From: farid@mem.odu.edu (F. H. Miandoab)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: -->>> News - Azerbaijan <<<--
Date: 4 Nov 92 19:38:06 GMT
Article-I.D.: deepthou.9211050738.AA09625
Reply-To: Turkish Cultural Program List <TRKNWS-L%USCVM.BitNet@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
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
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                    Email: farid@mem.odu.edu

P L E A S E make a hard copy of the news available to an Azerbaijani near you!
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    NAKHICHEVANI PLENIPOTENTIARY TO BAKU RELEASED

   BAKU (28 OCTOBER) TURAN: Nakhichevani plenipotentiary under
the azeri cabinet of ministers hasan zeynalov has been released
this morning.
    As turan agency has already reported, h.Zeynalov was
arrested by the sub-units of the interior ministry at his
office yesterday.
    Turan agency was informed that it was the leadership of the
interior ministry that approved the zeynalov's arrest without
the public prosecutor's office's sanction. According to
zeynalov, there were no acts of outrage upon his dignity when
he was in custody.
    The local observers link the zeynalov's arrest to the
recent confrontation between nakhichevan and baku.--0--


   AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT'S OFFICIAL VISIT TO TURKEY

   BAKU (28 OCTOBER) TURAN: Today, the governmental delegation
of azerbaijan, headed by president a.Elchibey, has left for
turkey for an official visit.
   In course of the visit, the closing day of which is
scheduled for november 4, the sides are expected to sign the
treaty of friendship and co-operation between azerbaijan and
turkey and also the governmental agreements on co-operation
in economic, cultural and scientific fields.
   The azeri delegation will take part in celebration of the
day of independence of turkey and participate in the
conference of the heads of the turkic-speaking states.--0--


  RALLY IN SUPPORT OF ALIYEV

   BAKU (28 OCTOBER) TURAN: A 50,000 strong rally in support of
h.Aliyev was held in front of the building of the nakhichevani
supreme mejlis yesterday, as the local observers informed turan
agency.
   Addressing the rally, h.Aliyev stressed that the events
of the last few days should be classified as a coup attempt.
The ralliers expressed their indignation  at the
official baku's attempts to dispatch its interior forces "to
put order" in nakhichevan.
   But the nakhichevani branch of the popular front denies
this accusation. According to the press-center of the front,
situation in nakhichevan is stable, but tension remains.
--0--


    PARLIAMENT CONSIDERING SITUATION IN NAKHICHEVAN

   BAKU (28 OCTOBER) TURAN: This morning, the azeri
parliament has started consideration of the situation in the
autonomous republic of nakhichevan.
   As turan agency has already reported, the special
governmental commission, headed by the deputy chairman of the
parliament a. Jalilov, visited nakhichevan to assess the
situation. Today the members of the commission will give an
account of the outcome of their visit.
   It appears that, political tension in the baku-
nakhichevan relations is not going to ease in near future.
And that is corroborated by the noisy anti-alieyv campaign
unleashed by the republic's mass-media, accusing the chairman
and his supporters of "unwillingness to obey the laws of
azerbaijan" and of an attempt "to separate nakhichevan from
the republic of azerbaijan".--0--


  AZERBAIJAN WILL CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR'S EVE TWICE A YEAR

   BAKU (28 OCTOBER) TURAN: Azeri citizens lost a number of
the soviet holidays since the downfall of the ussr. In the
regulations on the azeri holidays passed by the national
council, one will not find the day of the may 1 (the day of
international solidarity of workers) and of the may 9 (victory
day) and the day of march 8 will be celebrated as the day of
women.
   The council legalizes the following holidays - the day
of azerbaijan (may 28), the day of independence (october 18),
the day of national rebirth (november 17).
   The religious holidays - gurban bayram and ramazan - will
be also celebrated. The new year's eve will be celebrated twice
a year - according to the european calendar - on january 1
and according to the orient calendar - in the third decade of
march.
   As a member of the parliament says, that will answer the
national structure and the "west-east" political course
azerbaijan has taken.--0--


    COMMISSION ASKS FOR PROTECTION

   BAKU (28 OCTOBER) TURAN: Chairman of the parliamentary
commission for inquiry into the khojali tragedy ramiz
fataliyev said at the national council today that the outcome
of the commission's investigation would be presented to the
deputies in two weeks.
   Fataliyev has announced the main reasons that led to the
treachery, that is, participation of the russian 366th
motorized-rifle regiment in the assault of khojali on the
armenian side, socio-political crisis in azerbaijan and
negligence of the authorities.
    According to the commission data, there were 3,5 thousand
citizens in khojali on february 25, 1992 (the day when the
attack was launched). The preliminary information runs that
427 citizens were killed, 358 injured, 78 missing and 18
taken as hostages in the assault. The rest of the population
became refugees.
   A member of the commission shadman huseynov said there is
no need to wait till the announcement of the outcome of the
inquiry to unseat a number of executives, guilty of the
tragedy.
   The secretary of the commission ali omarov said these
executives had enough power and might to take extreme measures
to protect themselves. A.Omarov appealed to the chairman of the
parliament to assure security of the members of the commission.
    A number of deputies believe that the socio-political
situation in azerbaijan may aggravate after publication of the
outcome of the inquiry.--0--



   MILITARY ACTIVITIES INTENSIFYING IN KARABAKH

   BAKU (28 OCTOBER) TURAN: The press-center of the azeri
defence ministry reports that armenian sub-units have sharply
intensified their activities in karabakh recently. The
district centers of fizuli and jebrail in the karabakh's
lowlands came under massive shelling from the armenian positions
in the region of hadrud.
   In the region of gubatli, sub-units of the azeri armed forces
are conducting fierce combats to retake the villages captured by
armenians.
   Since last night, the frontier villages in the azeri region
of zangelan are coming under heavy armenian shelling from the
positions in the regions of kafan and megri. Azeri side launched
countermeasures. --0--


   FIERCE COMBATS IN THE DIRECTION OF SIRKHAVEND

   BAKU (29 OCTOBER) TURAN: Fierce combats are raging again on
the north of karabakh. According to the azeri defence ministry,
the agdam and agdere groups of the azeri armed units forced
their way few kilometers deep in the direction of the village
of sirkhavend. This village captured by the armenian expeditionary corps in may
 of this year, has already changed hands several times within the last 6 months.
   There are reports on ongoing dispatching of the additional
forces of the armenian expeditionary corps to the villages of
sirkhavend and dovshanli (arachadzor).
   The villages in the azeri frontier regions on the south-west
and west of the republic and the settlement of sadarak in the
autonomous republic of nakhichevan came under shelling from the
positions in the republic of armenia today.--0--



    AZERBAIJAN EXCHANGE RATES

    BAKU (29 OCTOBER) TURAN: The international bank of
azerbaijan established new azeri exchange rates from today.
    The exchange-value of the us dollar increased by 10 points.
Presently, the bank purchases a dollar for 310 rubles and sells
it for 340. The international bank  established the following rates
of purchasing and selling of currencies: 1 german mark - 214.26 And
234.94 Rubles accordingly, 1 g.B. Pound - 539.38 And 591.66. 1 French franc
  - 63.56 And 69.71 Rubles.
    From beginning of october of this year, the international
bank of azerbaijan has sold currencies in the amount of 48.4
Million rubles. Average number of clients, served by the bank
every day, is 56.
   The bank sells currency only to the individuals with papers
confirming their trip abroad.--0--



    LAW ON MILITARY SERVICE PASSED IN AZERBAIJAN

   BAKU (29 OCTOBER) TURAN: The national council has passed the
law on military service in azerbaijan. It has become the 5th
act having a direct bearing on the azeri military service.
   Under the law, everyone aged 18 is called for the active
military service.
    The personnel of the azeri army consists of soldiers,
sergeants, junior and senior officers and also of the generals.
The highest rank for the land and air forces is the general of
the army. Vice-admiral is the highest rank for the naval forces.
    The term of the military service for soldiers is fixed for
1.5 And 2 years. Average age qualification, set for the
generals and officers except the general of the army, is 55 years.
--0--


   CENTER FOR FORECASTING IS SET UP

   BAKU (29 OCTOBER) TURAN: The center for humanitarian
research and forecasting is created under the azeri supreme
soviet.
   The aim of this organization is to make regular economic and
politic forecasts and timely inform the government and the
population about the situation in the republic.
   This center has become the first body of such type in
azerbaijan.--0--


   AZERBAIJAN OPENS HIS EMBASSY IN KIEV

   BAKU (29 OCTOBER) TURAN: National council of azerbaijan
passed a resolution on opening of the azeri embassy in the city
of kiev - the capital of ukraine.--0--


 CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE OLD GUARD AND DEMOCRATS
 LED TO THE NAKHICHEVANI EVENTS, SAYS THE PRESIDENT OF
 AZERBAIJAN

   BAKU (29 OCTOBER) TURAN: " It is the sharp difference
between the democratic forces and old guard that stands
behind the conflict between official baku and nakhichevan.
The appointment of s. Mamedov as the interior minister of
nakhichevan was only an excuse for the conflict", said
president a.Elchibey before leaving for ankara.
   The president stressed:" this confrontation is a result of
the fact that the democratic changes going on in azerbaijan
failed to take place in nakhichevan. The old guard,
hiding behind alieyv's back, is trying to maintain the
soviet authoritarian foundations there."
   Azeri interior minister i.Hamidov in his interview to the
local tv said that "as the situation in nakhichevan has
already stabilized" , he is not going to take any independent
steps to settle the conflict between baku and nakhichevan till
the president of azerbaijan returns from turkey. "The popular
front does not want to aggravate the situation in the republic,
but if the interior ministry of the autonomous republic tries to
destabilize it, the department's leadership would be strictly
punished".--0--


   KARABAKH CONFLICT SHOULD BE REGARDED AS " A WAR BETWEEN
   AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA"

    BAKU (29 OCTOBER) TURAN: At the baku's airport of bina,
president of azerbaijan a.Elchibey said before leaving for
turkey that azerbaijan must settle the karabakh conflict by
himself. But in line with that, the president outlined that
the azeri leadership was standing for the settlement of the
conflict within the bounds of csce. " That will help azerbaijan
to avoid backwash and the world community will have more
confidence in the republic."
   The president said that the world community should regard
the conflict as "a war between azerbaijan and armenia".
   "It is armenian annexation of azeri territories that is
the question", said abulfaz elchibey.--0--


  AZERBAIJAN SUPPORTS CREATION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE
 PARLIAMENTS OF THE BLACK SEA REGION'S STATES

   BAKU (29 OCTOBER) TURAN: Leadership of the azeri national
council agreed in principle to the offer of the chairman of the
great national assembly of turkey khusameddin jindoruk to set up
the parliamentary council of the black sea region's states for
economic co-operation.
   Kh.Jindoruk believes that creation of such a body would help
to develop democracy and parliamentary system in the region. The
turkish version provides establishment of effective links
among the parliaments of the region's states.--0--


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