In the village of Haykadzor on the edge of Armenia’s long sealed border with Turkey, Boris Davutyan, a 70-year-old farmer with a sun-weathered face, says he is in favor of peace with his country’s historical foe. “It would be good for trade,” he said, gesturing toward the Akhouryan River that separates Turkey from Armenia. “In Soviet times we used to go down to the river and smoke cigarettes and drink vodka with the Turks. The genocide committed against us by the Ottomans was 100 years ago. You have to look to the future, not be stuck in the past.”
Some 117 kilometers (73 miles) southeast, at a windswept cemetery overlooking Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, Armen Poghosyan stared at his only son’s grave. His head was bowed, his body stiffened with grief. He has been coming every single day since the 19-year-old was laid to rest alongside his comrades on this hilltop facing the snow-capped peak of Mount Ararat on the Turkish side.
Barsegh was killed “either by artillery fire or in a drone strike, we don’t know for sure,” a day after the war started on Sept. 27, 2020, Poghosyan said. “Turkey is our centuries-old enemy. We can’t be friends with those who got drunk on the blood of our children.”
Barsegh was among the 3,825 Armenians who perished in Armenia’s 44-day war with Azerbaijan.
The site, called Yerablur, Armenian for “based on three hills,” is carpeted with the graves of the fallen. Most of them are under 30. Their faces, engraved on dark grey basalt headstones, exude a childlike exuberance.
Turkey, with its military advisers and killer drones, tipped the balance decisively in Azerbaijan’s favor, helping its Muslim Turkic cousins wrest back large swathes of territory occupied by Armenia in a previous war three decades ago. Today, Armenia, a landlocked country of 2.9 million that long seemed invincible as much to itself as to the world beyond, is shaken to its core. At one extreme there are those like the farmer Davutyan who seek peace and at the other, people like the bereaved father Poghosyan who dream of revenge. Somewhere in the middle sits a silent majority numbed by fear and helplessness bordering on apathy.
Read more at
As Armenia pushes for reconciliation, Turkey plays hard to get - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Showing posts with label Armenia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Armenia. Show all posts
4/26/22
7/31/21
Armenia: US congresswoman urges Azerbaijan to immediately withdraw from Armenian territories and stop violence
US congresswoman Katherine Clark urges Azerbaijan to immediately withdraw from the territory of Armenia, ARMENPRESS reports she wrote on her Twitter page.
‘’Azerbaijan’s military forces must withdraw from Armenian lands immediately and stop the violence that has already cost multiple lives. Proud to have voted for Chairman Frank Pallone’s amendment to cut off military funding to Azerbaijan and to stand with the Armenian people’’, Katherine Clark wrote.
Read more at: US congresswoman urges Azerbaijan to immediately withdraw from Armenian territories and stop violence | ARMENPRESS Armenian News Agency
‘’Azerbaijan’s military forces must withdraw from Armenian lands immediately and stop the violence that has already cost multiple lives. Proud to have voted for Chairman Frank Pallone’s amendment to cut off military funding to Azerbaijan and to stand with the Armenian people’’, Katherine Clark wrote.
Read more at: US congresswoman urges Azerbaijan to immediately withdraw from Armenian territories and stop violence | ARMENPRESS Armenian News Agency
11/17/20
Turkey: How Turkey’s use of military power furthers Erdoğan’s ambitions - by Scott Peterson
The cease-fire agreement ending six weeks of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh was greeted in Turkey as a “sacred success” for “brotherly Azerbaijan” in its fight with Armenia.
For Turkey, the outcome was also the latest successful example of its assertive and game-changing use of military hard power, which has so far redrawn geopolitical realities from Libya and Syria to the southern Caucasus.
Read more at: How Turkey’s use of military power furthers Erdoğan’s ambitions
For Turkey, the outcome was also the latest successful example of its assertive and game-changing use of military hard power, which has so far redrawn geopolitical realities from Libya and Syria to the southern Caucasus.
Read more at: How Turkey’s use of military power furthers Erdoğan’s ambitions
10/22/20
Nato and EU silent on Turkey, despite Armenia's appeal - by Andrew Rettman
"It is vital that all sides now show restraint, observe the ceasefire, and de-escalate. Any targeting of civilians is unacceptable and must stop," Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday (21 October) after meeting Armenian president Armen Sarkissian in Brussels.
Read more at: Nato and EU silent on Turkey, despite Armenia's appeal
Read more at: Nato and EU silent on Turkey, despite Armenia's appeal
9/29/20
Middle East: Turkey accused of deploying jihadists from Syria to Azerbaijan as World Peace Council calls for immediate ceasefire
The World Peace Council has called for an immediate ceasefire following a second day of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
And Iranian peace campaigners said that Turkey had reportedly transferred jihadists from Syria to fight for Azerbaijan in the conflict, echoing its intervention in the Libyan civil war.
The council said that peace campaigners in both countries needed to mobilise to counter “war hysteria” over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory recognised internationally as part of Azerbaijan but self-governed as the Armenian-majority Republic of Artsakh since the early 1990s.
Dozens have been reported killed and wounded since clashes broke out at the weekend, with Armenia and Azerbaijan disputing each others’ claims.
Association for Defence of Peace, Solidarity & Democracy-Iran convener Payam Solhtalab condemned Turkey’s intervention in the conflict in support of Azerbaijan.
“Turkey, a member of Nato, has territorial ambitions in the region which would be detrimental to regional stability and world peace,” he said, expressing “concern” at Turkey’s reported deployment of jihadists it had sponsored in the war to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria. Turkey has vocally backed Azerbaijan since fighting broke out, while Russia, which has close ties to Armenia, says it is seeking to defuse tensions.
Read more at:
Turkey accused of deploying jihadists from Syria to Azerbaijan as World Peace Council calls for immediate ceasefire | Morning Star
And Iranian peace campaigners said that Turkey had reportedly transferred jihadists from Syria to fight for Azerbaijan in the conflict, echoing its intervention in the Libyan civil war.
The council said that peace campaigners in both countries needed to mobilise to counter “war hysteria” over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory recognised internationally as part of Azerbaijan but self-governed as the Armenian-majority Republic of Artsakh since the early 1990s.
Dozens have been reported killed and wounded since clashes broke out at the weekend, with Armenia and Azerbaijan disputing each others’ claims.
Association for Defence of Peace, Solidarity & Democracy-Iran convener Payam Solhtalab condemned Turkey’s intervention in the conflict in support of Azerbaijan.
“Turkey, a member of Nato, has territorial ambitions in the region which would be detrimental to regional stability and world peace,” he said, expressing “concern” at Turkey’s reported deployment of jihadists it had sponsored in the war to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria. Turkey has vocally backed Azerbaijan since fighting broke out, while Russia, which has close ties to Armenia, says it is seeking to defuse tensions.
Read more at:
Turkey accused of deploying jihadists from Syria to Azerbaijan as World Peace Council calls for immediate ceasefire | Morning Star
2/16/18
Netherlands Parliament Recognizes Armenian Genocide - but Government so far takes no action
The lower house of the Dutch parliament, local known as the Tweede
Kamer, passed two resolutions on Thursday with a majority vote one
recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the other calling on its foreign
minister to visit Armenia in April to observe the anniversary of that
crime.
According to NLTimes, both motions were submitted by ChristenUnie party parliament member Joel Voordewind. All four coalition parties supported the motions.
The Netherlands has not recognized the Genocide thus far, however, the majority of the parliament voted on Thursday to change that course and officially recognize the events of 1915 as Genocide.
Note: This is a very controversial issue which happened more than 100 years ago and the Netherlands Government would act wisely to refrain from taking any further action on the issue until more research is avaible.
EU-Digest
According to NLTimes, both motions were submitted by ChristenUnie party parliament member Joel Voordewind. All four coalition parties supported the motions.
The Netherlands has not recognized the Genocide thus far, however, the majority of the parliament voted on Thursday to change that course and officially recognize the events of 1915 as Genocide.
Note: This is a very controversial issue which happened more than 100 years ago and the Netherlands Government would act wisely to refrain from taking any further action on the issue until more research is avaible.
EU-Digest
12/9/17
Armenia: Two Armenian activists released from Turkish jail
Two political activists of Armenian origin were released from a jail in Turkey on Friday, December 8, Akhaltskha.net reports.
Cemil Aksu and his wife, Nurcan Vayiç Aksu, were arrested by Turkish police due to social media posts that were critical of the Turkish government.
An author and environmental activist, Aksu, was arrested on October 25 in the city of Artvin for allegedly “praising crime and criminals” in his social media posts. Aksu is the local co-chair of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), and is one of the editors of the Gor-Hemshin cultural magazine.
His wife, Nurcan, another activist of Armenian origin, was also taken into police custody on October 19 in a house raid due to her social media posts. Vayiç is a rights activist and a member of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP). The couple is from the town of Hopa in Artvin, in what is commonly known as the Hemshin region, around 12 miles of the Georgian border.
As long-time political activists and writers, the Aksus have written and spoken out not only about local history and identity in the Hemshin region, but also on environmental matters, women’s rights, and Turkish politics, among other matters.
As a result of the couple’s arrest, their eight-year-old child, Arev, is now being taken care of by his aunt.
Read more: Two Armenian activists released from Turkish jail - PanARMENIAN.Net
Cemil Aksu and his wife, Nurcan Vayiç Aksu, were arrested by Turkish police due to social media posts that were critical of the Turkish government.
An author and environmental activist, Aksu, was arrested on October 25 in the city of Artvin for allegedly “praising crime and criminals” in his social media posts. Aksu is the local co-chair of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), and is one of the editors of the Gor-Hemshin cultural magazine.
His wife, Nurcan, another activist of Armenian origin, was also taken into police custody on October 19 in a house raid due to her social media posts. Vayiç is a rights activist and a member of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP). The couple is from the town of Hopa in Artvin, in what is commonly known as the Hemshin region, around 12 miles of the Georgian border.
As long-time political activists and writers, the Aksus have written and spoken out not only about local history and identity in the Hemshin region, but also on environmental matters, women’s rights, and Turkish politics, among other matters.
As a result of the couple’s arrest, their eight-year-old child, Arev, is now being taken care of by his aunt.
Read more: Two Armenian activists released from Turkish jail - PanARMENIAN.Net
10/9/17
Armenia and Azerbaijan are Stuck with Russia and the U.S.
Over the years, Russia has served as the main arbitrator for
the territorial dispute between Armenians and Azerbaijanis over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region. The most vivid explanation lies in the past
relationship of Russia with these two countries both of which have been
former members of the Soviet Union. The collapse of the Soviet regime
unleashed an economic, social, and political chaos across the regions of
former member states. The end of the Soviet era granted independence to
every single member state of the Union. The absence of Soviet
supervision prompted the revitalization of old disputes between
countries that had centuries long territorial, religious, and cultural
conflicts.
The encounter between Armenia and Azerbaijan turned into an active military warfare in 1988 when the mountainous enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh region – that historically has been populated by Armenians of Artsakh – declared its willingness to join with the neighboring Republic of Armenia. Azerbaijani government opposed to this scenario and the war became inevitable. The conflict started in 1988 and rapidly escalated to a full-scale war. In 1993, the newly independent Armenians deployed military forces composed of local Armenians as well as Armenians from diaspora that captured geographically significant corridor of Lachin that provided a passage from Karabakh to Armenia. Other successful military operations included the recapturing of Shusha, Kalbajar, Qubadil, Jabrayil, Zangilan, Agdam, and Fuzuli.
Russia played a critical role in prevention of more violence in this war that lasted nearly six years within the Nagorono-Karabakh region. In May of 1994, the Russian government extenuated the ceasefire between Armenian and Azerbaijani governments. The decree nurtured by Russia became provisioned as satisfactory by both Armenian and Azerbaijani forces that reached an armistice. The problem that Russia left unsolved was that there was no definite and internationally agreed resolution on the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The territories captured by Armenian fighters were proclaimed as Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which is a de facto state but is recognized as de jure by majority of international community as still part of the Azerbaijan.
The circumstances are not favorable for any of the former Soviet Union member states to make a swift transition from Russia’s patronage into the Western democracy. Even though the strings are invisible, however, Russia’s steeled hand still manipulates the strings that move the internal and external activities of its post-Soviet proxy states.
As it stands, the government of Armenia has formed an illusory acquaintance in Russia and they believed that Moscow represents the best interests of Armenian people. However, on numerous occasions, the Russian government representatives and deputies such as Vladimir Zhirinovsky (who many consider to be a controversial figure) have been outspoken about Russia’s true image of Armenia as a country and an ally. More specifically, when asked about the situation with Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Zhirinovsky announced – “I could spit on Armenia and never look back. If Armenians try to find another ally (other than Russia) we will cut ties with them. If Armenians get on the way, Russia will let Turkey and Azerbaijan run over Armenians. Armenia has no prospects of economic growth.” Zhirinovsky is one of the many politicians who have undermined the importance of Republic of Armenia as Russia’s ally.
In order to enhance the already existing economic cooperation with Russia and its allies, and provide new avenues of military empowerment, Armenia welcomed the invitation to join the Customs Union and became a complete member in 2015. This step took the Russo-Armenian relations to a higher degree and instilled more trust and sense of loyalty in the eyes of Moscow administration.
The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet regime in most communist countries of Asia and Europe did not necessarily represent an end of the rivalry between Russia and the democratic West. The Western countries never hesitated to take a backlash on Putin’s foreign policies and his decisions during recent international crises such as, 1) the Syrian Civil War that led to a chaotic situation in Northern Middle-East, 2) the Ukraine-Crimea territorial dispute where Russia intervened by claiming to resolve the issue but ended up annexing Crimea, and finally, 3) the Nagorno-Karabakh land dispute, where Russia protected the interests of the Armenians occupying those lands and meanwhile sold firearms to both parties in war.
The final, yet nonetheless significant explanation of lack of pro-Western diplomatic ties for Armenia is rooted in the reality of Azerbaijan’s positive relations with the United States, European Union member states and to a considerable degree also with Russia. Azerbaijan was able to promote its pro-Western tendencies by re-shuffling the deck of its cards that it used in global arena. It realized that since Turkey, its big brother and guardian is one of the vital NATO members, a crucial ally for the United States, and a possessor of an incredible military and economic power in the region, then it should also begin building similar connections with all of Turkey’s allies that can potentially become Azerbaijan’s new sponsors for regaining the Nagorno-Karabakh area.
Given this narrative, Azerbaijan was able to attract the attention of then Senator Barack Obama, who visited the country in 2005. By that time, the Section 907 implemented by the U.S. Congress in 1992 has been waived by President Bush, and further prolonged by Barack Obama during his presidency. The Section 907 prohibited any form of direct aid to or assistance to the Azerbaijani government. The relations further strengthened during U.S war against the terror in Afghanistan and Iraq when Azerbaijan provided intelligence information, airspace access, and refueling of U.S. aircrafts.
Azerbaijan also active participated in the NATO’s Partnership for Peace program.
In the economic sphere, Azerbaijan primarily currently cooperates with the US in the exportation of its energy resources to global markets, and particularly in Western Europe. The United States realizes the potential economic gain from the natural resources such as oil and gas available in Azerbaijan, as well as the geographical location of Azerbaijan and the access to Caspian Sea.
The United States will continue to create stable ties with Azerbaijan in order not to lose a potential important ally to Russia. Also, the United States does not rest on the matters pertaining to the security of the Azerbaijani people.
Within the context of Nagorno-Karabakh territorial dispute, it can reasonably be argued that Russia pulls the strings on Armenia as a “marionette,” whereas, the United States implements the same tactic with Azerbaijan. Ultimately, both superpowers defend their own security interests by offering partnership to the disputing states in the Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
It becomes paradoxical when one realizes that in this situation these two conflicting states do not have any alternative options that can bring the resolution of the conflict in their favor, with Azerbaijan desiring to regain Karabakh enclave, and Armenia dearly holding on to every inch of the soil with the last drop of the blood. Alas, serving for the advancement of the global superpowers and their regional interests is the only way of survival for Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Read more: Armenia and Azerbaijan are Stuck with Russia and the U.S.
The encounter between Armenia and Azerbaijan turned into an active military warfare in 1988 when the mountainous enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh region – that historically has been populated by Armenians of Artsakh – declared its willingness to join with the neighboring Republic of Armenia. Azerbaijani government opposed to this scenario and the war became inevitable. The conflict started in 1988 and rapidly escalated to a full-scale war. In 1993, the newly independent Armenians deployed military forces composed of local Armenians as well as Armenians from diaspora that captured geographically significant corridor of Lachin that provided a passage from Karabakh to Armenia. Other successful military operations included the recapturing of Shusha, Kalbajar, Qubadil, Jabrayil, Zangilan, Agdam, and Fuzuli.
Russia played a critical role in prevention of more violence in this war that lasted nearly six years within the Nagorono-Karabakh region. In May of 1994, the Russian government extenuated the ceasefire between Armenian and Azerbaijani governments. The decree nurtured by Russia became provisioned as satisfactory by both Armenian and Azerbaijani forces that reached an armistice. The problem that Russia left unsolved was that there was no definite and internationally agreed resolution on the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The territories captured by Armenian fighters were proclaimed as Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which is a de facto state but is recognized as de jure by majority of international community as still part of the Azerbaijan.
The circumstances are not favorable for any of the former Soviet Union member states to make a swift transition from Russia’s patronage into the Western democracy. Even though the strings are invisible, however, Russia’s steeled hand still manipulates the strings that move the internal and external activities of its post-Soviet proxy states.
As it stands, the government of Armenia has formed an illusory acquaintance in Russia and they believed that Moscow represents the best interests of Armenian people. However, on numerous occasions, the Russian government representatives and deputies such as Vladimir Zhirinovsky (who many consider to be a controversial figure) have been outspoken about Russia’s true image of Armenia as a country and an ally. More specifically, when asked about the situation with Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Zhirinovsky announced – “I could spit on Armenia and never look back. If Armenians try to find another ally (other than Russia) we will cut ties with them. If Armenians get on the way, Russia will let Turkey and Azerbaijan run over Armenians. Armenia has no prospects of economic growth.” Zhirinovsky is one of the many politicians who have undermined the importance of Republic of Armenia as Russia’s ally.
In order to enhance the already existing economic cooperation with Russia and its allies, and provide new avenues of military empowerment, Armenia welcomed the invitation to join the Customs Union and became a complete member in 2015. This step took the Russo-Armenian relations to a higher degree and instilled more trust and sense of loyalty in the eyes of Moscow administration.
The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet regime in most communist countries of Asia and Europe did not necessarily represent an end of the rivalry between Russia and the democratic West. The Western countries never hesitated to take a backlash on Putin’s foreign policies and his decisions during recent international crises such as, 1) the Syrian Civil War that led to a chaotic situation in Northern Middle-East, 2) the Ukraine-Crimea territorial dispute where Russia intervened by claiming to resolve the issue but ended up annexing Crimea, and finally, 3) the Nagorno-Karabakh land dispute, where Russia protected the interests of the Armenians occupying those lands and meanwhile sold firearms to both parties in war.
The final, yet nonetheless significant explanation of lack of pro-Western diplomatic ties for Armenia is rooted in the reality of Azerbaijan’s positive relations with the United States, European Union member states and to a considerable degree also with Russia. Azerbaijan was able to promote its pro-Western tendencies by re-shuffling the deck of its cards that it used in global arena. It realized that since Turkey, its big brother and guardian is one of the vital NATO members, a crucial ally for the United States, and a possessor of an incredible military and economic power in the region, then it should also begin building similar connections with all of Turkey’s allies that can potentially become Azerbaijan’s new sponsors for regaining the Nagorno-Karabakh area.
Given this narrative, Azerbaijan was able to attract the attention of then Senator Barack Obama, who visited the country in 2005. By that time, the Section 907 implemented by the U.S. Congress in 1992 has been waived by President Bush, and further prolonged by Barack Obama during his presidency. The Section 907 prohibited any form of direct aid to or assistance to the Azerbaijani government. The relations further strengthened during U.S war against the terror in Afghanistan and Iraq when Azerbaijan provided intelligence information, airspace access, and refueling of U.S. aircrafts.
Azerbaijan also active participated in the NATO’s Partnership for Peace program.
In the economic sphere, Azerbaijan primarily currently cooperates with the US in the exportation of its energy resources to global markets, and particularly in Western Europe. The United States realizes the potential economic gain from the natural resources such as oil and gas available in Azerbaijan, as well as the geographical location of Azerbaijan and the access to Caspian Sea.
The United States will continue to create stable ties with Azerbaijan in order not to lose a potential important ally to Russia. Also, the United States does not rest on the matters pertaining to the security of the Azerbaijani people.
Within the context of Nagorno-Karabakh territorial dispute, it can reasonably be argued that Russia pulls the strings on Armenia as a “marionette,” whereas, the United States implements the same tactic with Azerbaijan. Ultimately, both superpowers defend their own security interests by offering partnership to the disputing states in the Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
It becomes paradoxical when one realizes that in this situation these two conflicting states do not have any alternative options that can bring the resolution of the conflict in their favor, with Azerbaijan desiring to regain Karabakh enclave, and Armenia dearly holding on to every inch of the soil with the last drop of the blood. Alas, serving for the advancement of the global superpowers and their regional interests is the only way of survival for Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Read more: Armenia and Azerbaijan are Stuck with Russia and the U.S.
11/5/16
Wind Energy: Iran to invest in construction of wind farms in Armenia
The MAPNA Group will invest in building wind farms in Armenia with an initial capacity of 50 Mw.
The MAPNA Group is a group of Iranian companies involved in development and execution of thermal and renewable power, oil & gas, railway transportation and other industrial projects as well as manufacturing main equipment including gas and steam turbines, electrical generator, turbine blade and vane, HRSG and conventional boilers, electric and control systems, gas compressor, locomotive and other pertinent equipment.
A delegation from Armenia's Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources Ministry visited MAPNA on the sidelines of a visit to the Islamic Republic on October 31-November 1.
Read more: Iran to invest in construction of wind farms in Armenia - PanARMENIAN.Net
The MAPNA Group is a group of Iranian companies involved in development and execution of thermal and renewable power, oil & gas, railway transportation and other industrial projects as well as manufacturing main equipment including gas and steam turbines, electrical generator, turbine blade and vane, HRSG and conventional boilers, electric and control systems, gas compressor, locomotive and other pertinent equipment.
A delegation from Armenia's Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources Ministry visited MAPNA on the sidelines of a visit to the Islamic Republic on October 31-November 1.
Read more: Iran to invest in construction of wind farms in Armenia - PanARMENIAN.Net
6/8/16
Armenia: Message to Turkey?: Russia, U.S. warn ‘external players’ against interfering in Karabakh
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov warned “external players” against interfering in the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue as they discussed the latest developments in the
conflict zone in a phone conversation on Monday.
The top diplomats reiterated their governments’ appeal for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov and Kerry voiced “serious concern at the escalation of the confrontation” and agreed that “Russia, the United States and France, as co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, will step up their efforts to foster a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”
“Sergey Lavrov and John Kerry condemned attempts by certain ‘external players’ to whip up the standoff around Karabakh,” it added without elaborating.
Lavrov also spoke about forces “keen to seriously complicate the settlement process” as he gave a press conference in Moscow earlier that day. He did not give names, but many analysts in Armenia and outside interpret it as a message primarily addressed to Turkey, with which Russia has been on loggerheads since last year over the situation in Syria.
Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey have repeatedly criticized the United States, Russian and French mediators for purportedly siding with Armenia in their activities as go-betweens in the Karabakh conflict settlement.
Meanwhile, loss of life continued in the conflict zone late on Monday as the sides issued conflicting reports about the situation on the ground.
In particular, Nagorno-Karabakh’s Defense Ministry denied that Azerbaijan captured the strategically important village of Mataghis in the northeast of Karabakh.
The OSCE Minsk Group is meeting in Vienna, Austria, on April 5 to discuss the latest developments in Nagorno-Karabakh.
It also emerged on Monday that the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will attend a meeting of Commonwealth of Independent States (former Soviet countries) foreign ministers that is scheduled to be held in Moscow, Russia, on April 8.
It is not yet clear whether the top diplomats plan a separate meeting to discuss the latest upsurge in violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
Read more: Message to Turkey?: Russia, U.S. warn ‘external players’ against interfering in Karabakh - News | ArmeniaNow.com
The top diplomats reiterated their governments’ appeal for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov and Kerry voiced “serious concern at the escalation of the confrontation” and agreed that “Russia, the United States and France, as co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, will step up their efforts to foster a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”
“Sergey Lavrov and John Kerry condemned attempts by certain ‘external players’ to whip up the standoff around Karabakh,” it added without elaborating.
Lavrov also spoke about forces “keen to seriously complicate the settlement process” as he gave a press conference in Moscow earlier that day. He did not give names, but many analysts in Armenia and outside interpret it as a message primarily addressed to Turkey, with which Russia has been on loggerheads since last year over the situation in Syria.
Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey have repeatedly criticized the United States, Russian and French mediators for purportedly siding with Armenia in their activities as go-betweens in the Karabakh conflict settlement.
Meanwhile, loss of life continued in the conflict zone late on Monday as the sides issued conflicting reports about the situation on the ground.
In particular, Nagorno-Karabakh’s Defense Ministry denied that Azerbaijan captured the strategically important village of Mataghis in the northeast of Karabakh.
The OSCE Minsk Group is meeting in Vienna, Austria, on April 5 to discuss the latest developments in Nagorno-Karabakh.
It also emerged on Monday that the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will attend a meeting of Commonwealth of Independent States (former Soviet countries) foreign ministers that is scheduled to be held in Moscow, Russia, on April 8.
It is not yet clear whether the top diplomats plan a separate meeting to discuss the latest upsurge in violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
Read more: Message to Turkey?: Russia, U.S. warn ‘external players’ against interfering in Karabakh - News | ArmeniaNow.com
6/7/16
Germany: Merkel rejects Turkey′s ′incomprehensible′ comments amid Armenian genocide row
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rebuked Turkey over accusations made
against German lawmakers of Turkish origin. Ankara hit out after Berlin
passed a resolution declaring the 1915 Armenian massacre, "genocide."
Speaking during a joint news conference with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in Berlin on Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated comments made by her spokesman Steffen Seibert on Monday June 6, 2016, saying that lawmakers in Germany's lower house of parliament are "freely elected without exception."
"The accusations and statements which have been made by the Turkish side are incomprehensible," Merkel said.
"It was clear with the passing of the resolution that there is a difference of views between the majority of the Bundestag and the Turkish side," said Merkel, stressing that she would push for direct talks between Turkey and Armenia.
Read more: Merkel rejects Turkey′s ′incomprehensible′ comments amid Armenian genocide row | News | DW.COM | 07.06.2016
Speaking during a joint news conference with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev in Berlin on Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated comments made by her spokesman Steffen Seibert on Monday June 6, 2016, saying that lawmakers in Germany's lower house of parliament are "freely elected without exception."
"The accusations and statements which have been made by the Turkish side are incomprehensible," Merkel said.
"It was clear with the passing of the resolution that there is a difference of views between the majority of the Bundestag and the Turkish side," said Merkel, stressing that she would push for direct talks between Turkey and Armenia.
Read more: Merkel rejects Turkey′s ′incomprehensible′ comments amid Armenian genocide row | News | DW.COM | 07.06.2016
6/6/16
Turkey: Germany hits back at Erdogan comments in Armenia row
Chancellor Angela Merkel's
office hit back Monday at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a
blistering row over a German parliamentary vote declaring the Ottoman
Empire committed genocide against Armenians.
Erdogan has angrily condemned last week's vote on the World War I massacres, charging that the 11 German MPs with Turkish roots who backed it supported "terrorism" by the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), and demanding Sunday that they undergo "blood tests" to see "what kind of Turks they are".
But Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said that while Berlin also considers the PKK a terrorist group, "to associate individual members of parliament with terrorism is utterly incomprehensible to us".
Integration Minister Aydan Ozoguz labelled the terrorism claim "incredible" and said it "represents a severe test for German-Turkish relations".
The June 2 vote added yet another bone of contention to Turkey's troubled relationship with the European Union, and comes as the 28-nation bloc is banking on Ankara to block the flow of migrants into Europe.
Seibert made clear that "the resolution was a political initiative that emerged from the midst of the Bundestag, which is a democratically-elected, independent organ under our constitution".
"The Bundestag reached a sovereign decision. That must be respected," Seibert said, adding that this was the message Merkel had given to the Turkish president.
Read more: Flash - Germany hits back at Erdogan comments in Armenia row - France 24
Erdogan has angrily condemned last week's vote on the World War I massacres, charging that the 11 German MPs with Turkish roots who backed it supported "terrorism" by the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), and demanding Sunday that they undergo "blood tests" to see "what kind of Turks they are".
But Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said that while Berlin also considers the PKK a terrorist group, "to associate individual members of parliament with terrorism is utterly incomprehensible to us".
Integration Minister Aydan Ozoguz labelled the terrorism claim "incredible" and said it "represents a severe test for German-Turkish relations".
The June 2 vote added yet another bone of contention to Turkey's troubled relationship with the European Union, and comes as the 28-nation bloc is banking on Ankara to block the flow of migrants into Europe.
Seibert made clear that "the resolution was a political initiative that emerged from the midst of the Bundestag, which is a democratically-elected, independent organ under our constitution".
"The Bundestag reached a sovereign decision. That must be respected," Seibert said, adding that this was the message Merkel had given to the Turkish president.
Read more: Flash - Germany hits back at Erdogan comments in Armenia row - France 24
4/24/16
Armenia and Turkish Genocide Dispute: Full-Page WSJ Ad Denying Armenian Genocide Spurs Anger - by Stav Ziv
A full-page ad denying the Armenian genocide spurred anger Wednesday, appearing in The Wall Street Journal just days before the 101st anniversary of the event’s start on April 24, 1915.
“Truth = Peace,” the ad declared in large font at the center of the page. At the top, in smaller letters, it said,
“Stop the allegations,” and directed readers to a website called Fact Check Armenia, which declares as false the idea that “the events of 1915 constitute a clear-cut genocide against the Armenian people” and calls efforts of the Armenian diaspora to gain recognition of the genocide “propaganda.”
The ad shows three hands—a hand making a peace sign in the middle is tinged with red and features the star and crescent of the Turkish flag, and is flanked by a hand on each side with fingers crossed in the hues of the Armenian and Russian flags.
Gary Bass, a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, tweeted a photo of the ad Wednesday morning, garnering hundreds of retweets and a slew of reactions, many of which chided The Wall Street Journal for printing it and questioned whether the paper would have printed a similar ad related to the Holocaust.
According to a post on the Chicago Armenian Genocide Centennial committee’s Facebook page, the same ad also appeared Wednesday in the pages of the Chicago Tribune. The newspaper ads come soon after billboards with similar designs appeared near Boston’s Armenian Heritage Park and in the Chicago area
.
“It should be taken down,” Lori Yogurtian, founder of the Armenian Students Association at Suffolk University, told the Boston Globe when the billboard appeared in Boston’s North End in early April. “It’s completely one-sided, completely perpetuating denial of something that has time and time again been proven as a fact.”
The billboard was indeed taken down, the Globe reported, with a spokesman for its owner, Clear Channel Outdoor, saying “the ad was placed there in error.” The Chicago centennial group said in a post on Facebook that the billboards in that area had also been removed.
In response to the criticism, a Wall Street Journal spokesperson said in a comment provided to Gawker that “we accept a wide range of advertisements, including those with provocative viewpoints. While we review ad copy for issues of taste, the varied and divergent views expressed belong to the advertisers.”
Ab Kaan, a coordinator for The Turkic Platform and Fact Check Armenia, said in an email to Newsweek that “all data in Fact Check Armenia is produced by The Turkic Platform,” which is supported by Turkish companies in Turkey, Europe and primarily in the U.S.
Several countries, including the United States, have failed to formally recognize the Armenian genocide as genocide, or to use the “G-word” in commemoration ceremonies, despite efforts by lobbyists that intensified leading up to last year’s centennial. However, historians and genocide scholars agree that the events beginning in 1915 constituted genocide.
“There is a near consensus that the Armenian genocide was a genocide, or that genocide is the right word,” David Simon, a professor of political science at Yale University and co-director of its Genocide Studies Program, told Newsweek ahead of the 100th anniversary last year. “The deportations and massacres amounted to a crime we now know is genocide. In 1915, there was no such word.”
The controversy is generated by Turkey, says Armen Marsoobian, a professor of philosophy at Southern Connecticut State University who teaches courses in comparative genocide. Turkey vehemently opposes the use of the term “genocide” to describe the events, and recalled ambassadors to the Vatican and Austria after Pope Francis and Austrian lawmakers did so ahead of the centennial.
Read more: Full-Page WSJ Ad Denying Armenian Genocide Spurs Anger
“Truth = Peace,” the ad declared in large font at the center of the page. At the top, in smaller letters, it said,
“Stop the allegations,” and directed readers to a website called Fact Check Armenia, which declares as false the idea that “the events of 1915 constitute a clear-cut genocide against the Armenian people” and calls efforts of the Armenian diaspora to gain recognition of the genocide “propaganda.”
The ad shows three hands—a hand making a peace sign in the middle is tinged with red and features the star and crescent of the Turkish flag, and is flanked by a hand on each side with fingers crossed in the hues of the Armenian and Russian flags.
Gary Bass, a professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, tweeted a photo of the ad Wednesday morning, garnering hundreds of retweets and a slew of reactions, many of which chided The Wall Street Journal for printing it and questioned whether the paper would have printed a similar ad related to the Holocaust.
According to a post on the Chicago Armenian Genocide Centennial committee’s Facebook page, the same ad also appeared Wednesday in the pages of the Chicago Tribune. The newspaper ads come soon after billboards with similar designs appeared near Boston’s Armenian Heritage Park and in the Chicago area
.
“It should be taken down,” Lori Yogurtian, founder of the Armenian Students Association at Suffolk University, told the Boston Globe when the billboard appeared in Boston’s North End in early April. “It’s completely one-sided, completely perpetuating denial of something that has time and time again been proven as a fact.”
The billboard was indeed taken down, the Globe reported, with a spokesman for its owner, Clear Channel Outdoor, saying “the ad was placed there in error.” The Chicago centennial group said in a post on Facebook that the billboards in that area had also been removed.
In response to the criticism, a Wall Street Journal spokesperson said in a comment provided to Gawker that “we accept a wide range of advertisements, including those with provocative viewpoints. While we review ad copy for issues of taste, the varied and divergent views expressed belong to the advertisers.”
Ab Kaan, a coordinator for The Turkic Platform and Fact Check Armenia, said in an email to Newsweek that “all data in Fact Check Armenia is produced by The Turkic Platform,” which is supported by Turkish companies in Turkey, Europe and primarily in the U.S.
Several countries, including the United States, have failed to formally recognize the Armenian genocide as genocide, or to use the “G-word” in commemoration ceremonies, despite efforts by lobbyists that intensified leading up to last year’s centennial. However, historians and genocide scholars agree that the events beginning in 1915 constituted genocide.
“There is a near consensus that the Armenian genocide was a genocide, or that genocide is the right word,” David Simon, a professor of political science at Yale University and co-director of its Genocide Studies Program, told Newsweek ahead of the 100th anniversary last year. “The deportations and massacres amounted to a crime we now know is genocide. In 1915, there was no such word.”
The controversy is generated by Turkey, says Armen Marsoobian, a professor of philosophy at Southern Connecticut State University who teaches courses in comparative genocide. Turkey vehemently opposes the use of the term “genocide” to describe the events, and recalled ambassadors to the Vatican and Austria after Pope Francis and Austrian lawmakers did so ahead of the centennial.
Read more: Full-Page WSJ Ad Denying Armenian Genocide Spurs Anger
4/25/15
Armenia: Turkey and Armenia Host Clashing Centennial Memorials - by Noah Rayman
Commemorations of two 1915 events—the mass killings of Armenians in Turkey and the Turkish stand at Gallipoli—have caused tension More than 60 leaders and representatives from around the world converged on the Armenian capital on Friday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of a period during which more than 1 million Armenians were killed in Turkey.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President François Hollande both attended the ceremony, while the White House dispatched Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.
The anniversary of the 1915 killings, in what was then the eastern edge of the Ottoman Empire, has coincided with a surge in international awareness. In the past month, global icons ranging from Pope Francis to Kim Kardashian (who has Armenian ancestry) have ruffled Turkish feathers by shedding light on the killings and using the term “genocide,” which the Turkish government rejects. And as world envoys gather in Yerevan, similar ceremonies will be held in cities around the world.
On April 24, 1915, the Ottomans rounded up Armenian intellectuals in Istanbul in the beginning of what historians widely consider a genocidal act of bloodshed. In an article years later about a violent Armenian campaign for vengeance, TIME Magazine described the killings - click on the link below for the complete report
Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President François Hollande both attended the ceremony, while the White House dispatched Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.
The anniversary of the 1915 killings, in what was then the eastern edge of the Ottoman Empire, has coincided with a surge in international awareness. In the past month, global icons ranging from Pope Francis to Kim Kardashian (who has Armenian ancestry) have ruffled Turkish feathers by shedding light on the killings and using the term “genocide,” which the Turkish government rejects. And as world envoys gather in Yerevan, similar ceremonies will be held in cities around the world.
On April 24, 1915, the Ottomans rounded up Armenian intellectuals in Istanbul in the beginning of what historians widely consider a genocidal act of bloodshed. In an article years later about a violent Armenian campaign for vengeance, TIME Magazine described the killings - click on the link below for the complete report
Indeed terrible atrocities took place on both sides - but the figure of 1.5, constantly quoted, mainly by Armenians, as to the number of Armenian victims is fictitious. There were not even that number of Armenians living in the whole of Turkey at that time.
Hopefully some time soon some independent forum (UN) can come up with a realistic answer to what now seems to have become a profitable venture for the Armenians and a very sad, but time consuming issue for everyone else.
Read more: Turkey and Armenia Host Clashing Centennial Memorials | TIME
4/17/15
Armenia - Turkey: was it "Genocide" or are there two sides to this story ?
Regardless of how we refer to the event, it is now of interest to historians, and the current Armenian endeavor to convince parliaments of different countries to pass genocide recognition bills, to come up with some better factual information, before everyone starts jumping to conclusions
Erickson, whose 2013 book “Ottomans and Armenians: A Study in Counterinsurgency” was the first account from a military perspective of the forced relocations, or “Tehcir" in Turkish, shared his views on what actually happened a hundred years ago.
A retired US army officer, Erickson delved into the Turkish archives and researched extensively before writing his book. He concluded that the Tehcir was vital, as it allowed the Ottoman government to disaffiliate insurgents from "Entente" (European powers), had posed a threat to the existence of the empire.
Frankly, the Armenian revolutionary committees were unsuccessful in achieving their goals; in the end they were crushed, and the majority of the Ottoman Armenians were either dead or refugees.
One of the major reasons for the failure of the committees was that the Armenian revolutionary committees were never a popularly supported movement among the majority of Ottoman Armenians, who were law abiding Turkish citizens. In order to be successful, a revolutionary movement must have a base of popular support and the Armenian revolutionary committees never had that.
The Ottoman government forced about 400,000 Ottoman Armenians to relocate. These Armenians mostly lived in six eastern provinces and in key cities along the army's lines of communication.
Since the Ottoman government and army were unable to determine which Armenians were actively supporting the committees and which Armenians were not. They erred on the side of what they believed to be national security, and relocated all of them from selected locations.
In 1917, there were still over 350,000 Ottoman Armenians living in their own homes in what is western Turkey today.
The successful inclusion of any minority in the political process is problematic at best. Simply having a few representatives in parliament cannot change the fundamental mismatch of political power.
The successful inclusion of any minority in the political process is problematic at best. Simply having a few representatives in parliament cannot change the fundamental mismatch of political power.
The Ottomans felt obliged to adopt a brand-new method to quell the Armenian insurrection, a method that was expressed in a decree by the government on May 31,1915. In what ways was this new method different from the counterinsurgency methods the Ottomans had resorted to throughout their history?
This was the first time the Ottoman government did not have sufficient military forces available to deal with rebellion. Traditionally, the Ottomans dealt with rebellion by sending in the army. In the spring of 1915, without the army in its normal garrisons, the Ministry of War had to find an alternative to the use of force.
The relocation of the Armenians from the rear areas of the eastern war zones was the solution of choice. While relocation was a new approach for the Ottoman Empire, in fact, it had been widely practiced by the Great Powers.
Confronting the past has nothing to do with it. It is important to consider that the Ottoman government in 1915 did not “invent” population removal as a way to deal with rebellion. It was widely used in practice by many of the Great Powers before World War I. We must also not forget that the government did not deport the Ottoman Armenians (deportation is permanent) and that the government intended to allow them to return to their homes after the war.
The relocations would not have happened if well-known leaders of the revolutionary committees (Andranik [Ozanian], Dro [Drastamat Kanayan] and Boghos Nubar, for example had not aligned themselves (and the committees) with the Russians, British, and French.
Keep in mind that most Ottoman Armenians, and even many of the committee members, wanted the Ottoman Armenian population to remain law abiding and support the Ottoman government in 1914. They understood that rebellion would likely result in the destruction of Armenian lives and property. However, the actions of a few influential individuals brought great suffering to the majority of Ottoman Armenians, who were innocent bystanders.
Tens of thousands of Armenians died during the relocation Were the Ottomans taking some kind of revenge?
There are number of explanations of why this happened. Many historians believe that hatred and jealousy against the Ottoman Armenians had built up over several generations. This made it easier for the numerous atrocities to happen.
There is absolutely no question that the Ottoman government did not fully consider what might happen to the hundreds of thousands of relocated Armenians. There is no doubt that the government did not have the resources to protect, feed and care for the huge numbers of Armenians under its care.
The relocations were badly managed and under resourced. The relocation convoys became easy targets for both criminal gangs and poorly supervised provincial officials. Let us also say that the Hamidiye cavalry regiments had long since been disestablished by the Ministry of War, but it is very likely that many of the renegades and criminals who preyed on the convoys were ex-Hamidiye cavalrymen.
Some historians argue that the Special Organization (Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa) opted to let things worsen and even facilitated the mass killings of civilian Armenians en route to the camps. Are these claims substantiated by historical facts?
The Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa played no part in the relocations or the massacres of Armenians that accompanied the relocations and convoys.
Recent scholarly work by Dr. Ahmet Tetik and Ph.D. candidate Polat Safi establish that the SO had no part of this. The case against the SO was constructed by Vahakn Dadrian from a textual analysis of the 1919 newspaper accounts of the 1919 İstanbul show trials of individuals accused of war crimes. Dadrian's thesis is incorrect.
The CUP was a secret revolutionary group that did not oppose the use of terror to achieve its goals. The inner circle of the CUP had overthrown the Ottoman government and there is no question that Enver and the other CUP leaders knew exactly how dangerous secret revolutionary committees could be.
Enver and the leadership of the SO were also knowledgeable about guerrilla and irregular warfare, which also caused them to worry about the Armenian revolutionary committees' activities in 1915.
Whether it was a genocide or not. It might have been a genocide or it might not have been a genocide. To be honest, there is no authentic evidence (a paper trail of documents) today proving that this was a top-down, state-sponsored campaign of annihilation. However, neither can the reverse -- that it was not a genocide -- has been totally proven either.
What I assert is that the Armenian population of six provinces, as well as selected individuals elsewhere in the Ottoman Empire who were considered dangerous, were relocated for military reasons related to the perception that a large-scale Armenian insurgency , coordinated with and supported by the Russians, was about to erupt.
Bottom-line seems to be that this group of Armenians was not relocated to be killed; they were relocated as a precautionary military measure. In the absence of full evidence, it is premature to attach a label such as genocide to what happened in 1915.
Ottoman Armenians from all provinces and cities were relocated, mostly from the six eastern provinces.
However, many Armenians in the western provinces were excluded from relocation, such as Protestant and Catholic Armenians, also Armenians who worked on the railroad system, and also Armenian government officials and Armenian officers and soldiers (and their families). When the Ottoman government, however, thought, that Ottoman Armenian had links to, or was sympathetic toward, the committees, they were relocated.
Most Ottoman Armenians were law-abiding Ottoman empire citizens who had no interest in rebellion.
The mobilization and war plans, which were aimed at external threats, did not consider the Ottoman Armenians as an internal threat. It was only after an escalating series of incidents, including small rebellions and small landings on the Mediterranean coast by the British navy in early 1915, that the committees came to be seen as dangerous.
It is beyond doubt that the Armenian revolutionary committees in eastern Anatolia possessed the capability and the capacity to interdict the Ottoman army's lines of communications. What does this mean? Simply, there were small numbers of Armenians in key locations who had the ability to block and obstruct the flow of supplies (food, fodder and ammunition) to the Third Army, which was fighting the Russians.
If this had been allowed to happened, the Third Army would grow progressively weaker and would be unable to stop the Russians. The Ottoman military staffs believed that this was happening in March and April 1915 and they had plenty of reports as evidence.
Consequently the Ottoman government took action (relocations) to prevent this from happening. The relocations and elimination of the committees can be compared to cutting out a cancer before it metastasizes.
In American history, George Washington is a hero, but he was also a traitor to the British King George III. Washington's side won the war. Robert E. Lee, a famous confederate general, was also seen as a traitor. His side lost the war.
So, whether one calls rebels, insurgents and guerrillas “traitors” depends on who wins or loses the war.
There is no question that the small numbers of Ottoman Armenians who engaged in rebellion, terrorism or who fought alongside the Russians were seen as traitors to the political entity known as the Ottoman Empire of which they were citizens.
The Ottoman army commanders and staffs saw the hostile activities of the Ottoman Armenians as evidence of military operations that were coordinated with and supported by the Russians. The Ottomans viewed the external operations of the Russian army and Armenian Druzhiny [legions] as complementary to the internal hostile
Opening up all of the archives on both sides of the argument will be good but probably won't accomplish much. Historians will never be able to agree conclusively about what actually happened. There will always be those who believe there was a genocide and those who think that it was something else.“
Open” archives is also an ambiguous and relative term. The Turkish archives are open, but it is very hard to gain access to because of the paperwork involved. For example, research in any Turkish archives by a foreigner requires a special visa from the Foreign Ministry.
US and EU archives do not require a special visa and anyone can walk in and get a research card.
Moreover, the Turkish military archives are located inside the military compounds in Ankara and one cannot just “walk in” like at the US archives in College Park, Maryland or in to EU archives in Bruxelles. in Kew.
That said, however, the Turkish archives are “more open” than the Armenian archives or the records of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which are not open to International scholars.
Some historians say that the Armenian archives are not open to researchers because they contain information confirming that the Armenian revolutionary committees were engaged in an actual conspiracy with the Russians and the committees intended to conduct a coordinated joint offensive against the Ottoman Empire.
This is obviously only a guess on the part of some historians but it does make sense.
The official Turkish government position today is that more research is needed to fully understand what happened.
President Erdoğan has called for a joint historical commission to investigate the events of 1915.
Essentially, this also means the Turkish government has moved away from a position of total denial (“it never happened”) to a more realistic position of “we don't really know what happened and we are willing to support historical research to discover the truth.” This is a good position.
Regarding the diplomacy surrounding the issue. Today's Republic of Turkey was not in existence in 1915 and probably ought to totally ignore accusations on the subject until their has been an international and neutral, possibly UN study done on the subject.
Parliaments cannot legislate history by voting on resolutions re: the Armenian genocide, which are not based on accurate facts and figures.
Parliamentary recognition, or the Pope's statements about the so-called Armenian genocide really don't mean too much or carry a lot of weight in the modern world of today, unless it supported by massive evidence - which so far it has not
Turkey and Armenia will need to request the UN to do an in-depth study on the issue resulting in a binding conclusion to finally end this drama of mutual accusations.
EU-Digest
4/10/15
The Netherlands -Armenia: Dutch parliament overrules “Armenian genocide” motion
The motion proposing to recognize 1915 events in Tukey as “Armenian
genocide” was overruled by Dutch parliament with 78 pros against 63 cons
today Friday 10th of April.
The Dutch Parliament also refused to approve a resolution
prescribing to adopt in government’s official language “Armenian
genocide” instead of “Armenian genocide issue” which has been
used for many years.
The parliament also overruled another motion requiring to send King Willem Alexander, Prime Minister Mark Rutte or at least one of the Dutch Government ministers to Armenia to attend the so-called "commemoration genocide ceremony" which will be held on April 24. Instead the motion calling both Turkish and Armenian nations to develop mutual understanding and expressing the wish that any commemoration ceremonies would contribute to respect and acceptance between the two communities was overwhelmingly approved.
The DENK movement – a political organization established by Turkish people living in Netherlands – and being represented in the Dutch parliament with two deputies, stated that they have voted against the resolutions and they will continue to spend all of their efforts to block such future motions.
“Dutch parliament is not the right place to make a judgements about some unfortunate occurrances which happened some 100 years ago,” DENK deputy Tunahan Kuzu underscored.
Note EU-Digest: Good move by Dutch Parliament - before the Armenian Diaspora seriously can start accusing anyone about Genocide they should allow their own Government archives to be opened to international research teams to study historical documents on the issue, like the Turks have done. Present actions by the Armenian Diaspora on this issue are now seen by many political observers around the world more as a fund raising issue than anything else.
EU-Digest
The Dutch Parliament also refused to approve a resolution
prescribing to adopt in government’s official language “Armenian
genocide” instead of “Armenian genocide issue” which has been
used for many years.The parliament also overruled another motion requiring to send King Willem Alexander, Prime Minister Mark Rutte or at least one of the Dutch Government ministers to Armenia to attend the so-called "commemoration genocide ceremony" which will be held on April 24. Instead the motion calling both Turkish and Armenian nations to develop mutual understanding and expressing the wish that any commemoration ceremonies would contribute to respect and acceptance between the two communities was overwhelmingly approved.
The DENK movement – a political organization established by Turkish people living in Netherlands – and being represented in the Dutch parliament with two deputies, stated that they have voted against the resolutions and they will continue to spend all of their efforts to block such future motions.
“Dutch parliament is not the right place to make a judgements about some unfortunate occurrances which happened some 100 years ago,” DENK deputy Tunahan Kuzu underscored.
Note EU-Digest: Good move by Dutch Parliament - before the Armenian Diaspora seriously can start accusing anyone about Genocide they should allow their own Government archives to be opened to international research teams to study historical documents on the issue, like the Turks have done. Present actions by the Armenian Diaspora on this issue are now seen by many political observers around the world more as a fund raising issue than anything else.
EU-Digest
3/7/14
Armenia says it will continue relations with Ukraine ‘regardless of Ukrainians’ choice’
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh
Kocharyan declared at the weekend, commenting on Yerevan’s position on
the internal political events in Ukraine that, as it appears now, have
brought the eastern European nation to the brink of war with Russia that continued cooperation and relations in all spheres with Kiev meet the
interests of the Republic of Armenia,
.
“We deem that regardless of the choice of Ukraine our relations will be continued,” said Kocharyan in answer to a question by an RFE/RL Armenian Service correspondent. The Armenian official, in particular, was referring to the preterm general elections that have been appointed in Ukraine after the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych and the formation of an interim government consisting of opposition members and representatives of the Maidan – a pro-EU movement that launched street protests in late November in response to the Ukrainian leadership’s decision not to sign an Association Agreement with Brussels.
The situation in Ukraine, which is home to a sizable Armenian community unofficially numbering some 600,000, including both ethnic Armenian citizens of Ukraine and citizens of Armenia working and staying there, has been rapidly evolving over the weekend as separatist sentiments have been on the rise in more pro-Russian eastern parts of the country and especially in the Crimea, the southernmost peninsula that hosts the Russian Black Sea Navy and has a predominantly ethnic Russian population.
Since last Thursday the Autonomous Republic of Crimea has refused to report to Kiev as control over this strategic region fully passed to its pro-Russian leadership. The Russian military, meanwhile, was deployed in the Crimean region as legislators in Moscow also gave President Vladimir Putin wide powers for an armed invasion of Ukraine at any moment to back the country’s ethnic Russian and Russian-speaking population.
Read more: Armenia says will continue relations with Ukraine ‘regardless of Ukrainians’ choice’ - News | ArmeniaNow.com
.
“We deem that regardless of the choice of Ukraine our relations will be continued,” said Kocharyan in answer to a question by an RFE/RL Armenian Service correspondent. The Armenian official, in particular, was referring to the preterm general elections that have been appointed in Ukraine after the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych and the formation of an interim government consisting of opposition members and representatives of the Maidan – a pro-EU movement that launched street protests in late November in response to the Ukrainian leadership’s decision not to sign an Association Agreement with Brussels.
The situation in Ukraine, which is home to a sizable Armenian community unofficially numbering some 600,000, including both ethnic Armenian citizens of Ukraine and citizens of Armenia working and staying there, has been rapidly evolving over the weekend as separatist sentiments have been on the rise in more pro-Russian eastern parts of the country and especially in the Crimea, the southernmost peninsula that hosts the Russian Black Sea Navy and has a predominantly ethnic Russian population.
Since last Thursday the Autonomous Republic of Crimea has refused to report to Kiev as control over this strategic region fully passed to its pro-Russian leadership. The Russian military, meanwhile, was deployed in the Crimean region as legislators in Moscow also gave President Vladimir Putin wide powers for an armed invasion of Ukraine at any moment to back the country’s ethnic Russian and Russian-speaking population.
Read more: Armenia says will continue relations with Ukraine ‘regardless of Ukrainians’ choice’ - News | ArmeniaNow.com
3/2/14
Russia: Putin's Playbook - "Soft Annexation" - The Strategy Behind Russia's Takeover of Crimea -by Uri Friedman
 |
| President Vladimir Putin |
But terminology matters here. Take the word "uncontested": The southern peninsula of Crimea, which the Soviet Union transferred to Ukraine in 1954 and which now hosts the Russian military's Black Sea Fleet, is the only region in the country where ethnic Russians are a majority (60 percent of a population of 2 million). And a good number of them favor closer relations with, if not outright annexation by, Moscow; according to one recent poll, 42 percent of Crimean residents want Ukraine to unite with Russia.
That doesn't mean there aren't Ukrainian nationalists or Kremlin opponents in Crimea—there certainly are—but it does mean many people in the autonomous republic, spooked by the ouster last week of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych, welcome Russian military intervention.
Or take the word "arrival": If this is an invasion, it's a disorienting and not yet fully formed one. There were the shadowy, Russian-speaking gunmen who fanned out across Crimea on Friday, seizing government buildings and airports. And then there was the series of seemingly orchestrated events on Saturday:
Crimea's freshly minted prime minister pleading for Russian help; Russia's lower house of parliament urging Vladimir Putin to "stabilize" Crimea, the Russian president obliging; the upper house swiftly granting him the authority to use force in Ukraine. Putin is pledging to make his next move soon, as his military masses and the White House fumes. All told, we're now witnessing what Reuters is calling the "biggest confrontation between Russia and the West since the Cold War."
So what should we call the worrying developments in Ukraine? And what is Putin thinking?
Back in 2008, Thomas de Waal, an expert on the South Caucasus, argued that Putin's greatest legacy is something de Waal called "soft annexation," which, at the time, was underway in Georgia's breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The idea, expressed in various forms over the years, is that Russia is pulling political, economic, and military levers—all of which fall short of traditional invasion—to exploit ethnic conflicts in countries that used to be in its orbit. And the goal is to leverage these tensions, which are often relics of the Soviet Union's messy consolidation and collapse, to gain influence in former Soviet states, while preventing these countries from moving closer to the West.
Read more: Putin's Playbook: The Strategy Behind Russia's Takeover of Crimea - Uri Friedman - The Atlantic
Armenia showing their "true colors" - by joining Russia's Customs Uniion mid-April
Armenia says it will be ready to join a Russia-led customs union within weeks.
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian said in Yerevan on March 1 that his country will accomplish all necessary tasks by mid-April in order to join the CIS Customs Union, which also includes Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Kocharian said the Armenian parliament will debate the customs-union agreement after the document is approved by Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
The leader of the opposition Armenian National Congress coalition, former President Levon Ter-Petrossian, has called on Armenians to "accept" the nation's upcoming membership in the Russia-led customs union.
Ter-Petrossian spoke on March 1 to thousands of people who gathered in central Yerevan to commemorate the deaths of 10 people in 2008 during deadly postelection clashes between Armenian security forces and protesters.
Ter-Petrossian said Armenia needed to lean toward Russia because joining the European Union does not appear to feasible for the country at the current time.
Ter-Petrossian said Armenia is a small country that "cannot afford a civil war."
Armenia announced its intention to join the union in September and chose, in late November, not to initial an Association Agreement with the European Union.
EU-Digest
Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian said in Yerevan on March 1 that his country will accomplish all necessary tasks by mid-April in order to join the CIS Customs Union, which also includes Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Kocharian said the Armenian parliament will debate the customs-union agreement after the document is approved by Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
The leader of the opposition Armenian National Congress coalition, former President Levon Ter-Petrossian, has called on Armenians to "accept" the nation's upcoming membership in the Russia-led customs union.
Ter-Petrossian spoke on March 1 to thousands of people who gathered in central Yerevan to commemorate the deaths of 10 people in 2008 during deadly postelection clashes between Armenian security forces and protesters.
Ter-Petrossian said Armenia needed to lean toward Russia because joining the European Union does not appear to feasible for the country at the current time.
Ter-Petrossian said Armenia is a small country that "cannot afford a civil war."
Armenia announced its intention to join the union in September and chose, in late November, not to initial an Association Agreement with the European Union.
EU-Digest
Turks, Azerbaijans and friends of Azerbaijan commemorate Armenian Khojaly genocide victims in Fort Lauderdale - by RM
The Florida Turkish Center in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday evening, March 1, 2014 commemorated the cruel Armenian genocide of innocent Azerbaijan civilians at Khojaly..Following an introduction by Mrs Tohfa Eminova, President of the Florida Azerbaijan Association, Mr Samir Bejanov, Political Officer of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Washington DC, provided the audience with a comprehensive report illustrated with slides and a video presentation of the actual sequence of events surrounding the Khojaly genocide.
 |
| Mrs. Tohfa Eminova - (photo MB) |
Some 613 people were killed, 487 people were injured. Some 1275 residents were taken hostages. Most of them did not return from captivity. Their fate still remains unknown.
The Khojaly genocide is considered a crime not only against Azerbaijani people, but also against humanity, since it is fully consistent with the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted on December 9, 1948.
According to this Convention, any crime against people based on their ethnicity is called genocide. And in Khojaly people were killed just because they were Azerbaijanis.
 |
| Mr. Samir Bejanov (photo MB) |
Following the establishment of the
Soviet rule in Armenia in late 1920, the Armenians were presented with a
real opportunity to fulfill their age-old dream of creating an Armenian
State on the territories of other nations.
During the 70-years of Soviet
rule, the Armenians succeeded in expanding their territory at the
expense of Azerbaijan and using every possible means to expel the
Azerbaijanis from their lands.
Also during this period, the policy to expel the
Azerbaijanis from their lands was implemented systematically and methodically.
In 1920
the Armenians declared Zangezur and a number of other Azerbaijani lands
to be part of the territory of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.
In 1923 they managed to secure the status of an autonomous province for
the mountainous part of Karabakh within Azerbaijan. Consequently this created an artificial entity within the territory of Azerbaijan, while the
Azerbaijani population living in the territory of Armenia at that time were not given similar rights.
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| Florida Turkish American Association members (photo MB) |
Before the adoption of this decision, basically at the end of 1987, the Azerbaijanis became subject of attacks in Khankendi (during the Soviet/Russian period ) and this
resulted in a flood of Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons.
On 22 February 1988 near the settlement
of Askeran on the Khankendi-Aghdam highway, the Armenians opened fire on
a peaceful demonstration by the Azerbaijanis protesting against the
above-mentioned decision of the Soviet People’s Deputies of the
Nagorny Karabakh Autonomous Province. As a consequence two Azerbaijani youths lost their
lives, becoming the first victims of the conflict.
In 1991 central law-enforcement agencies
of the then USSR apprehended dozens of the Armenian armed groups that
operated outside Nagorny Karabakh. As a result, the Chaykend village of the
Khanlar district of Azerbaijan was turned by the Armenian armed groups
into a criminal hub from which they bombed and shelled surrounding
villages and roads, terrorizing the local Azerbaijani population. From
1989 to 1991, in Chaykend and adjacent areas 54 people fell victim
to the Armenian armed groups. In 1992 Azerbaijan regained its control
over the Goranboy district.
At the end of 1991 and the beginning of
1992 the conflict turned into a military phase. Taking advantage of the
political instability as a result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union
and internal squabbles in Azerbaijan, Armenia initiated by giving external military assistance to combat operations in Nagorny Karabakh.
In February 1992, an unprecedented
massacre was committed against the Azerbaijani population in the town of
Khojaly. This bloody tragedy, which became known as the Khojaly
genocide, involved the extermination or capture of thousands of
Azerbaijanis as their town was razed to the ground.
During that fatal night of 25 to 26 February 1992 the Armenian armed forces, with the help of the infantry guards regiment No. 366 from the former USSR implemented the seizure of Khojaly - a small town situated in the small Nagorny Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan with a population of 23,757, and cruelly decimated them.
During that fatal night of 25 to 26 February 1992 the Armenian armed forces, with the help of the infantry guards regiment No. 366 from the former USSR implemented the seizure of Khojaly - a small town situated in the small Nagorny Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan with a population of 23,757, and cruelly decimated them.
The large number of question from the audience during the question and answer period, following Mr. Bejanov's presentation, showed how much much the talk had impressed the audience.
Given the present invasion of Russian troops into the Crimea area of Ukraine, the Fort Lauderdale Turkish Center presentation also provided an actual insight as to Russian historical political strategies concerning their former territories. and spheres of influence
The informative event at the Florida Turkish Center in Fort Lauderdale was concluded with Azerbaijan food and refreshments.
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