left two of the country’s most senior military positions vacant and highlighted the diminishing political power of the armed forces that long held sway over Turkey. A list of appointments released by the military at the end of the Wednesday’s meeting showed no one was named for the posts of chief of staff and land forces commander.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan blocked the appointment of Gen. Hasan Igsız, the officer in line to become the land forces commander, Turkish media reported Thursday, without citing any sources. Igsız has been implicated in an alleged Internet campaign to undermine Erdogan’s government, although there are no formal charges against him.  Read more... (384 words)

Turkish Ambassador To Russia Reaffirms Karabakh Pre-Condition

Ankara will take relevant steps to normalize relations with Yerevan as soon as there is progress in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and as soon as the situation is changed, said Turkish Ambassador to Russia Khalil Akinji, reported by Azerbaijani news website 1news.az.

“In 1993 Turkey decided to close the border with Armenia due to the Karabakh issue. If we understand today why the border was closed, then it will be clear why it cannot be opened,” said he.

Further Mr Akinji said that Ankara would not normalize relations with Yerevan unless the Karabakh pre-condition is met.  Read more... (143 words)

Turkish Media Reacts To The New Lawsuit By the Armenian-Americans

Turkish press actively responded to the lawsuit of two Armenian-Americans against Turkey.  Leading newspapers  mentioned  that it is the first-ever lawsuit against the state of Turkey.

Sabah newspaper reported that Armenian Diaspora  has always made material claims, but now takes concrete steps in that sphere. Milliyet hints that this lawsuit will befall the same fate as the lawsuit brought to California Federal Court (California Federal Court judgement dismissed the suit on classing the events of 1915 as genocide)

According to Zaman, Turkish experts consider the lawsuit from political point of view mentioning that irrespective of the lawsuit outcome, all this is done to keep the issue of Genocide on the agenda. Zaman also mentioned that the “lawsuit of Armenian-Americans can have a negative impact on Armenian-Turkish normalization.”  Read more... (291 words)

Armenian-Americans Files Lawsuit Against The Turkish Government and Two Banks For Damages During The Armenian Genocide

Armenian-American lawyers filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against the Turkish government and two banks seeking compensation for the heirs of Armenians whose property was allegedly seized nearly a century ago as they were driven from the Turkish Ottoman Empire.

Lawyers were seeking class-action status for the suit, a process that attorney Brian Kabateck said could take as long as three years.

“We are rolling up our sleeves and are going forward,” he said.

The suit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Garbis Davouyan of Los Angeles and Hrayr Turabian of Queens, N.Y. It alleges breach of statutory trust, unjust enrichment, human rights violations and violations of international law.  Read more... (459 words)

Turkey Will Continue Seeding Hatred Towards Armenians in Elementary Schools

A Turkish court has rejected a case filed by the Hrant Dink international foundation against the Turkish Ministry of Education.

The foundation named after the slain Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink requires that that showing of Sari Gelin: The True Face of the Armenian Cause in Turkish elementary schools be stopped.

This is a documentary that Turkish authorities effectively use by showing it in Turkish elementary schools in an attempt to seed hatred towards Armenians and distort the essence of the Armenian Genocide.

The complaint mentions that the film runs counter to the creation of democracy and tolerance – one of the main objectives of education – and therefore negatively affects the psychology of the children.  Read more... (224 words)

Hurriyet: Turkish Minister Says Opening Border With Armenia Out Of Question

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Saturday that opening the border with Armenia was out of the question, reported Turkish Hurriyet Daily News.

Davutoglu, who visited Kazakhstan for an informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), according to the paper, denied news reports that claimed the border between Turkey and Armenia would be opened.

“Opening the border is out of the question. These news stories are completely wrong,” he said, according to Anatolia News Agency.

Davutoglu said he also discussed the issue with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and told Mammadyarov in the meeting that no such thing was planned.  Read more... (188 words)

Ankara Accusing Yerevan Of ‘Lack of Political Will’

Turkey has the political will necessary to continue the so-called peace process that has started in the region and it is willing to develop relations with all its neighbors based on mutual trust and friendship, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, reported by Turkish Anadolu agency.

“Recently there has been some progress with solving the existing problems with our neighbors. But Armenia continues to remain the weak circle of that process. The signing of the Protocols became the first step in the normalization process. And the continuity of that process will definitely be dependent on whether or not will Armenia have the will and adopt a constructive approach to solve the problems,” said Davutoglu.  Read more... (196 words)