Watchdog concerned as Armenia bars Turks from vote

YEREVAN, May 7 (Reuters) Democracy watchdog the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) voiced concern today at Armenia's refusal to allow Turkish observers to monitor an election this month.

Armenia's foreign ministry said it was not letting Turkish nationals join OSCE observers at the May 12 parliamentary election because of the absence of diplomatic relations between Yerevan and Ankara.

''Preventing some observers from participating contradicts the principles of transparency and objectivity,'' Christian Strohal, director of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, said in a statement.

Ankara closed all border crossings and cut diplomatic ties with Armenia in 1993 to protest the seizure by Armenian forces of territory in Azerbaijan, Turkey's historical ally that was fighting a war with Armenia.

Relations have soured further by Ankara's refusal to recognise the killings of 1.5 million Armenians during the last days of the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

The OSCE said Armenia had refused to issue entry visas to eight Turkish election observers who were to arrive in the country today.

''This is a result of the absence of diplomatic relations,'' said Vladimir Karapetyan, acting spokesman for Armenia's foreign ministry.

''Taking into account Turkey's policy towards Armenia, the fact it is keeping the border closed and is not establishing diplomatic relations, we did not consider it expedient that representatives of Turkey should carry out monitoring,'' he said.

The OSCE mission will have about 400 observers at the vote.

The organisation said Armenia's last parliamentary election in 2003 fell short of international standards for democracy.

REUTERS RS RK2144