Author: Edgar Tavakalian

Turkish Press: ‘Turks, Armenians suffered common pain in 1915 events’

Edgar Tavakalian
DAILY SABAH
Turkey – June 8 2023

Turkish and foreign experts emphasized at a symposium organized by the Turkish Historical Society (TTK) Thursday that both the local Turkish population and Armenians in eastern Anatolia suffered in the period leading up to the 1915 events.

“We are working for the truth to be uncovered,” TTK President Birol Çetin said at the symposium titled “From the Ottoman-Russian War (1877-1878) to the National Struggle: Eastern Anatolia Occupation, Atrocities and Liberation” hosted by Kafkas University in eastern Kars province.

Çetin highlighted that the Turkish people similarly underwent tragic events, while the incidents are being intentionally kept on the international society’s agenda with an ill-minded political agenda.

Reiterating that Turks and Armenians have lived together for more than 800 years without problems, Çetin said: “However, at the weakest time of the Ottoman government when it lost wars and laid down arms, such claims were put forth. We have also found graves of our citizens. Therefore, the reality cannot be as claimed. Around 40,000 of our people lost their lives here, and nearly 500 villages were destroyed.”

Çetin likened the Armenian diaspora continuing to hold the issue on the agenda to a murderer going back to the crime scene.

The symposium focused on the era following the Treaty of Berlin, which was a turning point in the history of the Ottoman Empire and the revolts against the state, terrorist movements and missionary activities of the foreign powers, as well as the Armenian massacres against the Muslim population.

The symposium aimed to provide a better understanding of the history of eastern Anatolia to the public.

A faculty member of Kafkas University, Selçuk Ural, said that in 1890, two Armenian groups – the Hunchak (Hınçak) and Dashnak (Taşnak) committees – were established in Anatolian provinces and started massacres and terrorization that would continue until 1920.

“These incidents, which continued for a quarter century, led to significant changes in the policies of the Ottoman Empire while negatively affecting the political, economic and demographic structure of the eastern provinces,” Ural elaborated.

“Although the Armenian massacres against the Muslim locals were taken under control through extraordinary measures taken during World War I, they restarted in Kars and surrounding areas after the Mudros Armistice,” he added, indicating that thousands lost their lives while many were forced to migrate to different areas.

“Even if today the Armenian government tries to influence the world public opinion by constantly making references to 1915, they have caused Muslims living in Kars and its surroundings to experience many more levels of suffering,” Ural emphasized.

The aim of the Dashnak party was to realize the “Great Armenia” dream, said Irade Memmedova of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences of History Institute. “The main goals of the Armenians that pursued this aim were in the Ottoman and South Caucasian territories.”

She gave the example of the Shaki district, now in Azerbaijan, the population of which was 158,781 in 1905 and decreased to 106,364 in 1917 as a result of massacres and forced displacements.

Türkiye’s position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.

Although the Ottoman Empire took precautions aiming for a safe transfer for the relocation of the Armenian population, local groups seeking revenge, banditry, famine and epidemics under war conditions have added to the tragedy of the incident.

Ankara objects to the presentation of these incidents as "genocide," describing them as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.

Ankara is of the opinion that controversial episodes in history such as the events of 1915 should be studied without prejudice by respecting the scientific and legal principles to write a just account of the incidents. With this understanding, Türkiye proposed the establishment of a Joint History Commission and opened its archives.

Birsen Karaca, a lecturer at Ankara University's Department of Caucasian Languages and Culture as well as the Department of Armenian Language and Culture, pointed to the importance of novels, short stories, movies, cartoons, comics and memoirs in reproducing the migration memories of the Armenian population in manipulating the truth and producing bias.

“These stories are indispensable practices of the construction, preservation and transmission of the Armenian identity,” she said, explaining that the problem of the 1915 events has become more complex due to the strong Armenian diaspora that has spread in different cultures and geographies.

Christian lawmakers called on to de-platform Azerbaijan ambassador

Edgar Tavakalian
June 7, 2023 ANCA ANCA News 0

LYNCHBURG, Va — An online campaign is calling upon the National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) to cancel a planned speech by Azerbaijani Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim in solidarity with the Christians of Armenia – the world’s first Christian nation – facing existential threats from Turkey and its oil-rich ally Azerbaijan.

Ambassador Ibraham is listed as a speaker at NACL’s 2023 policy conference scheduled for June 8 through 10 at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. This invitation only event is “for Christian lawmakers, faith leaders, policymakers, believers, pastors, NACL members and supporters from around the United States.” Azerbaijan has attacked and ethnically cleansed vast areas of Artsakh – a Christian land and democratic state on the frontiers of global faith and freedom – executing armed and bound Armenian prisoners of war, using prohibited munitions and recruiting jihadist, ISIS-aligned mercenaries from Syria.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has called upon NACL to withdraw its invitation to Ambassador Ibrahim, tweeting: “Armenians – sons and daughters of the 1st #Christian nation (301), fellow brothers & sisters in Christ – call upon @ChristLawmakers  to cancel plans to platform the ambassador of Azerbaijan, a cruel oil-rich dictatorship ethnically cleansing 120,000 indigenous #Artsakh Christians.”

A national ANCA call-in campaign – engaging Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other faith-based communities – is asking concerned citizens to ask former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, “consistent with the Christian values that guide NACL, to withdraw the invitation to the Ambassador of Azerbaijan, a country hell-bent on eradicating #Armenia – the first Christian nation (301 AD).”

  •  Bio
  •  Twitter
  •  Latest Posts
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.


Pianist Kariné Poghosyan honoring Aram Khachaturian’s 120th anniversary

Edgar Tavakalian
June 3, 2023 Guest Contributor Music, Announcements 0

NEW YORK—Praised for her “bewitching detail and thunderous power” (New York Music Daily), award-winning “powerhouse pianist” Kariné Poghosyan will present a one-night-only tribute to her compatriot Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) in honor of the composer’s 120th birth anniversary this year.

The concert will take place at Cary Hall at the DiMenna Center on 450 West 37th Street on Wednesday, June 7, at 9:00 p.m. Presented by the Permanent Mission of Republic of Armenia to the United Nations, the evening will feature Poghosyan with her long-time colleague, Maestro Jason Tramm and the MidAtlantic Philharmonic Orchestra.

The concise 45-minute program is comprised of two solo works, the vivacious “Toccata” and Poghosyan’s own solo transcription of the delicate “Lullaby” from the ballet Gayaneh. The grand event of the evening will be the performance of Khachaturian’s iconic Piano Concerto in D-flat Major, for which Poghosyan will be joined by Maestro Tramm and the MidAtlantic Philharmonic Orchestra.

NY1’s Stephanie Simon has said, “There is such a sense of joy, even ecstasy as she plays,” when describing the Armenian-American pianist’s performances.Seating is limited for the concert and advance ticket purchase is recommended. There will be no ticket sales at the entrance and doors open at 8:45 p.m. The concert will be filmed.




Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Welcomes New Executive Director

Edgar Tavakalian
Jamaica Plain News, MA
June 1 2023

Residents, families and staff members recently gathered together to meet Ren de Leon, the new executive director of the Jamaica Plain nonprofit Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

“A drive and passion for senior care has propelled me to keep reaching for excellence,” said de Leon.” I can’t think of a better organization than ANRC to continue my career. I am looking forward to getting to know each and every one of our families and residents.”

Peace edges closer in the troubled south Caucasus

Edgar Tavakalian
FINANCIAL TIMES
UK –
Armenian concessions to Azerbaijan may end the longest-running territorial conflict in the former Soviet Union
TONY BARBER
Imagine if Russia withdrew from all occupied Ukrainian territory, and Russian-speakers in the Donbas region and Crimea gave up separatism in return for autonomy and civic rights. Given Vladimir Putin’s thirst to annex much of Ukraine and his assault on Ukrainian national identity, such an outcome is at present far out of reach. But to much of the world it would seem a reasonable solution. 
 In the 35-year-long conflict between the south Caucasus states of Armenia and Azerbaijan, a settlement along these lines is starting to appear possible. On May 22, Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia’s prime minister, stated that he was ready to recognise Azerbaijani sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-populated enclave in Azerbaijan. His chief condition was that the government in Baku should protect the rights and security of the roughly 120,000 Karabakh Armenians. 
 For his part, Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s president, said last week that he saw “a possibility of coming to a peace agreement, considering that Armenia has formally recognised Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan”. 
 A deal would send four messages to the world. First, it would end the oldest unresolved territorial dispute in the former Soviet Union, a sometimes ferociously fought conflict that began in 1988. Second, it would contribute stability to the south Caucasus, a fragile meeting point of civilisations where the EU, US, Russia, Turkey, Iran and China brush up uneasily against each other. Third, a deal would suggest that, despite the war in Ukraine and notwithstanding that their diplomatic efforts in the south Caucasus are not exactly co-ordinated, western governments and Russia may find it in their separate interests to settle a notoriously intractable conflict. 
 The fourth lesson is more revealing about the harsh realities of geopolitics. For one reason why a settlement is within sight is that Azerbaijan has gained the upper hand in its military struggle with Armenia. Doubtless this lesson will not be lost on Ukrainians. 
 During a war in 1991-1994, in which some 30,000 people were killed, Armenia seized control of Nagorno-Karabakh and, partly or completely, seven regions around it. It held about 13.6 per cent of the internationally recognised territory of Azerbaijan. In a six-week war in 2020 that cost another 8,000 lives, Azerbaijani forces recaptured almost all the lost land. Since then, Baku has pressed home its advantage, inducing Pashinyan’s concession on Nagorno-Karabakh. 
 A peace settlement is by no means certain. At a meeting in Moscow on May 25, chaired by Putin, Pashinyan and Aliyev exchanged angry words over Baku’s decision to set up a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor. This is a highway that runs through Azerbaijan and is the only road connecting Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. For the hard-pressed people of Nagorno-Karabakh, the checkpoint awakens old fears that Azerbaijan’s long-term objective is to ethnically cleanse the enclave of Armenians. 
 This points to another obstacle. Pashinyan’s concession has sparked outrage in Nagorno-Karabakh and across much of Armenian society, where the dream of a single political space uniting the enclave with Armenia appears to be falling apart. But the options of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are limited. Yerevan’s relations with Moscow are poor because of the refusal of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russian-led military bloc, to take Armenia’s side in recent clashes with Azerbaijan. The US and EU support the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity — with guarantees for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. 
 Still, if the west and Russia can keep their antagonism over Ukraine from spilling into the south Caucasus, and if Azerbaijan calms the fears of the Karabakh Armenians, peace may be possible. It would be quite an achievement in a troubled world.  

Ucom introduces new roaming tariff starting from 2,99 AMD/MB in over 65 countries

Edgar Tavakalian

 11:05,

YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. Ucom’s mobile voice service subscribers can now enjoy a starting rate of 2.99 AMD per 1 MB when travelling to more than 65 European and popular coastal destinations, including Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, Montenegro, Egypt, and Georgia, when connecting to the respective operators in these countries. To benefit from the offer, one should simply activate the new “Internet in Roaming 8GB” bundle at just 24500 drams by dialing *121*15# and pressing the call button. This new bundle, the largest available, remains valid for 14 days.

“At Ucom, we understand the importance of staying in touch with your close ones and, why not, even colleagues while traveling, particularly during the busy holiday season. The 2.99 AMD/MB roaming rate allows customers to stay connected and share memorable travel experiences, having a large volume of internet at an affordable price”, said Ralph Yirikian, Director General of Ucom.

Moreover, until August 31st, subscribers who do not activate any bundle will automatically benefit from a reduced roaming rate of 9 AMD/MB instead of the previous rate of 15 AMD/MB for internet when traveling to Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Spain, and Montenegro, and connecting to the respective operators. Additionally, the 9 AMD/MB rate remains applicable indefinitely when connecting to operators such as Orange in Egypt, Geocell/Magticom in Georgia, du in the UAE, and T-Mobile in the USA.

It is important to note that the roaming service must be activated before departure from Armenia by dialing *121# or using the Ucom mobile application. One just needs to stay connected and enjoy seamless communication wherever the travels take with Ucom's affordable roaming rates.

West Trying To Discredit Russia’s Peacekeeping Efforts In Nagorno-Karabakh – Shoigu

Edgar Tavakalian
May 25 2023

 Faizan Hashmi  Published May 25, 2023 | 01:20 pm


MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 25th May, 2023) The West is trying in every possible way to interfere in the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh and discredit the Russian peacekeeping efforts in the conflict-torn region, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday.

"As for the situation in the Caucasus region, it is largely determined by the degree of settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Now security in Nagorno-Karabakh is supported by the Russian peacekeeping contingent. However, the West is trying in every possible way to intervene in the situation, increase its presence and discredit the Russian peacekeeping policy," Shoigu said at a meeting of CSTO defense ministers in Minsk.

https://www.urdupoint.com/en/world/west-trying-to-discredit-russias-peacekeepin-1697295.html

Armenpress: The Deputy Prime Ministers of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan will meet in a week. Putin

Edgar Tavakalian

Save

Share

 00:14,

YEREVAN, MAY 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev agreed at the trilateral meeting held in Moscow that the deputy prime ministers of the countries will meet in a week, ARMENPRESS reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the meeting.

"I hope this will be a good start for the practical solutions to some of the issues we're talking about. We managed to achieve a lot in this format. In the fall of 2020, the hostilities stopped, and then work began on unblocking economic and transport communication, border delimitation," Putin said.

According to Putin, despite some difficulties, the situation is developing in the direction of normalization. One of those directions is the work in the direction of transport communication.

“The three of us discussed it in detail. There are still unsettled issues, but in my opinion, they are purely technical in nature," said Putin.

He said that they also discussed the issue of terminology, noting that, of course, there should be an accurate understanding of reality behind those terms.

"But in the opinion of the three of us, these are surmountable obstacles. By and large they don't exist, they are purely technical issues. That's why we have now agreed that the Deputy Prime Ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet in the near future, after a week," said Putin.

According to the Russian President, it is a good agreement that inspires hope that the unresolved issues will be resolved.

Zionists infiltrate Azerbaijan

Edgar Tavakalian
Iran –

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has long been used as an opportunity for imperialistic intervention by the Zionist entity.

Iran has historically supported Armenia in the conflict over the breakaway republic Artsakh (also known as Nagorno Karabakh). Armenia is also a member, with Russia of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Azerbaijan is a former member. Following the second Karabakh war in 2020 three districts of the break away Artsakh republic, which is predominantly ethnically Armenian were captured by Azerbaijan.

Each borders the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Zionist entity has wasted no time in infiltrating these areas via agricultural companies active in the so called “smart villages” project. The potential for spying and surveillance this opens up is significant.

Zionist Agriculture Minister Oded Forer visited the first smart village May 2022, reportedly the highest official “to come that close to the Iranian border” since the Revolution.

Spying concerns are heightened by the cooperation between Zionist university Technion, and the Azerbaijani Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, to establish the Azerbaijani Cyber Security Center in Baku in March this year.

This is clearly intended to serve as a subversive lever to further Zionist foreign policy priorities. Trainees will be indoctrinated in Zionist subversion techniques and awarded a certificate by the Technion. Despite recruiting some 50,000 to 70,000 Azeri Jews to become colonists in Palestine, Azerbaijan continues to welcome significant arms supplies from the Zionist entity including drones and artificial intelligence.

In return Azerbaijan also supplies some 40% of Israel’s oil imports. Recent Zionist overtures have included the visit of Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz to Baku in October 2022, the opening of the Azerbaijani embassy in Tel Aviv in April this year and the visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to Baku in the same month.

During a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov at the opening ceremony for the Azerbaijani embassy in Israel, Cohen announced that he “agreed with Bayramov in forming a united front against Iran”.

An Iranian Foreign ministry spokesman warned in response that Iran "cannot remain indifferent" to the "conspiracy" of Israel against it "from the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan".

Relations between Tehran and Baku have rapidly deteriorated since an attack on the Azerbaijani Embassy in the Iranian capital, Tehran in January.Embassy security staff head was killed and two others injured.

Azerbaijan evacuated the embassy and all the diplomatic staff in a special plane.

Recent tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran as a result of Zionist imperial meddling suggest the Zionist entity is preparing for a potential proxy war.

Why are Armenian doctors in Madera County?

Edgar Tavakalian
May 15 2023
Stefani Booroojian

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) – Valley Children’s Hospital is hosting a special delegation for the next two weeks: three pediatricians and one hospital administrator from Yerevan, Armenia.

The delegation comes from Wigmore Hospital for Children in Armenia’s capital city.  A 220-bed pediatric hospital that opened in December of 2022 serving a population of 1.5 million people. The visiting pediatricians say they came to Valley Children’s so they can learn to provide the best care for their patients at home.

“All the system, how it’s working here, and how I can use this system and make it more flexible in my hospital, ” says Armenian pediatrician Dr. Mariam Ghukasyan.

The day began with introductions and some background on the medical challenges facing the people of Armenia.

“The lack of high quality and advanced education is one big challenge for sure, and you may train your staff and invest in your own staff, but again the hospitals grow, and they need more staff.  You need a system working in a country, an education system that provides the quality that is needed,” says Wigmore Hospital’s Chief Development Officer Tatevik Koloyan.

Valley Children’s staff and administrators welcomed the visiting doctors with open arms.

“We’re really excited to host them here, show them what we do here in terms of both clinical care as well as quality, marketing, communications, some of our specialty services,” says Dr. Jolie Limon of Valley Children’s Hospital.

The visiting doctors got a tour of the hospital but will soon get a more hands-on look at state-of-the-art healthcare for children in the Central Valley, that they hope may someday be the standard of care in their home country of Armenia.

“I believe in my country.  If you want to change something, first, you have to start with yourself,” says Dr. Ghukasyan.

The doctor’s two-week visit is funded by donations to Fresno’s Advance Armenian Foundation and the medical mission of local doctors that visit Armenia every year.