Author: Diana Dabaghian

Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day: Much ado about nothing?

Diana Dabaghian
National Herald, India
Published: , 4:44 PM

US President Joe Biden became the first American President by taking a stand on the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day on April 24 and recognising that killing of Armenians in 1915-16 during World War-I in territories under the control of the Ottoman Empire constituted "an act of genocide".

What impact his stand will have on the 60,000 plus Armenians living in Turkey remains to be seen. All past Presidents including President Obama had avoided taking a stand despite intense lobbying by Armenians and human rights activists. While President Biden was careful in saying that the recognition was not to blame anyone, and he indeed called up the Turkish President to break the news in advance, relations between Ankara and Washington D.C. are likely to remain frosty.

Perhaps, the US President primarily wanted to express his displeasure over the Turkish decision to buy Russian missiles — S400 defence system — and a Turkish state bank's role in facilitating payments to Iran for its transactions with other countries despite the US sanctions against Teheran being in force.

Turkey's role has also been controversial in last year's war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Ankara openly supported Azerbaijan, ignoring the views of many countries, as this suited its regional interests.

In any case, the relations between the US and Turkey have been tense ever since an unsuccessful but bloody coup in July 2016 to overthrow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by elements supported by US-based controversial religious figure Fetullah Gulen in the Turkish armed forces. The Turkish government has punished all those involved in the failed coup attempt except for Gulen, a Turkish national who lives in the US and the authorities in Washington DC refuse to hand him over to Turkey.

Turkey suffered crippling US sanctions during the Donald Trump administration following the arrest of a controversial American pastor, Andrew Brunson, in October 2016 on charges that included his links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Fethullah Gulen's movement, accused of being involved in the 2016 failed coup in Turkey. Brunson was a pastor associated with the Izmir Resurrection Church, not a big institution. But he was a US citizen who lived in Turkey for a long time. He was ultimately released by the Turkish authorities, but his arrest brought the relations between the two NATO members to such a low point that ultimately the US came out with sanctions against Turkey. A NATO power punished a NATO ally for the first time in the history of the military alliance.

Turkey under the leadership of Erdogan has been made to suffer for a few years by the US with the ultimate objective of economically weakening it to such an extent that it abandons its active role in West Asia as well as in Central Asia where the US and its regional allies feel their interests are seriously threatened. Turkey has also emerged as a major threat to the dominant position of Saudi Arabia, a close US ally, in the Muslim world which cannot be tolerated by America. So, Turkey has to suffer the US wrath, come what may.

Biden and Erdogan are scheduled to be in Brussels, Belgium, for the NATO meeting on June 14 when they may discuss the Armenian genocide issue with the Turkish President trying to convince the American leader to abandon his controversial stand, an exercise unlikely to succeed.

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‘First genocide’ of the 20th Century

Often called the first genocide of the 20th century, the Armenian Genocide refers to the physical annihilation of the Armenian Christians living in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1916. By the end of 1916, between 660,000 and 1.2 million of them were killed, either through massacres or from systemic ill-treatment, exposure and starvation. Turkey maintains the conflict represented a civil war triggered by an armed uprising of the Armenian minority

  • The American people honour all those Armenians who perished in the genocide that began 106 years ago. Beginning on 24 April 1915 with the arrest of Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople by Ottoman authorities, one and a half million Armenians were deported, massacred or marched to their deaths in a campaign of extermination.” President Joe Biden
  • “Words cannot change or rewrite history,”, said on Twitter. “We have nothing to learn from anybody on our own past. Political opportunism is the greatest betrayal to peace and justice. We entirely reject this statement based solely on populism.” Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Turkish Foreign Minister
  • “This is a critically important moment in the defence of human rights…It’s been a long journey. President Biden is standing firm against a century of denial, and is charting a course for human rights everywhere.” Bryan Ardouny, head of the Armenian Assembly of America
  • My great grandfather and his sons were executed by Ottoman government forces in 1915. His daughter, my grandmother, then a teenager, only escaped by pretending to be dead. She walked barefoot with her mother from Erzerum, where the family lived, arriving weeks later in Mosul, northern Iraq. I was born in Baghdad, where we lived as refugees. It is unconscionable for the British government to continue to deny the Armenian genocide. Genocide is a global issue. We have seen it in Rwanda and Darfur and in what happened to Christian communities at the hands of Isis in Syria and northern Iraq. Prof Ara Darzi Member, British House of Lords, in a letter to The Guardian

(The writer is a senior journalist and columnist based in New Delhi)

 

Azerbaijan to launch military exercises involving 15000 troops

Diana Dabaghian

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 15:26,

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS. The Azeri armed forces will hold military exercises from May 16 with the involvement of up to 15000 troops, 300 tanks and other armored equipment, up to 400 various caliber rocket-artillery systems, multiple rocket launchers, mortars and anti-tank weapons, 50 warplanes and drones.

According to Azeri media reports, the drills will focus on combat readiness and regrouping of troops and combined arms.

According to the 2011 Vienna Document, Azerbaijan is obliged to provide the OSCE with an advance notice if the number of involved troops exceeds 9000.

Lavrov confident POW issue will be soon solved

Diana Dabaghian

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 18:11, 6 May, 2021

YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov is confident that in the near future it will be possible to solve the issue of the repatriation of all war prisoners and detainees of the second Artsakh war, ARMENPRESS reports Lavrov said in a meeting with caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.

''We, together with the other Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group continue making efforts for the solution of all humanitarian issues, including the return of all the detainees. We understand the symbolism and emotional nature of this issue and are confident that in the near future we will be able to solve that issue'', Lavrov said.

He added that it will create a positive, constructive atmosphere for pushing forward other issues of the settlement of the conflict.

Discrimination against people with disabilities in Armenia: survey results

Diana Dabaghian
Council of Europe
May 5 2021
ARMENIA 5 May 2021

In February-March 2021, the Armenian NGO of people with disabilities UNISON conducted a survey on the topic "Discrimination on the Ground of Disability n Armenia". The survey respondents were 120 people with different types of disabilities.

The results of the research show that discrimination against people with disabilities (PWDs) in Armenia has not only social but also institutional manifestations. The efforts aimed at creating a barrier-free environment for PWDs are not systemic or pervasive. The reforms and measures taken are insufficient, especially given the large number of people who acquired disabilities during the war.

In this regard, raising the awareness of the general population about the needs of PWDs and conducting social programmes are important imperatives for the inclusion of PWDs in public life. Although various state programmes have been implemented to increase the socio-economic activity of PWDs, they are mostly of a formal nature and do not ensure the full involvement of PWDs in all spheres of public life. NGOs dealing with the problems of PWDs and engaging in the protection of their interests, are the most active entities. However, educational actions are needed to strengthen the inclusion of PWDs in public life, as research shows that discrimination against PWDs is still widespread.

Most of the survey respondents who faced discrimination and challenges during their lives, tried to solve them on their own. The reason is that the measures taken by the major stakeholders are not effective. It is necessary to introduce large-scale actions and effective mechanisms to eliminate discrimination against PWDs and to ensure the protection of their rights. Therefore, the results of this research can help the responsible bodies/individuals and policy makers to make their actions more targeted and effective.

Notable results of this research

  • The vast majority of respondents, 69%, have experienced discrimination; 58% of them are people with reduced mobility, 31% have the 1st category of disability, 29% have the 2nd and 27% the 3rd category of disability. 38% of the respondents, who have faced discrimination, are men and 62% are women. In other words, women are about 1.5 times more likely to be discriminated against. Cases of violence on the ground of disability are very rare. According to 25% of respondents, they have never been discriminated against.
  • Interestingly, more women than men think they would be discriminated against if they were of the opposite sex. Thus, 65% of women fear that being a man leads to discrimination and 35% of the male respondents think that being a woman can lead to discrimination.
  • The majority of respondents (80) who mentioned they had been discriminated against, try to solve the problem on their own without turning to anyone. Interestingly, women (57%) were more likely to report that they had solved the problem on their own, without a side intervention.
  • 60% of respondents are not at all satisfied with the accessibility of public transportation, which in turn leads to a decline in economic activity among PWDs.
  • Almost half of the respondents participate in the local and national elections. Interestingly, 78% of those who did not participate in the elections were urban respondents, i.e. the voter turnout of people with disabilities in rural areas is significantly higher.
  • Respondents have the most active participation in the decision-making process in the country through elections. 69% of respondents said they had participated in the elections. Then public activism is performed by expressing opinions on social networks, which was mentioned by 64% of respondents. On the other hand, 79% of the respondents stated that they did not participate in the meetings of the Community Councils, 74% – in the online discussions of the draft laws, 70% do not participate in the petitions, 68% do not submit complaints, 62% do not participate in any public discussions.
  • The respondents are mostly concerned about making money and starting a family in the future. 55% fear that due to disability they may not be provided with a loan in case they need it. 54% are afraid that they will not be able to start a family. 38% have fears that they may become subject of bullying because of their disability. 41% are worried and feel anxiety while they communication with the employer, thinking that the latter will make fun of them, ignore or insult them. 22% think they will face discrimination in educational institutions. Only 17% of respondents consider it likely that they may be mistreated by a caregiver or nurse. 23% are afraid of physical attacks in crowded places.

 Read the full report in Armenian 

 Watch Armen Alaverdyan, the president of UNISON, speak about this survey and the project within which it was produced during a Television programme .

Artsakh to have 30-35 hectares of new forests

Diana Dabaghian

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 11:21,

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. A nursery of forest tree species and 30-35 hectares of new forests will be created in Artsakh, the Armenian Minister of Environment Romanos Petrosyan told ARMENPRESS. Petrosyan visited Artsakh recently and said that as a result of agreements between the authorities of Artsakh and Armenia, the Hayantar governmental forestry organization has already launched the work for creating the nursery.

The nursery will be a 500 square meter greenhouse.

The new forest will be created as part of the 10 Million Trees agreement, with Hayantar and its Artsakhi counterpart having reached an agreement on donating 100,000 trees.

Hayantar will hold training and consulting for its Artsakhi counterparts.

The new forest is planned to be created in the Martakert region.

Speaking about the initiative of releasing trout into the Sarsang reservoir, Petrosyan says the goal is first of all within the framework of the restoration processes of Artsakh, as well as restoring the reserve of Sevan and the development of the trout population. Over 40,000 trout fish were released into the reservoir.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Regional Response to Biden’s Recognition of Armenian Genocide

Diana Dabaghian




04/29/2021 Turkey (International Christian Concern) –  On April 24, 2021, President Joe Biden became the second U.S. president to designate the 1915 atrocities against Armenians as genocide. Former presidents have avoided using the word genocide following pressure from Turkey and the potential strain between the two countries.

Biden’s statement began a ripple effect through Turkish, Armenian, and Azeri communities. In Turkey’s parliament, deputy of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and Turkish Armenian Garo Paylan commented on Genocide Remembrance Day saying in a tweet, “After 106 years, we walk on streets named after Talat Pasha, the architect of the Genocide. We educate our children at schools named after Talat Pasha.” In response to his comment, another member of parliament, Ümit Özdağ formerly of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), wrote back, “Impudent provocateur man. If you are not content, go to hell. Talat Pasha didn’t expel patriotic Armenians but those who stabbed us in the back like you. When the time comes, you’ll also have a Talat Pasha experience and you should have it.”

The Twitter conversation continued as Özdağ threatened the Armenian parliament member. In response, Turkey’s Human Rights Association (IHD) filed a criminal complaint against MP Ümit Özdağ. In the petition, IHD claimed the threats violated a crime under Articles 106 and 216 of the Turkish Penal Code and Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Just prior to Biden’s declaration, Paylan proposed a new law to the Turkish parliament to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. Turkey maintains that the Ottoman-era deaths of 1915 were without forethought and under wartime conditions. Instead of pursuing reconciliation via official recognition, the Turkish parliament passed a resolution on April 27 declaring that President Biden’s recognition of the genocide was null and void. Four of the five parliamentary parties approved the resolution, with only the HDP dissenting.

Turkish society also reacted to the recognition of the ethnic-religious genocide. The Diyarbakir Bar Association is facing government harassment and criticism over its statement supporting Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day saying, “We share the grief for the Great Calamity”. The Diyarbakir Public Prosecutor’s office is investigating the statement and charged its senior leadership with “degrading the Turkish Nation, the State of the Republic of Turkey, the institutions and bodies of the state.” The Diyarbakir Bar briefly responded that they refuse to restrict their freedom of _expression_ and defended their statement.

Any Armenian living in Turkey who voices support of the genocide recognition does so at great risk. As historically done in Turkey via the conversion of Hagia Sofia and pressures on other Christian religious institutions and leaders, Turkey sees Christians as a tool to leverage for political gain (particularly in the international arena) rather than as full members of society. The Armenian Foundations Union condemned the U.S. and other foreign actors not directly connected to the Armenian Genocide for commenting on it, saying that it only deepened the hurt done to them.

Turkish partner country Azerbaijan weighed in on President Biden’s comments as well, with President Aliyev saying that Biden’s remarks were “unacceptable” and a “historical mistake.” Azerbaijan has made it clear that it will stand by Turkey and all of its decisions. Turkish media linked Biden’s comments on the genocide as a “punishment” for Turkish support of Azerbaijan in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian: Artsakh) war. They warned that the declaration would further anti-Americanism among the nationalist communities in Turkey.

A number of protests occurred by Turks in response to the declaration. Videos circulating of these protests showed Azeri flags were often present. Video purporting to show a protest staged at the US Embassy in Ankara included demonstrators dressed as Ottoman-era Turks brandishing swords. Meanwhile, some of Turkey’s opposition parties have criticized President Erdogan for allowing international relations to decrease to such a level that genocide recognition became possible. In other words, denial of the genocide and even its glorification continues across Turkish and Azeri society.

https://www.persecution.org/2021/04/29/regional-response-bidens-remarks-armenian-genocide/

Suren Sargsyan: US plans to bypass Section 907 and provide military aid to Azerbaijan

Diana Dabaghian
Panorama, Armenia


Political scientist Suren Sargsyan believes the United States plans to bypass Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act and provide military aid to Azerbaijan this year.  

Sargsyan reminds that Section 907 has been law since 1992 and bans most assistance to Azerbaijan until it takes demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. At the same the, the US President is authorized to bypass the legislation through the continued use of an exemption waiver every year in MArch-April since 2001.

"The issue is that Biden has promised to reconsider that aid yet we have not worked in that direction as we didn't in others," Sargsyan said. 

Lebanese delegation arrives in Yerevan to attend Armenian Genocide commemoration event

Diana Dabaghian

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 17:40, 20 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. Lebanon’s caretaker Sports and Youth Minister Vartine Ohanian arrived in the Armenian capital Yerevan on April 20 to represent the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, at the 106th Armenian Genocide commemoration event, to be held on April 24th, the National News Agency of Lebanon reports.

Minister Ohanian is accompanied by the Ambassador of Armenia to Lebanon Vahagn Atabekyan.

Ohanian was greeted at "Zvartnots" International Airport by Armenian Deputy Minister of Sports Karen Giloyan and Lebanese Ambassador to Armenia Maya Dagher.

Discussions focused on topics of mutual interest in the sport sector, emphasizing the importance of sports activities and their significant role in the lives of young people.

Tracing the Families of the Armenian Genocide Survivors exhibition opened in Yerevan

Diana Dabaghian

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 16:21,

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. An exhibition titled Tracing the Families of the Armenian Genocide Survivors opened on April 24 at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute’s exhibition hall.

The exhibition presents the stories of the families of Armenian Genocide survivors, including the families of the museum’s staff.

The stories, which are exhibited for the first time, feature exclusive original items, photographs, documents, family relics and other materials.

“These stories reached us both from Armenia and other countries,” said Harutyun Marutyan, the Director of the museum-institute. “I can say that this is the first museum exhibition where the stories of the families of the genocide survivors are presented in this big volume. I hope that this approach will have its continuation. In order for the new generation to understand what happened 100 years ago, it must do so by getting to know the fate of the genocide survivors.”

Descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors from Armenia, the US, Cyprus, Argentina, France and other countries attended the opening of the exhibition and personally presented what their families went through.

The exhibition will be open until September 10.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Photos by Gevorg Perkuperkyan


Despite difficulties, we managed to overcome crisis at Ucom – Chairman of UCOM Board of Directors

Diana Dabaghian

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 20:18,

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. Co-founder of Galaxy Group of Companies and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ucom, Gurgen Khachatryan, has released a statement today, which reads,

“Around this time a year ago, active attempts towards dismantling Ucom began. Illegal activities were aimed at creating an uncontrollable situation in our company by circles that are well-known to everybody, as a result of which they were hopping we would have to alienate the result of our 12 years of daily work, Ucom, and leave it to some dubious entities.

I remember exactly during those days, when my father was deprived of his right to medical care while in detention, our partner of 12 years, all of a sudden, realized that, apparently, we had disagreements and threatened that if we didn’t accept his agenda, over 500 employees would resign, leaving the Ucom network hanging. I will remain silent about further details due to business correctness.

Today, almost a year later, I want to state that despite the difficulties, we still managed to overcome the crisis. Our team was able to restore the company’s stability with dignity and institutional approach. The staff of Ucom demonstrated exceptional will and responsibility, not compromising the interests of the customers even in the most difficult days.

The business community showed reliable behavior and willingness to support their partner, and our competitors—VivaCell-MTS and Beeline Armenia—maintained exceptional solidarity. I am grateful that collective force and backing was shown in support of an Armenian operator.

I find it imperative to emphasize that in this difficult year, our team overcame the challenge of Covid19, guided by the priority of health security on one hand and maintaining the integrity of the teams on the other. The war set a new agenda: Ucom worked day and night to provide a variety of support to the army through technical assistance, comprehensive communication measures and direct donations. I must say with great sorrow that three employees of Ucom sacrificed their lives for the defense of our homeland. We bow before them and honor their memories.

Today, when many of us have lost a family member to the coronavirus or the war, suffered devastating economic losses, perhaps lost the prospect of future stability, we still cannot afford to give in. Obstacles come to test and challenge our will and endurance.

I am convinced that Ucom will continue to serve Armenia on an even stronger footing, contributing to the restoration and development of the country՛s economy through its human potential, strategic infrastructure, international partnership and bringing in new investments”.