#1. Editorial
1.1 New editorial board members
1.2 Statistics of Turkistan-Newsltter
#2. Alievs US Visit:
2.1 Washington's high and mighty roll over for Aliyev (Turkish Daily News)
2.2 Azeri, U.S. Leaders Highlight Commercial Ties (Reuters)
2.3 Ter-Petrosyan to Visit the US Later This Year (Noyan Tapan)
2.4 Oil-rich but unstable Caucasus could use the U.S. as a facilitator
(Philadelphia Inquirer)
#2.5 Oil industry hopes Azeri leader's U.S. visit a success
#3. Eastern Turkistan
3.1 Kazakhs prevent Uighur protest at Chinese embassy
3.2 MUSLIM SEPARATISM IS ON THE INCREASE IN CHINA AGAIN (Moscow Mayak)
#4. Kyrgyz News, 31 July, 1 August 1997, 2 August 1997 (Naryn Aiyp)
#5. FINANCIAL TIMES ABD'NIN KARARI YENI BIR BORU HATTI POLITIKASI ORTAYA
CIKARDI
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Dear subscriber of Turkistan-N.
1. New editorial board members
We are very happy with the fact Prof. dr. H. Komatsu and Prof.dr. Peter B.
Golden HAVE JOINED OUR EDITORIAL BOARD. We have 10 editorial board members
of distinguished schoalrs and researcher about Turkic Peoples and their
environment. They are helping the editors of this newsletter with their
suggestions and submissions. We from SOTA, Turkistan.org are very happy
that we can work at various levels with so distinguished scholars.
Wellcome professor Komatsu and Golden. Khosh kelibsiz Turkistanga.
2. Statistics of Turkistan Newsletter
Follows the specification per country of Turkistan subscribers:
Today we are over 1021 direct subscribers. The representing countries are
more than 54, because 37 members from the Soviet Union are also
Kirgizstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan etc.
This statistics proofs that this list is becoming an important medium to
exhange information about the Turkic countries and peoples.
* Country Subscribers
* ------- -----------
* Australia 16
* Austria 6
* Azerbaijan 1
* Belgium 4
* Brazil 2
* Bulgaria 3
* Canada 21
* China 1
* Croatia 1
* Czech Republic 5
* Denmark 5
* Egypt 1
* Estonia 2
* Finland 3
* France 4
* Georgia 1
* Germany 25
* Great Britain 55
* Greece 1
* Hungary 5
* Iceland 1
* India 1
* Israel 7
* Italy 5
* Japan 16
* Kazakhstan 7
* Korea 2
* Mexico 1
* Netherlands 15
* New Zealand 1
* Norway 5
* Pakistan 1
* Poland 8
* Romania 2
* Russia 21
* Saudi-Arabia 3
* Singapore 1
* Soviet Union 37
* Spain 2
* Sweden 3
* Switzerland 7
* Taiwan 1
* Thailand 2
* Turkey 66
* Ukraine 1
* USA 591
* ??? (UZ) 2
* ??? 50
*
* Total number of users subscribed to the list: 1021
* Total number of countries represented: 48
* Total number of local node users on the list: 1
*
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#2. Alievs Us Visit
#2.1 Washington's high and mighty roll over for Aliyev
Aliyev on human rights: 'It's not a commodity that you can buy from the
bazaar'
Brzezinski: 'US must collaborate closely with Turkey'
Aliyev to Americans on bribery: 'You tell me what
you're doing about it'
By Ugur Akinci
Washington - Turkish Daily News
It's bad news for the American-Armenian lobby: former officials of past
U.S. administrations (as well as scores of "consultants," lobbyists, and
investors) have discovered the taste of Azerbaijani oil and it is
apparently a lot sweeter than Armenian cognac.
During Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliyev's official visit to
Washington, Americans from all walks of life, but mostly the high and
mighty of the Washington establishment, realized that serving America's
national interests and perhaps also making a little money along the way are
not goals which are necessarily mutually exclusive.
The 425 VIP guests that attended the $250-a-plate dinner banquet on
Wednesday evening under the cavernous great roof of the National Building
Museum made up a modest sample of Washington's power elite. President
Aliyev sat in between U.S. Secretary of Energy Federico Pena and the
ever-present Professor Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter's National
Security Advisor, a professor at John Hopkins University and CSIS, and also
a paid consultant for AMOCO oil company. AMOCO is a member of the AIOC
consortium that's developing Azerbaijani oil fields in the Caspian Sea.
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, former Congressman
from Texas Greg Laughlin, ambassadors and senior officials from a dozen
embassies ranging from Russia to Yemen, as well as former U.S. special
envoys to the Caucasus were present to listen to Aliyev express his
heartfelt gratitude to "American democracy and American people."
When he declared that Azerbaijan's independence would last forever and
the U.S.-Azerbaijani friendship would be his present to future generations,
Aliyev, voice cracking at the point of tears, surprised many present by
displaying an emotional side that did not match his former reputation as a
cold and calculating KGB boss. He was a man very proud to be given the
red-carpet treatment in the capital city of a superpower, as the
representative of his until-now-neglected country, and he said so openly.
Writing on the wall
Both during his booming banquet delivery and also during the more
measured speech he delivered earlier in the day at Georgetown University,
Aliyev talked about what for him is the writing on the wall:
1) The Nagorno-Karabakh dispute will be solved along lines suggested by the
United States, Russia and France at the Denver summit in May, and also at
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe summit in Lisbon,
December 1996. Such a solution foresees autonomy for Nagorno-Karabakh
within Azerbaijan. Aliyev said he accepts autonomy but Armenians refuse
anything short of full independence, he claimed.
2) "Section 907" of the "U.S. Freedom Support Act" of 1992 will go out of
the window soon, perhaps in return for some U.S. humanitarian aid for
Nagorno-Karabakh as well. When Aliyev met on Wednesday with House Speaker
Newt Gingrich, he was reportedly promised support for the removal of
Section 907, which prohibits all U.S. direct aid to Azerbaijan, while even
North Korea can get American aid. A lobbyist who works for Azerbaijan told
the Turkish Daily News that Section 907 would most likely be lifted next
year, if not in 1997.
Where's Turkey?
Despite Aliyev's confident delivery at Georgetown University that was
frequently interrupted by appreciative applause, it was interesting to note
that he almost never mentioned Turkey -- except to say that one of the two
main pipelines would cross Georgia and Turkey. Turkey was missing from his
dinner speech as well.
Aliyev talked about Turkey only in response to a TDN question put to him
during the question-and-answer session. What is Turkey's role in
Azerbaijan's integration into world markets? TDN asked. His answer did not
exactly break any new ground.
"I support Brzezinski 100 percent in that the United States must develop
its relations with Turkey," Aliyev said. "We will collaborate in all fields
in the future. We have close relations already. We talk the same language
and have similar traditions. Turkey will have an important role in the main
export oil pipeline," Aliyev said.
Brzezinski's six points:
Brzezinski, talking before Aliyev, spelled out six key issues that the
U.S. administration needs to address in relation to the "Second Gray Zone"
that is the Caucasus:
1) The Nagorno-Karabakh problem must be solved and the United States must
be more active in its solution.
2) The United States must be impartial being one of the three co-chairs of
the Minsk Group. "'Section 907' has made us biased and thus has to go."
3) The United States must collaborate closely with Turkey. "Turkish-U.S.
relations must pay attention to the integration of the Caspian basin,"
along with the rest of the world.
4) Increased flexibility is needed on the policy toward Iran, although it
is an emotionally charged issue.
5) There is a need to promote multiple pipelines to export Azerbaijani
crude oil, so that the great potential of the region can be made accessible
to the West.
6) Regional cooperation must be promoted and the antagonism between
Azerbaijan and Armenia must be solved for an enlarged Euro-Atlantic system.
In this context, Russian participation is very important. Peace and
prosperity can help Russia "Europeanize" itself.
Aliyev's memorable remarks
President Aliyev, exuding a cheerful confidence, put the following
comments on record:
HUMAN RIGHTS: "This is a new concept for Azerbaijan. In the United States
you have been dealing with democracy for the last 218 years. In Azerbaijan,
it has only been five years. Human rights is not a commodity that you can
go and buy from the bazaar."
OIL CONTRACTS: "We are ready to sign oil contracts in Washington with
Chevron, Mobil, Amoco and Exxon. If you are ready to sign them, we are
ready to sign them as well."
DEMOCRACY: "We are a secular democracy. Democracy has a beginning but it
has no end. It has no end for Americans as well. It is an infinite
concept."
BRIBERY IN AZERBAIJAN: "Bribery is a problem all over the world. Tell me,
what are you doing about it, here in America?"
ABOUT HIS KGB BACKGROUND: "I changed in 1987, when I resigned from the
Communist Politburo. I became an anti-Communist. I told Moscow that
communism cannot survive and Azerbaijan will become an independent state.
Both became true."
Aliyev will meet with President Bill Clinton on Friday after having talks
with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Secretary of Energy Federico
Pena. The Azerbaijani president met with a number of Congress members on
Wednesday, including House Speaker Newt Gingrich and 18 members of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
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#2.2. [for personal use only]
Azeri, U.S. Leaders Highlight Commercial Ties
07:03 p.m Aug 01, 1997 Eastern
By Sonali Paul
WASHINGTON (Reuter) - Azeri President Haydar Aliyev signed an
investment treaty with the United States Friday in his first visit to the
White House as commercial ties and $8 billion in oil deals took center
stage over efforts to help settle Azerbaijan's conflict with Armenia.
President Clinton was not swayed by Armenia's supporters in
Congress who this week questioned whether the United States could
be a neutral mediator in the conflict over the disputed enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh while promoting stronger links with oil-rich
Azerbaijan.
In a three-hour visit to the White House, Aliyev and Clinton signed
an investment treaty, and Vice President Al Gore and Aliyev
witnessed the signing of four big new Caspian Sea oil production
contracts.
Aliyev said the deals, involving U.S. oil giants Exxon Corp., Chevron
Corp., Mobil Corp. and Amoco Corp., were worth $8 billion in
investment
``We laid down the foundation for future expansion of our economic
relations,'' Aliyev told reporters after his talks with Clinton.
The bilateral investment treaty guarantees the free transfer of capital
and profits between the United States and the former Soviet republic,
and protects investments from being confiscated without
compensation.
The lure of massive oil reserves in the Caspian spurred the United
States also to sign an agreement with Azerbaijan to cooperate on
energy development and export issues.
Aliyev said the next step to improving economic relations would be the
lifting of a five-year-old ban on U.S. economic aid to the Azeri
government, which Clinton said he would try to repeal.
Congress imposed the embargo to punish Azerbaijan for its economic
blockade of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
House and Senate lawmakers are looking to ease the ban by allowing
aid to support democracy-building in Azerbaijan but are unlikely to
lift the whole ban due to pressure from a strong Armenian-American
lobby.
A joint statement by Clinton and Aliyev after their meeting said Aliyev
endorsed a recent proposal by Russia, France and the United States
that under any settlement, Azerbaijan must give the highest degree of
autonomy to Nagorno-Karabakh and guarantee the security of
Armenians and minorities in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Azerbaijan and
Armenia must respect each other's borders.
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#2.3 [for personqal use only]
Ter-Petrosyan to Visit the US Later This Year, Says Shugarian
YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)-"US interests in the Transcaucasus must not
be restricted and are not restricted to oil only," Armenian
Ambassador to the United States, Rouben Shugarian, said at a news
conference in Yerevan, Wednesday. The Ambassador said he was
puzzled over the fact that Azerbaijan is trying to use oil as a
factor of force and war in solving the Karabakh conflict, which,
according to him, could not possibly bring about any progress.
"Any solution to the Karabakh problem unacceptable either to
Karabakh or Azerbaijan is an impossible solution," he said.
The Ambassador said he considered it incredible that there
could be clashes between the United States and Russia in gaining
influence in the Minsk group and Transcaucasus. According to him,
the United States and Russia now have greater chances to cooperate
than oppose each other.
According to Shugarian, "one should not make a great
tragedy" out of the visit of Azerbaijans President Gaidar Aliyev
to the US. The Ambassador noted that it was the first visit by
Aliyev to the United States, while the Armenian president has
already visited twice-in August 1994 (official visit) and in
October 1995 (working visit). Moreover, Armenias Prime Minister
Armen Sargssian also paid a successful visit to the United States
early this year. Shugarian explained that the visit by
Azerbaijans president was to a certain extent aimed at
"counterbalancing" the Armenian visits. He said Armenias
president is expected to pay an official visit to the United
States late this or early next year. Pointing out that US oil
companies had greatly contributed to the preparation of Aliyevs
visit, Shugarian pointed out that one of the main goals of that
visit was to proclaim Article 907 of the Freedom Defense Act
invalid. However, that would be futile, since Congress is going to
start considering that issue only in early September.
Having spoken with US House of Representatives members, he
had concluded that the Armenian side considered it undesirable to
abolish the Article. Under that Article, Azerbaijan can receive US
aid only if it lifts the blockade of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
That problem has been raised at the negotiations of the Minsk
group, and any concession to Azerbaijan in that matter can result
in the toughening of its position. "Azerbaijan has a simpler way
of abolishing Article 907 than to exert pressure by means of
multi-billion oil contracts-that is by lifting the blockade of
Armenia and Karabakh," Shugarian said. Asked why he came back to
Armenia when Aliyev is on visit in the United States, the
Ambassador said his absence in Washington was prompted by
"diplomatic reasons." He added that his presence was quite
unnecessary as the embassys diplomatic corps would be closely
watching the visit by the president of the neighboring state.
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#2.4
Philadelphia Inquirer
August 1, 1997
[for personal use only]
Oil-rich but unstable Caucasus could use the U.S. as a facilitator
There are ethnic disputes and pipeline routes to consider, and Azerbaijan
is in the middle of it all.
By Trudy Rubin / Worldview
The hottest new country on America's map of strategic interests is
Azerbaijan.
This small Turkic nation is the gateway to the Caspian Sea region, which
sits on up to 200 billion barrels of oil and is being
touted as the largest source for Western oil-and-gas guzzlers after the
Middle East.
Today, the shrewd Azeri President Heydar Aliyev, a former Soviet politburo
member and KGB general, makes his first visit to
the White House. He will announce three big new contracts with U.S. oil
companies to add to the billions already invested by
U.S. oil giants in his country. This follows an ambitious initiative by
Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott to involve
America more deeply in the fates of the former Soviet republics of the
Caucasus -- Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia -- as
well as in Central Asia, aimed at stabilizing the Caspian region so oil can
flow.
That won't be easy.
Just as the Mideast involved America with the Israeli-Arab imbroglio and
the Lebanon war, the Caspian oil trade will bring
with it a full set of ethnic and regional problems. Talbott isn't kidding
when he says that ``conflict-resolution must be Job One
for U.S. policy in the region.''
Russia has fueled ethnic fires in the Caucasus to force her former colonies
to beg for her help. Iran, a part of the Caspian basin,
is seething at American efforts to exclude her from the region. The endless
conflict between Armenians and Azeris threatens to
destabilize the territory, through which crucial pipelines must be built.
So Aliyev's visit to Washington takes on special importance. Its outcome
will signal whether America really has the stomach
and the smarts to help convert the Caucasus into a peaceful source of oil.
A prime obstacle to Caucasus stability is the conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. Its roots go back to Armenia's fear of
subjugation by Turks, born of the Ottoman Turks' genocide against Armenians
in 1915. The more immediate cause is a
mountainous region called Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian pocket
within Azeri borders.
After the Soviet breakup, Nagorno-Karabakh tried to join Armenia; in the
ensuing war, Armenia captured that area and much
more of Azerbaijan, turning one million Azeris into refugees. Militant
Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh have threatened to
prevent Azeri oil from flowing through a key pipeline that passes near
their territory.
The Clinton administration has immersed itself in the international effort
to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, becoming a
co-chair -- along with France and Russia -- of the negotiating team. But
its impartiality as a mediator is hampered by a
5-year-old congressional ban on aid to Azerbaijan, imposed because that
country blockaded Armenian energy supplies during
their war.
The ban is outdated and counterproductive, and the administration is
rightfully trying to get it lifted. It prohibits humanitarian aid
to Azerbaijan's refugees, as well as limiting democratization aid in trying
to open up Azeri politics.
In an interview on his chartered plane flying from New York City to Andrews
Air Force base, an energetic Aliyev expounded
on why Congress should lift the ban. ``The United States has very strong
economic interests in Azerbaijan,'' he said.
``Azerbaijan is a long-term partner for the United States.''
The Azeri leader also referred to Azerbaijan's role as a buffer against
Iran. ``Iran protests the increased cooperation between
the U.S. and Azerbaijan and tries to exert pressure, but we increase this
cooperation anyway. The U.S. Congress has to
appreciate this.''
In fact, Azerbaijan has paid dearly for helping the United States isolate
Iran. Washington pressed Azerbaijan to exclude Iran
from participation in a major oil consortium, and Iran retaliated by
blocking electrical power to Azerbaijan. The simplest, safest
way to move oil from Azerbaijan to the West, via Turkey, would be to run a
pipeline for a short distance through Iran.
Washington has nixed this idea.
If America starts reconsidering its Iran policy, that pipeline may still be
the best route. But if not, this only increases the need
for an impartial U.S. role as mediator on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh.
All but one of the 52 member countries of the Organization for Cooperation
and Security in Europe, which is in charge of
peace negotiations, have voted for a formula that would let
Nagorno-Karabakh have full autonomy but return it inside
Azerbaijan's borders. Armenia's was the only ``no'' vote.
But Armenia's fears must be addressed. One way would be for America to
facilitate a reconciliation between Turkey and
Armenia, something the presidents of those two countries tried but failed
to do in 1992-93. If that historical breach could be
healed, as Israel healed its breach with Germany, perhaps the breach with
Azerbaijan could be healed, too.
U.S. mediation also would be vital to stop Russia from meddling in the
matter by shipping arms illicitly to Armenia. Aliyev, who
visited Moscow last month to protest such shipments as well as reputed
Russian efforts to have him assassinated, says, ``We
need time to see whether the Russian attitude has changed.'' He adds
darkly, ``Russia doesn't want to have its hand taken off
of the Caucasus.''
America will have its hands full if it truly wants to promote Caucasus
stability. In the words of Paul Goble, Radio Free Liberty's
top expert on ethnic matters in the ex-Soviet Union, ``This conflict is
like a giant Rubik's cube. Unless all parts are lined up,
nothing works.''
Trudy Rubin's column appears on Wednesdays and Fridays.
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#2.5 Oil industry hopes Azeri leader's U.S. visit a success
By DAVID IVANOVICH
Copyright 1997 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- President Clinton met at the White House on
Friday with the president of Azerbaijan, an event the U.S.
oil industry hopes will be a diplomatic breakthrough in the
country, which holds rich petroleum reserves.
Heydar Aliyev, the one-time KGB official turned president
of a country aiming to be one of the world's major oil exporters,
was here in Washington this week pushing for closer ties between
Azerbaijan and the United States.
This is the first time the Azeri president has been invited to
the White House since Azerbaijan gained its independence with the
breakup of the old Soviet Union in 1991.
"This is a big deal," said Frank Verrasto, senior vice president
of Houston-based Pennzoil Co., which is one of the oil companies
doing business there. "I think this is probably the most overt
display of support from the U.S. government that we have seen."
Relations between Washington and Aliyev's government in Baku have
been strained since war broke out between Azerbaijan and neighboring
Armenia in the closing days of the Soviet Union. Congress responded
to the conflict by imposing some trade restrictions on Azerbaijan,
which were opposed by both the Bush and Clinton administrations.
Clinton, in a written statement issued Friday, complimented Aliyev
and Azerbaijan for making "significant progress in meeting the
challenges of independence."
"America strongly supports Azerbaijan's efforts to build a strong,
independent nation because we have a major stake in its success,"
the statement said.
Today and Sunday, Aliyev will meet privately with a number of oil
industry executives in Houston and attend a dinner at the Wyndham
Warwick Hotel. He also is slated to meet with Mayor Bob Lanier and
to tour the Texas Medical Center.
Azerbaijan could be of strategic importance to the United States,
and a tremendous boon to U.S. oil companies, because of the vast
quantities of oil found in the Azeri sector of the Caspian Sea.
Many in the world oil industry believe the Caspian Basin could be
the world's great alternative to Persian Gulf oil. Officials from
Azerbaijan's state-owned oil company Socar estimate the equivalent
of 29 billion to 75 billion barrels of crude lie under Azeri waters
in the Caspian. They hope to be producing up to 335 million barrels
of crude annually within 10 years.
Aliyev used his visit to the White House on Friday to sign contracts
with four U.S. oil companies:
· Chicago-based Amoco has agreed to jointly explore and develop the
offshore Inam prospect in the South Caspian Sea. Located about 120
miles south of Baku in the Caspian, the prospect appears to be a
"significant structure," said Luke Keller, vice president of
Houston-based Amoco Caspian Sea.
· Irving-based Exxon Corp. signed a production sharing agreement
to explore and develop the 100-square-mile Nakhchivan prospect,
located about 60 miles south of Baku. Exxon will operate the
project and hold a 50 percent interest.
· San Francisco-based Chevron Corp. signed a deal to explore the
Absheron block, a 160-square-mile area located about 25 miles
southwest of Azerbaijan's huge Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field.
Chevron will hold a 30 percent stake in the project. Chevron
officials, while not certain, believe the block could hold up
to 1 billion barrels of oil.
· Fairfax, Va.-based Mobil Corp. signed a production sharing
agreement covering the Oguz block, a 91-square-mile area
situated 61 miles east of Baku on the Absheron Trend. Mobil
will be the operator of the project with a 50 percent stake.
These are but the latest in a slew of oil deals Azerbaijan
has negotiated with Western oil companies, at a time when
other projects are stalled in numerous other parts of the
former Soviet Union.
The Azerbaijan International Operating Co., a consortium
of 11 international oil companies led by Amoco and British
Petroleum, plans to spend $8 billion to develop Azeri-Chirag-
Guneshli, an area believed to hold 4 billion barrels of oil.
The consortium plans to begin producing oil in September and
soon start shipping about 100,000 barrels of crude a day through
a pipeline that runs through war-ravaged Chechnya to the Russian
port city of Novorossiysk.
While Azerbaijan is eager to attract U.S. oil companies, the
country's image in the United States is still tarnished by the war
with Armenia, which started back in 1988.
Ethnic Armenians living in Azerbaijan in the area known as
Nagorno-Karabakh began agitating for greater autonomy from the
rest of Azerbaijan and, eventually, unification with Armenia.
Fighting broke out between the Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh
-- supported by Armenia -- and the Muslim-dominated population of
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan launched a blockade of Armenia, including
shutting off the country's main oil pipeline. That action generated
great sympathy in the West for the Armenian cause.
The Armenian fighters eventually won the upper hand and occupied
about a fifth of Azerbaijan's territory. About 1 million of
Azerbaijan's 7 million people were displaced and are now living
in refugee camps.
In reaction to the war, Congress passed a provision, known as
Section 907, that stipulated Azerbaijan would receive no direct
U.S. assistance until the blockade is lifted.
The Clinton administration has urged the repeal of Section 907.
The Senate has passed a provision sponsored by Sen. Robert Byrd,
D-W.Va. that would loosen the restrictions, but the proposal faces
strong opposition in the House.
Aliyev's visit to the United States has raised the ire of the
American Armenian community. At Georgetown, Aliyev was greeted
by one group of protesters carrying a sign that read "Mobil,
Pennzoil, Chevron, Exxon, Mobil, Pennzoil, Unocal Stop Funding
Brutal Dictators/No Blood for Oil."
Aliyev, hoping to burnish his country's image while in the United
States, said during a speech earlier this week that Azerbaijan is
working to build up a democratic state with the rule of law.
"Democracy has to enter into the brains of the people, not just
one person," Aliyev added. "I personally needed several years to
change my own views, and I did."
Azerbaijan's constitution requires that the country hold local
elections in November. Aliyev, noting that the country's election
laws are not in place, could not say when those elections will
actually be held.
"You have been advancing on the way to democracy for more than
200 years," Aliyev said. "Azerbaijan is a young nation. ...
Democracy is not an apple you go to the market to buy and bring
it back home."
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#3. EASTERN TURKISTAN
#3.1 Kazakhs prevent Uighur protest at Chinese embassy
Copyright © 1997 Nando.net
Copyright © 1997 Agence France-Presse
ALMATY (July 31, 1997 09:09 a.m. EDT) - The Kazakh authorities on
Thursday prevented separatist Uighurs from holding a demonstration
outside the Chinese embassy in Almaty to protest
Chinese repression in Xinjiang province.
The United Revolutionary National Front and Uighur People's Association
planned to hand over a petition at the embassy to protest the execution
of Uighur separatists in the last week in Urumqi and Yining.
"At least 100 of us were to protest at the Chinese embassy against the
repression in Xinjiang," URNF spokesman Mouhidin Moukhlissi told AFP
after spending the morning at the police station.
An official at the Kazakh interior ministry said: "This demonstration
was not given authorization."
In the end, around 40 old Uighurs gathered in a park near the embassy
under the surveillance of around 30 Kazakh policemen who prevented them
from handing in the petition.
The protestors eventually dispersed.
Around 200,000 Uighurs live in exile in Kazakhstan.
The approximately 10 million Uighurs in Xinjiang are calling for the
independence of the northwest Chinese autonomous province, which is
inhabited mostly by Uighurs but also other Muslims like
Kazakhs and Tajiks.
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#3.2 MUSLIM SEPARATISM IS ON THE INCREASE IN CHINA AGAIN
Moscow Mayak radio network
Muslim separatism is on the increase in China again. Our
correspondent Pavel Spirin reports from Beijing.
[Spirin] Rumors are being spread again about the Uighur underground
movement which demands that Xinjiang be separated. Xinjiang is a huge
Muslim province of China bordering on Kazakhstan. Six supporters of the
forbidden radical Islamic Party of Allah were shot dead there on
charges of organizing massive anti-Chinese disturbances in February in
the town of Yining, formerly Kuldzha.
(Xiao Jian), Deputy Head of the Propaganda Department of the Xinjiang
Party Committee, has said that another 28 people in addition to those
executed -- who also took part in the Yining unrest -- were sentenced
to various terms of imprisonment. Charges brought against them include
robbery, theft and civil disobedience. Let me remind you that in
accordance with the official view, the unrest -- at least 10 Uighurs
died and 198 were injured as the result of armed suppression -- was
provoked by separatists and criminals.
The Uighur diaspora abroad, including that in Moscow, says that prior
to the unrest jobless young people held peaceful rallies demanding that
the authorities first provide jobs for the indigenous residents -- the
Turkic-speaking Uighurs -- and only then for the ethnic Chinese. At
least 30 people have been executed for opposing the authorities in
Xinjiang since the unrest in February.
I asked a Beijing-based diplomat of one of the CIS countries to
evaluate these events. My anonymous interlocutor said that
--I quote--
Ironically enough, a new outburst of Muslim separatism is taking place
in China after the country has signed border security agreements with
Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. The worst thing is,
however, that Muslims in China are now being exposed to a much greater
influence by fundamentalists. This presents danger not only to China
but also to the neighboring CIS countries.
-- end of quote.
Just one visit to the central mosque in Beijing is enough to
understand that the diplomat's words are true to life. The mosque is
always full of pilgrims. The first question they asked me when they
learned that I was from Russia was: Do people still remember Dzhokhar
Dudayev in Russia? Their real hero was Dzhokhar.
Pavel Spirin, Mayak Radio from Beijing.
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#4. KYRGYZ NEWS - 31 JULY 1997
1. Government press service announced in Bishkek today that a special
agreement on cooperation between Kyrgyz government and Executive commitee of
the Central Asian Union has been signed. Agreement was signed by Kyrgyz Prime
minister Apas Joumagulov and Borubek Ashirov, chairman of the Executive
commitee of the Union, in Bishkek on 28 July. Office of the Executive
committee in Bishkek will receive a rank of embassy. The agreement has to be
ratified by the parliament.
2. Government has discussed the situation with the State corn reserves,
government press service announced on 31 July. It was discovered that 10,320
tones of corn had been embezzled recently. Three state corn companies from the
three regions are found guity for it. Government suggested State Property Fund
to dismiss Messr Bechelov (Jalal-Abad region), Suyunkulov (Chu region) and
Abdullayev (Osh region), heads of the state compaies in the three regions.
State procurator has been suggested to open lawsuits against them.
3. Parliament press service announced in Bishkek today that Farid Niyazov,
chief of staff of the People's Assembly, has appealed to the Procurator
General, Asanbek Sharshenaliyev, demanding to bring legal actions against 4
papers. Governmental Nasha Gazeta daily, semi-governmental Kyrgyz Madaniyaty
weekly, independent Vecherni Bishkek daily and independent Asaba weekly are
accused of publishing deliberately false information on the members of
Parliament and especially about the speaker of the People's Assembly of the
Parliament, Almambet Matubraimov. Press service says if the 4 papers publish
apologiesa and refutations in a month, the actions will be backed down.
The papers have published several articles of corruption in the Parliament.
4. Press service of the National Bank announced in Bishkek today that Kyrgyz
National Bank had paid additional $1 million to the Central Asian Bank. $2
million due had been paid before.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan had founded a Central Asian joint bank
and each country has to pay $3 million due.
5. Abdylda Asrankulov, deputy Mufti of Kyrgyzstan, told our correspondent in
Bishkek today that a special commission, formed by the Muftiyat (Muslim Board)
of the country, would begin to sertify all mosques, imams of the mosques and
islam teachers (mudaris) on 1 August. There are 15 members in the commission
and it will work in the all 6 regions of the country from 1 August till 10
September.
KYRGYZ NEWS - 1 AUGUST 1997
1. Kyrgyz governmental delegation, led by Prime minister Apas Joumagulov,
returned from the Philippines today, government press service announced.
Joumagulov met in Manila with the Philippine president, Fidel Ramos, and
discussed bilateral relations.
Also, Joumagulov met with Mitsuo Sato, president of the Asian Bank for
Reconstruction and Developments, and Peter Salliwan, vice president of the
Bank. $40-million ABRD loan to Kyrgyzstan was discussed. This loan will be
used for reconstruction of the enterprises in Kyrgyzstan and introducing of
the corporative management. According to government press service, Sato and
Salliwan agreed on Kyrgyz proposals and, now, the issue will be discussed at
the Council of Directors of the Bank.
2. Government press service announced in Bishkek today that PM Joumagulov has
departed to Moscow today. Press service and Russian embassy in Bishkek refused
to give detailed information on the aims of the urgent trip.
3. Kyrgyz parliamentary delegation, led by speaker Usup Mukambayev, returned
from India today. Mukambayev met with Indian president, prime minister and
addressed the Indian Parliament. Cooperation between Kyrgyz and Indian
parliaments was discussed during the visit.
4. Minister of education, science and culture, Askar Kakeev, received a
delegation from Saudi Arabia in Bishkek today, ministry spokeswoman announced.
Saudi Arabian help to the Bishkek Architectural Institute was discussed. A
special Arabian faculty was opened in the Institute last year. There are
departments of economy, management, construction and Arabian culture and
language at the faculty. Arabian side bears 90% of expenses for the faculty
maintanance. In addition, Saudi Arabia has spent $50 million for supporting
Arabian culture and language developments in Kyrgyzstan.
5. Japarbek Synayev, official from the Agricultural ministry, told our
correspondent in Bishkek today, that harvest from 259,000 hectares has been
collected. The total area is 634,000 hectares. In average, 24.4 centner of
corn is being collected from each hectare.
According to Synayev, total 1.5 million tones of corn will be collected in the
country this year and 1.1 million tones of them will be wheat. Kyrgyzstan
needs 1 million tones of wheat yearly.
6. USIS office announced in Bishkek today that group of Kyrgyz peacekeepers
will take part in the NATO exercises in the U.S. early in September. Also,
peacekeepers from Russia and Turkey will take part in it.
Joint exercises of the Central Asian peacekeeping batallion, formed by
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, will begin in Kazakh town of Shymkent
on 15 September. U.S. soldiers will also take part in it.
7. Fanance ministry of Kyrgyzstan sent a special delegation to Kyiv, Ukraine,
today. They will discuss the Ukranian state debt to Kyrgyzstan. According to
the Minsitry, Ukraine owes Kyrgyzstan $28 million.
8. Official from the Supreme Court told our correspondent in Bishkek today
that Dastan Sarygulov, president of the State gold company, had sent a letter
to the Board of the Supreme Court, demanding to dismiss Jakyp Abdrakmanov,
chairman of the municipal court of Bishkek. According to Sarygulov,
Abdrakmanov does not correspond to the standards, because he is supporting the
opposition.
4 journalists with the independent Res Publica weekly were accused of
insulting and libeling Sarygulov in the articles, published in 1993-1996 and
were convicted by district court last May. The municipal court acquitted two
of them on 10 June. Conditions of imprisonment of two others, chief editor
Zamira Sydykova and correspondent Aleksandr Alyanchikov, were easied. 18 month
of imprisonment for Sydykova was replaced by 18 months of colony serving.
Alyanchikov's 18 months of imprisonment was replaced by suspended
imprisonment.
Supreme court will consider the appeal fo Zamira Sydykova on Tuesday, 5
August.
9. Yuri Maksimov, lawyer of Zamira Sydykova, told our correspondent in Bishkek
today, that Sydykova left hospital on 31 July. She was forced to live in the
colony hostel without any facilities and was hospitalized a month ago.
Doctors say her nerves had been exhausted.
10. Government press service announced in Bishkek today that Anarbek Bakayev,
former Security minister, was moved from Moscow to Bishkek on 31 July. He was
severely injured in car smash in Bishkek on 21 October, 1996, and has been in
unconscious contitions since. Several neuro-surgery were made to him in
Bishkek and in Moscow.
Felix Kulov was appointed as new security minister last April.
11. Kudaikul Darmankulov, chairman of the Association of Tajik refugees in
Kyrgyzstan, told our correspondent in Bishkek today that a new bording school
for 200 pupils will be built in the Chu region soon. Soros
Foundation-Kyrgyzstan will bear all expenses.
KYRGYZ NEWS -2 AUGUST 1997
1. Prime minister Apas Joumagulov held a news conference in Bishkek on 2
August. He was in the Philippines on 28 July - 1 August and then, on 1 August,
visited Moscow.
According to Joumagulov, Asian Bank for Reconstructions and Developments
agreed to give Kyrgyzstan $44 million for 40 years. This money will be used
for reconstruction of Kyrgyz enterprises and introducing corporative
management. State program on it will be implemented in following 2 years.
Also, ABRD agreed to take part in financing programs on reform pension system
in Kyrgyzstan, reconstruction of the Bishkek-Osh highway, export of the Kyrgyz
electric power to China, India, Pakistan and building the railway to Chinese
Xinjiang province, from Kyrgyz city Osh to Chinese Urumchi (through
Jalal-Abad, Kok-Jangak, Kazarman, Torugart and Kashghar).
In Moscow, Joumagulov met with Russian vice prime minister Viktor Serov and
signed an agreement on Russian loan of $45 million to Kyrgyzstan. Half of this
sum will be used for buying Russian TU-154M planes, other part will be spent
for reconstruction of the thermo-electric power station in Bishkek and in
mining and gas industries. Joumagulov added that Russia had not give
Kyrgyzstan any loans last 3 years.
PM Joumagulov announced at the news conference that building of the
'North-South' railway (between Balykchy in the snorth and Osh city in the
south) will be the main task of the government in 1998. According to
Joumagulov, 150 km of the railway in the south has been completed.
Construction of the rest 450 km needs about $350 million and ABRD promised to
help.
2. State institutes of the country have finished entrance examinations,
Education ministry announced in Bishkek today. 7,780 new students enter the
state universities and institutes this year. About 30,000 people had applied.
The biggest contest was at the juridical and state management faculties of the
National university (10 candidates for 1 seat) and at the medical faculty of
the Medical Academy in Bishkek (8 candidates for 1 seat). Also, 70 new
students will study in the Russian universities and institutes and 150
students in Turkey by the state quotas.
Entrance examinations in commercials institutes are continuing.
3. National Bank announced in Bishkek today that Kyrgyztyshbank is bankrupted.
Kyrgyztyshbank has been engaged in the foreign operations mostly. According to
the National bank officials, Kyrgyztyshbank was warned on bancraptcy on 6 July
1996, but had not improved its activity last year.
National bank has announced on bankraptcy of Adil-Bank, Kyrgyz-Jer bank and
Orient-Bank recently.
<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>
#5. FINANCIAL TIMES
ABD'NIN KARARI YENI BIR BORU HATTI POLITIKASI ORTAYA CIKARDI
LONDRA, 31/07(BYE)--- TIRAJI GUNDE 169 BIN OLAN VE
ORTA-SAG EGILIMLI FINANCIAL TIMES GAZETESININ 31 TEMMUZ 1997
TARIHLI SAYISINDA, YUKARIDAKI BASLIK ALTINDA ROBERT
CORZINE IMZALI YAYIMLANAN HABER-YORUMUN OZET CEVIRISI
SOYLEDIR:
KAZAKISTAN'IN BASKENTI ALMATI'DE ABD BUYUKELCISI'NIN
BUROSUNDA KOSEDEKI SEHPANIN UZERINDE BIR YIGIN "STICKER"
VAR. MESAJ COK BASIT: "MUTLULUK, CIFTE BORU HATTIDIR."
CUMHURBASKANI NURSULTAN NAZERBAYEV'IN BIR DANISMANI,
"PETROL VE DOGALGAZ BORU HATLARI, TOPRAK BUTUNLUGU VE
BAGIMSIZLIGI KONUSU ILE ICICE" DEDI.
TURKMENISTAN DOGALGAZININ IRAN UZERINDEN TURKIYE'YE
AKTARILMASINA YONELIK BORU HATTININ INSASI KONUSUNDA
ABD'NIN HERHANGI BIR ITIRAZI OLMADIGI KONUSUNDA WASHINGTON
TARAFINDAN GECEN HAFTA YAPILAN ACIKLAMA, BOLGEDE IZLENEN
BORU HATTI POLITIKASINDA MUHTEMELEN DEGISIKLIKLER
OLABILECEGI YOLUNDA SPEKULASYONLARA YOLACTI.
BAZI GOZLEMCILER, ABD'NIN IRAN'A YONELIK IZLEDIGI
POLITIKADA OLASI BIR DEGISIKLIGIN NUVESINI GORDUKLERINI
SOYLEDILER.
ULUSLARARASI PETROL SIRKETLERININ YONETICILERI SON
GUNLERDE, HAZAR DENIZI'NIN GUNEYINDEN IRAN UZERINDEN
KORFEZE DOGRU BIR PETROL BORU HATTININ INSA EDILMESININ
MUMKUN OLUP OLAMAYACAGINI DUSUNMEYE BASLADILAR.
ABD DISISLERI BAKANI MADELINE ALBRIGHT, BU HAFTA
BASLARINDA, BEKLENTILERI AZALTMAYA CALISARAK, KARARIN,
SADECE TURKIYE ILE TURKMENISTAN'A YARDIMCI OLMANIN
BIR YOLU OLDUGUNU BELIRTTI. ACIKLAMADA BIRAZ
GUVENILIRLILIK VAR.
TURMENISTAN'IN EKONOMISI, GAZPROM YOLUYLA RUS
BORUHATTI UZERINDEN DOGU AVRUPA'YA YAPILAN GAZ
IHRACATINDAKI DUSUS NEDENIYLE BUYUK DARBE YEDI.
DUNYADA HIZLA BUYUYEN ENERJI PAZARLARINDAN BIRI
OLAN TURKIYE DE, EKONOMIK GELISMESINI DESTEKLEMEK
AMACIYLA TURKMEN VE IRAN GAZININ GECISINI SAGLAMAYA
ISTEKLI GORUNMUSTU.
BAZI GOZLEMCILER, ABD'NIN ALDIGI KARARIN, DAHA
ZIYADE RUSYA'NIN BOLGEDEKI ROLU ILE BAGLANTILI
OLABILECEGINI BELIRTTILER. WASHINGTON, OZELLIKLE
BOLGEDEN TURKIYE'YE BORU HATTININ INSA EDILMESINI
TESVIK EDEREK, ESKI SOVYET CUMHURIYETLERININ RUSYA
ILE OLAN EKONOMIK BAGIMLILIKLARINI KESMEK ISTEMEKTEYDI.
ABD'LI UNOCAL ILE SUUDI DELTA PETROL GRUPLARI,
TURKMENISTAN PETROL VE DOGAL GAZININ AFGANISTAN
UZERINDEN PAKISTAN'A TASINMASI ICIN BIR BORU HATTI
INSA ETMEYI ISTIYORLAR. ANCAK BUNUN GERCEKLESMESININ,
PAKISTAN VE SUUDI ARABISTAN TARAFINDAN DESTEKLENEN VE
AFGANISTAN'DA SUREN IC SAVASTA ULKENIN BUYUK BIR
BOLUMUNU ELE GECIREN TALIBAN GRUBUNUN ELDE EDECEGI
ZAFERE BAGLI OLACAGI SEKLINDE DUSUNULUYOR.
ABD AYRICA, IRAN'DAKI IC DOGALGAZ TALEBI NEDENIYLE,
EN AZINDAN BORUHATTININ ILK YILLARINDA TURKIYE'YE AZ
MIKTARDA DOGALGAZ IHRAC EDILEBILECEGI YOLUNDAKI TURKMEN
GORUSLERINDEN DE ETKILENMIS OLABILIR.
ANCAK ABD'NIN HAREKETININ ARKASINDA NE OLURSA
OLSUN, BOLGEDEKI UST DUZEY BATILI DIPLOMATLAR, ABD'NIN
IRAN'A YONELIK IZLEDIGI TEMEL TUTUMDA HERHANGI BIR
ANI DEGISIKLIGE KARSI UYARIDA BULUNMAYA DEVAM EDIYORLAR.
UST DUZEYDEKI BIR DIPLOMAT, "TICARI NITELIKLI HERHANGI
BIR BORU HATTI ANLASMASINI DESTEKLEYECEGIZ. ANCAK LUTFEN
IRAN OLMASIN" DEDI.
TURKISTAN-N (TN) is an electronic newsletter whose purpose is to report
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in general, lands where Turkic peoples live, without any geographical
restriction and without specific reference to Central Asia or political
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Turkish/Turkic peoples like the Gagauz, Tuvinians, or Yakuts. TN was
established on 9 May 1997 as an initiative of S.O.T.A. Book reviews,
commentaries, articles, and letters from the readers can also be published
in TN. At this moment, TN has more than 950 subscribers.
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