From: farid@mem.odu.edu (F. H. Miandoab)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: -->>> News - Azerbaijan <<<
Date: 5 Nov 1992 23:49:44 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Reply-To: Turkish Cultural Program List <TRKNWS-L%USCVM.BitNet@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

The following news from Turan News Agency in Baku-Azerbaijan
is brought to you as a service of the:

                  <Azerbaijan Aydinlig Association>
                         P.O. Box 14571
                       Berkeley, CA 94701
                      FAX: (804) 490-3832
                    Email: farid@mem.odu.edu

P L E A S E make a hard copy of the news available to an Azerbaijani near you!
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


   NAKHICHEVANI PLENIPOTENTIARY PROTESTING HIS ARREST

   BAKU (30 OCTOBER) TURAN: Nakhichevani plenipotentiary under
the cabinet of ministers of azerbaijan hasan zeynalov issued a
protest against his illegal arrest and called on the authorities
"to curb the growing violence in azerbaijan".
   As turan agency has already informed, h.Zeynalov was arrested
by police at his office on october 27 by order of the interior
minister i.Hamidov and without the public prosecutor's office's
approval.  He was released from custody after 6 hours of
interrogation.
  In course of the interrogation, the plenipotentiary was
presented with the recorded telephone conversations of him and
the leadership of nakhichevan and azerbaijan, according to
which, the plenipotentiary tried to prevent the task sub-unit,
headed by the interior minister from leaving for nakhichevan "to
put order" there.
  Chairman of the azeri supreme soviet isa gambarov said in
response to the inquiry of the deputies of the parliament that
it was not an arrest - h.Zeynalov was asked to give some
evidences.--0--



   LEADER OF THE AZERI INDEPENDENT TRADE-UNIONS ARRESTED ANEW

   BAKU (30 OCTOBER) TURAN:  Leader of the national-liberation
movement, chairman of the association of the independent
trade-unions, neymat panakhli was arrested on returning from
nakhichevan at baku's airport last evening.
   During the recent events in nakhichevan, n.Panakhli has
publicly sharply criticized the azeri authorities, accusing them
of violation of the azeri fundamental laws and returning to the
totalitarian principles of government.
   "Turan" - the organizing committee of the azeri independent
trade unions - passed a resolution in connection with the
panakhli's arrest running that " this arrest is of a political
character".
   Nobody knows where the trade-union leader is now. Head of the
interior ministry's press-service, colonel hamid jafarov
refused to confirm or to deny the arrest of panakhli, saying he
"knew nothing on the point".--0--


  THEFTS SETTING THE PACE IN THE AZERI CRIME

    BAKU (30 OCTOBER) TURAN: The press-service of the azeri
interior ministry informs that the majority of crime, committed
in october of this year centers on thefts of private and state
property and drugs.
    Reported was 200 thefts of private property, 54 thefts of
military equipment and ammunition, 105 - of drugs, 46 cases of
banditry were also registered with 36 of them being solved by
the police.--0--


  JEWELRY REMAINS IN AZERBAIJAN

    BAKU (30 OCTOBER) TURAN: An ancient sabre, 5 daggers, 26
pieces of gold jewelry and more than 4 million rubles have been
confiscated by the azeri customs police from a subject of the
chechnya. The violator tried to remove all these jewelry through
the khudat control post on the azeri-russian border. An inquiry
has been started.--0--


  JUSTICE MINISTRY CONSIDERS THE TURAN PARTY AS ILLEGAL

   BAKU (30 OCTOBER) TURAN: The constituent congress of the
people's democratic party of azerbaijan was opened in baku
today. The congress is expected to establish the people's
democratic party of turan, which is going to unite the
representatives of all turkic regions and will play the role
of the international turkic party.
  The party's organizing committee informed turan agency that
the representatives of all turkic regions of the former soviet
union and turkey had arrived to take part in the congress. The
main goal of both parties is development and implementation of
the idea of all-turkic solidarity.
  But deputy justice minister aydin kerimov said "creation of
the international political party in azerbaijan contradicts the
law "on political parties". Only the citizens of azerbaijan
may create the parties in the republic".--0--


    TURKMENISTAN GAS DELIVERED TO NAKHICHEVAN

   BAKU (30 OCTOBER) TURAN: After 10 months of break,
turkmenistan natural gas deliveries to the republic of
nakhichevan have been resumed. That has become possible through
the agreement reached by the leadership of azerbaijan and
turkmenistan.
   As it is known, the gas-pipeline to nakhichevan runs through
the territory of armenia with the armenians constantly severing
the pipe-line there.
   In accordance with the turkmenistan-azerbaijani agreement,
should the gas deliveries to nakhichevan be severed, the gas
deliveries to armenia would be also stopped.--0--


    FIERCE COMBATS ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE REGION OF
    LACHIN

   BAKU (30 OCTOBER) TURAN: The press-center of the azeri
defence ministry reports on heavy clashes going on since last
night on the north and south of the region of lachin. Armenian
sub-units are trying to strengthen their positions captured
before. Both sides are supported with tanks and artillery. The
defence ministry reports on some military success of the azeri
sub-units in the region.
   Fierce combats are raging near the villages of sirkhavend
and dovshanli on the north of karabakh. No serious military
changes are reported. The settlements in the azeri regions of
akstafa, zangelan and sadarak came under shelling from the
positions in the armenian regions of noyembryan, kafan and
ararat. Some civilians were injured in the region of
sadarak.--0--


   NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTRY GIVES A PRESS-CONFERENCE

   BAKU (30 OCTOBER) TURAN: The national security ministry of
azerbaijan gave a press-conference for the local and foreign
press.
    Chief of the department for public affairs under the
national security ministry, iman abdullayev, informed the
journalists on the valuables to the amount of 17,000 rubles,
18,000 us dollars and 930,000 rubles being withdrawn and
confiscated from the local criminal groups in a number of
operations conducted by the azeri security services. The
security services have also managed to prevent the illegal
removal of 50 tons of non-ferrous metals from azerbaijan.
    Two bmp-s, four guns, 2 command vehicles and a large amount
of small arms were confiscated from the criminal groups in the
combat zone.
   Regarding the question on revealing of the archives of the
former kgb, i.Abdullayev said " publication of these archives
would do much harm to the security of azerbaijan and lead to
unforeseen consequences".
   Speaking over the undermining activities against azerbaijan,
i.Abdullayev said one could observe the ongoing attempts of
certain forces to open the second front on the north of
azerbaijan ( lezghines live in compact groups there ).
   "Behind the forces, boosting for alienation of those regions
from azerbaijan, stand certain circles in yerevan and moscow."
   According to the abdullayev's words, the current russian
leadership is not interested in creation of one more seat of
tension on its southern borders.--0--



 WAR AGAINST DRUG-BUSINESS IN AZERBAIJAN ENTERS THE
 INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

   BAKU (30 OCTOBER) TURAN: National council of azerbaijan has
passed a resolution on the republic's joining in the
international convention "on war against distribution of
narcotics".
  According to the interior ministry's information, 871
drug-related crimes were registered within the period from
january to september of 1992.  That index tops the last year
showing for the same period by 154 ( 21.5 Per cent).  623 Cases
of illegal production, storage, purchase and sell of drugs were
registered this year. That is a 120.5 Percent rise in this type
of crime. Drug market makes up 110 cases out of 623 ( rise in by
8.9 per cent). 238 Cases account for illegal cultivating of poppy
and hemp (a 24 percent rise).
      Drug-related crime makes up 5.3 Percent of the total number
of crimes committed in azerbaijan ( 5.8 Percent last year).
183 Individuals have been brought to the administrative punishment
for the drug-related violations.
   By september 1992, 2,479 persons have been registered at the
interior ministry's bodies as drug-user.  32 Of them were minors.
--0--


    FORMER CHIEF OF THE AZERI KGB ARRESTED

   BAKU (31 OCTOBER) TURAN: The former chief of the azeri kgb,
major-general vagiv huseynov has been arrested in baku
yesterday with the approval of the azeri public prosecutor's
office.
   In accordance with official information, he has been accused
of participation in the tragic events of january of 1990, when
the troops of the russian interior ministry and sub-units of the
russian armed forces were brought to baku for a bloody crackdown
of the azeri nationalist movement.
    It should be noted that the republic's authorities had not
the slightest inclination to arrest v.Huseynov until the ex-chief
published a number of articles in the local newspapers dropping
broad hints that a number of the current azeri leaders, in
particular, the speaker of the parliament i.Gambarov, had
co-operated with the kgb in that period.
    V.Huseynov worked as the chairman of the kgb from november
of 1989 to september of 1991. After that he lived and worked in
moscow for some time. At the beginning of 1992, he returned to
baku, giving up his political activities.--0--


AIWA THREATENS WITH PICKETING IN FRONT OF THE PRESIDENT'S RESIDENCE

   BAKU (31 OCTOBER) TURAN: The organizing committee of the
association of independent workers of azerbaijan (aiwa) and the
sattarkhan machine-buildings works passed an appeal, protesting
against the arrest of their leader neymat panakhli.
   The chairman of the organizing committee of aiwa has been
arrested by the interior ministry's officers at the baku's
airport on october 29, on his return from the autonomous
republic of nakhichevan, where he arranged the all-out backing
of  h.Aliyev in the days of the social-political crises.
   The authors of the appeal are sure that the authorities have
approved the arrest of panakhli to prevent him and his partisans
from participation in the mass-meeting on the occasion of the
forth anniversary of the national-liberation movement of
azerbaijan, set for november 17.
   The organizing committee of aiwa announced that they would
start picketing of the presidential residence if the
authorities refused to release panakhli.
   It should be noted that every new leader after coming to
power in azerbaijan has arrived to the decision that it was
absolutely necessary to arrest panakhli. He has been arrested
under vezirov, a.Mutalibov and now under a.Elchibey.--0--


   RUSSIAN GENERALS TRYING TO RETURN THEIR TROOPS TO KARABAKH
   UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE UN

   BAKU (31 OCTOBER) TURAN: Turan agency was credibly informed
that the defence ministers of azerbaijan, armenia, russia
and the commander-in-chief of the cis joined armed forces,
marshal v.Shaposhnikov would meet together in moscow during
the next week.
   It is expected that, in course of the meeting, the
defence ministers of russia and armenia and the marshal would
do everything in their power to wring consent out of azerbaijan
for dispatching of the russian armed forces under the un aegis
to nagorno-karabakh.
   The same source reports that the russian military would try
to make azeri defence minister r.Gaziyev to sign the appropriate
documents without gaining the azeri president's approval for it
first. As it is known, the undermined sochi peace agreement
has been also signed without co-ordination with a.Elchibey and
turned out to be a stunning blow for the leadership and broad
public of azerbaijan.
   Observers believe that the mediation of the russian military
would never lead to success but could sharply aggravate the
situation. Since the beginning of the conflict and till the
withdrawal of the last russian soldier from the region,
military presence of russia was destabilizing the situation
in the conflict zone.--0--


  IT IS RELATIVELY CALM IN KARABAKH

   BAKU (31 OCTOBER) TURAN: The azeri defence ministry reports
that it is relatively calm in nagorno-karabakh since last
night. Sometimes, the calm was broken by occasional artillery
duels.
   The villages of seidlyar, gazanchi, agkend in the azeri
region of zangelan were coming under armenian shelling from
18:30 to 2:00 local time yesterday. The village of
turkmengishlag in the region of akstafa was subjected to mortar
attack from the positions in the armenian region of berd. Azeri
side has to open counter fire.--0--



   FIRST CONGRESS OF THE DAGHESTANI AZERIS

   BAKU (31 OCTOBER) TURAN: The first congress of azeris of
daghestan was opened today in the city of derbent on the south
of the republic of daghestan.
   In doing so, about 200,000 azeris, living in compact groups
on the south of daghestan, are trying to join hands and create
their own representative bodies to settle the cultural and
economic problems of the community.
   President a.Elchibey of azerbaijan and chairman of the
parliament i.Gambarov sent their congratulations to the
congress.
   On the eve of the opening of the congress, the public
education ministry of the daghestani republic sent a telegram
to the azerbaijani president, thanking a.Elchibey for providing
the azeri schools in daghestan with text-books and other
reading material.--0--


   RISE IN COTTON PRICES

   BAKU (31 OCTOBER) TURAN: Azeri government has for the fourth
time within the last three months increased the raw cotton
purchasing prices. Now, a ton of the first-rate cotton costs
35,000 rubles, the  second-rate cotton costs 30,000 rubles a
ton, the third-rate cotton - 25,000 and the fourth-rate cotton -
21,000 rubles a ton. The cost of a ton of raw cotton has
increased by 15 folds on average.
   The government has been forced to raise the prices through the
disastrous situation arisen in the azeri cotton farming. The
azeri leadership has faced the acute necessity to create
material incentive for the peasants that do not want to work on
the cotton-fields being paid very little. According to the
state statistics, only 59.5 Per cent of the estimated 530,000
tons of cotton have been collected so far.--0--


   DOLLAR COSTS 350 RUBLES IN BAKU

   BAKU (31 OCTOBER) TURAN:  The international bank of
azerbaijan announced that it would market the us dollar for 350
rubles from today. Thus, the bank has raised the rate of
marketing of the us dollar by 10 points. The previous
exchange rate had been established only two days ago.
   But the international bank did not increase the rate of
purchasing of the us dollar. The purchasing price has remained
the same - 310 rubles for a dollar.--0--



   BATTLES FOR RE-GAIN OF THE AZERI VILLAGES UNDER WAY

   BAKU (2 NOVEMBER) TURAN: The press-center of the azeri
defence ministry reports on heavy clashes raging in the
direction of agdam.
   6 Azeri villages in the region of agdam have been lost in
september of this year and now,  azeri sub-units managed to
take military initiative in their hands and launched a
counter-attack in the region.
   Despite the mass armenian shelling of the town of agdam and
positions of the azeri national army, azeri sub-units are
fighting heavily to re-capture the occupied villages from
armenians.
   Since october 31, fierce combats are going on for re-taking
of the villages of khanabad, farrukh and sirkhavend, occupied by
armenians.
   According to the defence ministry, armenian side has lost 16
tanks, 10 bmp-s and tens of killed during the last two days.
   The press-center of the azeri defence ministry denied the
information of the armenian mass-media on death of the pilot of
the azeri plane, shot down in karabakh recently. The pilot was
rescued and serves in his military unit at present.--0--


  AZERI-TURKISH INTEGRATION PROCESSES GATHERING SPEED

   BAKU (2 NOVEMBER) TURAN: In course of the official visit of
the azeri governmental delegation to turkey, the sides have
signed four intergovernmental agreements. The agreements provide
broad economic, political, scientific and cultural co-operation
among azerbaijan and turkey.
   Making a speech during the ceremony of signing of the
agreements, turkish prime-minister suleyman demirel stressed
that "the azeri-turkish relations are of the highest priority
for turkey  and these agreements are going to become the
strategic factors that will further rapprochement of our
states".
   In his turn, abulfaz elchibey said that "future of
the regions bordering turkey greatly depends on the
external policy of ankara".
   The questions of further economic and political integration
of the turkic states were the focus of attention of the
sides. The parties made a decision to hold regular summits of
the leaders of the turkic states. Under the mutual agreement, the
next turkic summit would be held in baku in may of 1993.--0--


   NEYMAT PANAKHLI RELEASED

   BAKU (2 NOVEMBER) TURAN: Authorities have released
chainman of the association of independent workers of
azerbaijan neymat panakhli.
   N.Panakhli was arrested at the baku's airport of bina on
october 29, on his return from the autonomous republic of
nakhichevan, where he arranged the mass-rallies in support
of h.Aliyev, chairman of the nakhichevani supreme mejlis.
   N.Panakhli said to the turan correspondent that he was
accused of insulting of the personality of both the president
of azerbaijan and interior minister and also of intention to
organize unrest in baku on november 17, the day of the
fourth anniversary of the national-liberation movement of
azerbaijan.
   N.Panakhli said police had to release him as the
authorities failed to force the required evidence out of him.
   A several-thousand strong rally in support of n.Panakhli
was held in nakhichevan last saturday.
   As n.Panakhli was released, the organizing committee of
independent workers of azerbaijan canceled its planned picketing
of the presidential residence, set for november 2.--0--



  BAKU AND NAKHICHEVAN IN AGREEMENT

   BAKU (2 NOVEMBER) TURAN: Turan agency was credibly informed
that the conflict, caused between baku and nakhichevan by the
assignment of s.Mamedov to the post of the nakhichevani interior
minister, has been nearly settled. The same source informed that
major-general tahir aliyev, deputy of the azeri supreme soviet
has been nominated for the post.
   General t.Aliyev, 38 years old, once worked as an interior
minister of azerbaijan but was unseated when the ex-speaker of
the parliament yagub mamedov came to power.
   Being an active political foe to the mutalibov's regime and a
representative of the democratic forces of azerbaijan, t.Aliyev
is a person that suits both nakhichevan and baku.
   The same source stressed that it was the chairman of the
nakhichevani supreme mejlis heydar aliyev that offered this
harmonious solution to the problem.--0--


  AZERBAIJAN IS OPEN TO RECEIVE THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE
  OF BUTROS GALLI

     BAKU (2 NOVEMBER) TURAN: President of azerbaijan, abulfaz
elchibey accepted the offer of the un secretary general
butros galli to dispatch his personal representative to the
region to assess the situation there.
     In his return message to the un secretary general,
a.Elchibey stressed that azerbaijan was open to settle the
conflict through political means and said that the republic
was ready to receive the un representative in the middle of
november.--0--


   BATTLES ON THE SOUTH OF LACHIN

   BAKU (2 NOVEMBER) TURAN: On the south-east, just 20 km away
from the main road goris-lachin, sub-units of the armenian
national army are attempting to capture some more azeri villages
to expand their military presence in the region.
   The armenian attack, launched today on the positions of
the azeri army near the villages of gyulabirt and sofyan turned
a failure.
   The yesterday's armenian attack, supported by heavy vehicles,
on the village of sofyan has been also repelled. Armenian
sub-units had to retreat, leaving a destroyed tank on battle-
field.--0--



   MARTIAL LAWS DO NOT AFFECT CIVILIANS

   BAKU (5 NOV.)TURAN: Milly mejlis passed a resolution to
insert additions on the crimes committed in time of war to
the criminal code of the republic. Jurists were commissioned
to present drafts of the articles regulating the activities of
the military in the war time.
   Milly mejlis declined the interior minister i.Hamidov's
proposal to apply martial laws to the civil persons "whose
activities were directed to undermine the state defenses".
   Under the new additions, a person deserting from the
battle-field will be sentenced for many years or given a capital
punishment.



   SITUATION IN THE COMBAT ZONE RELATIVELY STABLE

   BAKU (5 NOV.) TURAN: Azeri defence ministry reports that no
material change in the situation could be observed in
nagorno-karabakh and azeri frontier regions.
   Yesterday in the evening, the villages of kazanchi and
seidlyar in the azeri region of zangelan came under shelling
from the positions in the armenian region of kafan.
   Last night, occasional artillery duels broke the calm in the
region of fizuli and the village of sadarak of the nakhichevani
republic.
   The defence ministry reports that the situation in the combat
zone is stable on the whole.--0--



   ABOUT 13 BILLION RUBLES COVERED FROM TAXATION

   BAKU (5 NOV.) TURAN: Milly mejlis approved the national
budget of azerbaijan for 1992 at the rate of 59.5 Billion
rubles.
  Budget deficit made up 7.1 Billion rubles. About 30 billion
rubles have been generated through excise duty and about 11
billion rubles through profits taxes.
  The government allotted 31.3 Billion rubles for social
programs.
  Minister of finances saleh mamedov informed the deputies that
about 60 per cent of taxes, that is nearly 13 billion rubles,
have been covered from taxation by commercial bodies.--0--



    56 ARMENIAN DEPUTIES APPEAL TO THE AZERI PARLIAMENT

   BAKU (5 NOV.) TURAN: Today, chairman of the azerbaijani
parliament isa gambarov informed the milly mejlis that on
november 4, they received the october 13th appeal of 56
armenian deputies.
   The appeal stresses that the armenian and azerbaijani
leadership must start direct peace talks to negotiate the
conflict. In line with that, the appeal thanks the csce, iran
and russia for their mediatorial efforts.
   Isa gambarov informed the deputies of the name of the author
of the appeal. It was a deputy, member of armenian national
movement ashot bleyants. The text of the appeal has been
considered and approved at all governmental levels including
president ter-petrosyan.
   Recently, ashot bleyants met with the permanent
representative of azerbaijan to moscow hikmet hadjizade. In
course of the talks, a.Bleyants set forth his version of the
solution to the karabakh conflict and offered to arrange a
meeting of the representatives of both states. The armenian
deputy said he would like to visit baku for the purpose.
    I.Gambarov stressed that recently a.Bleyants had published
an article in the local newspaper running that armenia would
never be able to separate karabakh from azerbaijan.
   The chairman of the azeri parliament offered the deputies to
consider the initiatives of the armenian deputies during the
next session of the parliament.
   In line with that, i.Gambarov doubted the sincerity of the
appeal, referring to the experience of past when despite three
ceasefire agreements signed by azerbaijan and armenia, the
armenian side treacherously captured khojali, shusha and
lachin.--0--



  US CONGRESS'S DECISION MAY UNDERMINE POSITIONS OF THE
  AMERICAN CAPITAL IN AZERBAIJAN


    BAKU (5 NOV.) TURAN: Today, speaker of the azeri parliament
isa gambarov received robert blanton, a representative of
the american oil company amoco, the president of the company
for development of oil-fields on the caspian shelf.
    Mr.Blanton informed the speaker how the work over the
american-azeri project for development of oil fields was going
on and said that if the project was realized, azeri side
would receive 74 percent of total profits for the sold oil,
which made up 24 billion us dollars.
    But azeri experts say this sum may be increased to 32
billion dollars, if azerbaijan undertakes to pay off all
expenditures for building of the infrastructure for development
of new oil fields.
   Touching upon political aspects of the azeri-american
relations, isa gambarov said the us congress's decision not
to render financial help to azerbaijan might poison economic
co-operation among these two states. Isa gambarov stressed that
such a decision might create conditions that would lead to
weakening of the us capital's positions in azerbaijan.
   Responding to the question of the turan correspondent about
the prospects of the co-operation between amoco and azerbaijan,
robert blanton said:"we try to shun policy and I can promise
that co-operation with amoco will bring prosperity to
azerbaijan".--0--



   AZERI MINISTER OF FINANCES IS ANGRY WITH WASTEFULNESS OF
   THE STATE APPARATUS

     BAKU (5 NOV.) TURAN: Minister of finances of azerbaijan
saleh mamedov making a speech at the milly mejlis aired his
discontent with the fact that the foreign ministry established
the salary for the azeri ambassador to turkey at 2,300 dollars
a month. Mamedov compared it with the wages paid to the russian
ambassador to turkey, which is 700 dollars.
     Mamedov called on the apparatus to keep down its appetite.
The minister stressed that the apparatus' personnel had
increased in number by 25 percent recently and 783 million
rubles had been allotted for its maintenance.--0--

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