Author: Hovsep Chakrian

 

 

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes the events in and around Turkey that followed the previous parliamentary elections will force voters to ‘prefer stability and security’ by giving a larger amount of votes to the ruling party in the forthcoming snap elections.

Turkish analyst Ozgur Unluhisarcikli is confident Erdogan’s expectations will not come true. He says polls show the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) will retain and even increase the number of votes.

The expert is confident that the ruling party will again fail to gain majority and will have to form a coalition.

Whether the future agenda of Armenian-Turkish relations is positive or negative will depend on this coalition, he believes. According to Unluhisarcikli, Turkey is likely to develop a positive agenda if the HDP forms part of it.

The expert is assured that if talks between Armenia and Turkey resume, the bilateral relations should be clearly separated from two factors – the ‘1915 events’ and the Armenian-Azerbaijani disagreements.

Armenian analysts consider there is no ground for positive expectations today. Expert of the Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation David Shahnazaryan says any initiative should come from Turkey, as it was there that the Zurich protocols ‘faded.”

Today’s conference dedicated to the Armenian-Turkish relations was organized by the Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation with financial assistance of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

Armenian GM Levon Aronian defeated Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria to seal a victory in the Sinquefield Cup held in St Louis, USA.

Aronian secured a solid lead by gaining 6.5 point out of 9 possible.

The super tournament brought together eight of the world’s current Top 10 – the reigning World champion Magnus Carlsen (Norway), World #2 Viswanathan Anand (India), #3 Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), #4 Hikaru Nakamura (USA), last-year’s winner and World #5 Fabiano Caruana (USA), #6 Anish Giri (the Netherlands), #8 Wesley So (USA), #9 Alexander Grischuk (Russia), #10 Levon Aronian (Armenia) and #26 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France).

On July 24 Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to Armenia Peter Mikiska and newly appointed Military Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel Stefan Grivalsky.

Minister Ohanyan noted that cooperation with the Czech Republic in the field of defense is important to Armenia.

He voiced hope that the appointment of the new attaché would give new impetus to the bilateral cooperation.

Ambassador Mikiska noted, in turn, that Armenia is an important partner for the Czech Republic and the latter is willing to continue the dynamic development of cooperation in the field of defense.

Journalist and writer Hayko Bağdat has filed a counterclaim against Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek over the content of Gökçek’s legal claims against him, Today’s Zaman reports.

In March, Gökçek made what some see as a verbal attack on Cem Özdemir, the co-chairman of the Green Party in Germany, writing on Twitter: “I am asking Özdemir just out of curiosity… Please give me a response Cem Özdemir… Are you of Armenian origin?”

Gökçek’s tweets came after Özdemir called on Turkey to recognize the killings of Armenians during the last years of the Ottoman Empire as genocide.

In response to Gökçek’s tweets, Bağdat posted several tweets mocking Gökçek’s question. “Reply Cem Özdemir! … You are said to be an Armenian,” posted Bağdat.

In his following tweets, Bağdat suggested that Gökçek is Armenian. “I formally say you are an Armenian. In my opinion, you should sue me @06melihgokcek,” Bağdat wrote.

“The capital city [Ankara] was handed over to an Armenian! What a shame! I wait for you to come to church on Sunday @06melihgokcek. We are all grieving…” wrote Bağdat.

After these tweets, Gökçek first filed a criminal complaint against Bağdat and then filed a lawsuit demanding compensation of TL 10,000 for psychological damages, arguing that Bağdat’s remarks defining him as an Armenian were insulting and libelous, and made with the intention of harming Gökçek’s reputation.

Bağdat also used a hashtag #melihgökçekermeniymiş” (Melih Gökçek turns out to be Armenian), which Gökçek referenced in his lawsuit.

In response, Bağdat announced the lawsuit on Twitter, saying: “Turns out Melih Gökçek sued me demanding TL 10,000 for calling him Armenian. We are going to have so much fun.”

After that case was launched, Bağdat filed a counterclaim against Gökçek based on the content of Gökçek’s claims against Bağdat, stressing that the word “Armenian” had been used to defame and insult him, amounting to an “explicit example of an attack on his rights and honor.”

Bağdat demanded compensation of TL 10,000 in damages.

Asbarez – Last week, articles appearing in various Lebanese press outlets, in several languages, reported that the historic Bird’s Nest Orphange was being sold to make room for a beach-front development.

One of the last vestiges of the Armenian Genocide, the Bird’s Nest facility, which was run by the efforts of Near East Relief and founded by Danish missionary Maria Jacobson, was a refuge for orphans who survived the Genocide and today continues to operate as a safe-haven for underprivileged children under the auspices of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia.

The Board of Directors of Bird’s Nest issued an announcement on Sunday refuting those claims, with its executive director Seta Khedeshian, in an interview with CiliciaTV, also criticizing the press for irresponsible reporting that has created furor in the community, as well as on social media.

The focus of the controversy is a beach front portion of the Bird’s Nest property that has not been is use for decades. Given the rising costs of maintaining the facility, the board has leased that portion of the property, which will be developed by the lessee. After the completion of the lease, the ownership of that developed property is slated to revert to the Catholicosate.

Currently, an old building on the soon-to-be-leased portion of the property, which was a dining hall, is being used as a church. That building, which is in poor condition, will be demolished and a new Armenian church will be constructed, through a $1 million pledge by the lessee on the perimeter of the current facility.

The development on this portion of the property will provide Bird’s Nest with much-needed income to continue to serve the children of the community.

“The income generating project currently under construction at the bottom half of the orphanage (under the supervision of the Lebanon’s directorate of antiquities) is to help with the maintenance of the Orphanage, the Museum, the Armenian Church and the community as a whole,” said the Bird’s Nest announcement.

“The project was carefully selected out of many proposals, because the maintenance of our space (30,000 square meters of land) needs special attention and funding. The financial income will serve to repair many of the old buildings within the orphanage that would cause a threat to the inhabitants as well as visitors. Furthermore, the land in question is not public, it is private and not located within the perimeters of the Byblos archeological site. All claims that this land is public and that the implementation of this project restricts the public access to the sea, are absolutely false and intended to create problems,” added the announcement.

Khedeshian clarified that no edifice within the facility will be demolished. In fact, she pointed to additions and renovations to the current facility, which will greatly enhance Bird’s Nest and make it a focal point for community service, as well as it historic significance.

One of those improvements is related to an abandoned cemetery on the site of the proposed development. The remains of those interred at the cemetery, which include some orphans of the Genocide but mainly of Bird’s Nest staff members, will be exhumed and transferred closer to where founder Maria Jacobson—known as Mama—is interred, making it a focal point of the facility.

“The abandoned cemetery which is currently in very bad shape and in an insecure location, is carefully planned to be relocated next to Miss Maria Jacobsen’s grave (The founder of the Orphanage) and the new Museum, in order to showcase the importance of the cemetery,” said the announcement.

A decade ago, the board of directors of the Bird’s Nest embarked on a project to build an Armenian Genocide orphans’ museum on the site of the orphanage to memorialize the surviving orphans and pay tribute to the founders of the orphanage. The museum will have its official opening next week, with an inauguration ceremony to be presided over by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.

“The museum design consists of artifacts, photos and a collective cemetery of the children and employees buried within the Bird’s Nest compound to portray to the world the daily life of the orphans,” explained the Bird’s Nest Board announcement.

Khedeshian also discussed the refurbishing of the dormitories, which is being sponsored by benefactor Aleco Bezikian. The completed dormitories will be named for the benefactor’s son, Zareh.

The Bird’s Nest board clarified in its announcement that recent press headlines “are deliberately false, manipulative and intentionally omitting facts intended to provoke unjustified emotions against both projects. Far from being under any threat, the historical Bird’s Nest orphanage is thriving and becoming more important.”

Khedeshian also echoed similar sentiments in her interview.

Head of the Kars branch of the “Ülkü ocaklar” (Hearths of Ideal) radical group of the Grey Wolves Tolga Adıgüzel has voiced threats towards Armenians of Kars after jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan performed a concert at the Ani Ruins, Ermenihaber.am reports, quoting Turkish Radikal daily.

Speaking at a press conference, Adıgüzel threatened Armenians, “who feel so free in Turkey.” He accused Armenians of the ‘events of 1915’ and Khojalu and added: “What should we do now? Should we start a hunt for Armenians in the streets of Kars?”

He also accused all Turkish journalists and officials, who ‘support Armenians launching activity in Turkey.”

He urged Armenians “not to test the patience of Turks.” He added that “Turks, for example, cannot arrive in Armenia and freely organize an event at a sacred site for Armenians.” He threatened to take necessary measures “if such things repeat.”

Within the framework of the Luys i Luso program Tigran Hamasyan performs pieces of Armenian music in 100 churches of Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Germany, Luxemburg, the United States and Russia.

The program is a new interpretation of Armenian religious music from the 5th to the 20th centuries, which will be released as a CD in September 2015.

The program includes works by Mesrop Mashtots, Grigor Nakeratsi, Grigor Pahlavuni, Nerses Shnorhali, Mkhitar Ayrivanetsi and Makar Yekmalyan.

 

 

 

The decision of the Public Services Regulatory Commission will not be overturned. The government started the sitting with a discussion on the situation around the electricity price hike.

Speaking about the reasons of the decision, Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan pointed to three factors: scarcity of water resources, the long-term suspension of the activity of the nuclear power plant turbine, as well as fluctuations of the currency exchange rate.

The Prime Minister said the decision will not be changed, but pledged targeted support to some families in need.

“The authorities must help alleviate the burden of the rise in prices. Our calculations show that the expenses of every household will increase by 1,400 AMD monthly on the average,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the “Government plans to pay additional 24,000 AMD to 105 thousand families.”

The Prime Minister also called on the protesters to start constructive dialogue with the authorities and said the government is ready to discuss any suggestion.

Save the Children in partnership with the British Embassy in Armenia will organize a photo exhibition on the occasion of the World Refugee Day on June 20, 2015, at 11:00 AM, at Sargis Muradyan Gallery in Yerevan.

The event will be attended by the UK Ambassador in Armenia Katherine Leach, Representatives of the Ministry of Diaspora, Ministry of Emergency Situations and Local Self Government, Members of Armenian Parliament, Yerevan Municipality, other government agencies, Syrian refugees and civil society representatives.

The world we live in today has more people displaced by conflict than any time since the Second World War. According to UNHCR, there are more than 50 million refugees around the world, half of which are women and children. With this event, we aim to build empathy by reminding the public about who refugees are and why they need our help.

The exhibition will tell the story of inclusiveness, humanitarian aid, spirit of volunteerism and tolerance. The photos will share the memories and results of Save the Children’s assistance to refugees in Armenia. The cornerstone of the exhibition will be archive photos of Save the Children support provided to Armenian refugees in Syria (who fled Turkey) after World War I, and the assistance that is currently provided to their fourth generation who has taken refuge from Syria to Armenia.

This historical perspective has become possible with the support of the British Embassy in Armenia and the London-based Centre for Armenian Information & Advice Hayashen, who kindly provided the archive photos.

“In May 1919 Save the Children was set up by two extraordinary British sisters, who felt that they could not stand by while refugee children were left destitute and starving after WW1.  Their determination and fundraising efforts saved the lives of thousands of children, including many Armenian children in Syria and the Soviet Union.  I’m delighted we can tell this story today – and highlight the vital work Save the Children is still doing in Armenia and across the world as a global champion of children’s rights,” says Kathy Leach, the British Ambassador to Armenia.

“This event is not only about the forced journey of the Armenian nation, but also about the evolution of Save the Children to become a helping hand for children in 120 countries of the world,” says Arsen Stepanyan, Save the Children Armenia Country Director.

Amnesty International has been blocked from entering Azerbaijan before the inaugural European Games, amid a clampdown on free speech designed to quell critics, reports.

The human rights organisation had been planning to launch a new report highlighting the crackdown on free speech, independent media and government critics. However, just as Amnesty officials prepared to travel, they received a message from the Azerbaijan Embassy in London on Tuesday afternoon stating it was “not in a position to welcome the Amnesty mission to Baku at the present time” and suggesting any visit should be postponed until after the games.

The decision to bar Amnesty came as Emma Hughes, a human rights campaigner with Platform who has previously been critical of BP’s role in cooperating with Azerbaijan, was stopped from entering the country. After arriving on Tuesday Hughes, who had been given press accreditation to cover the games, was told she was on a “red list” and held in the terminal before being put on a flight out of Baku.

The European Games, featuring 6,000 athletes begin on Friday in Baku’s new 68,000-capacity national stadium.

Some of Canada’s most renowned artists received lifetime achievement awards this year’s Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala, the country’s most prestigious award given for artistic accomplishments.

Oscar-nominated Armenian Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, known for works such as “The Sweet Hereafter” and “The Captive,” was among the laureates at the award ceremony held Saturday at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

Other award winners included songwriter Sarah McLachlan, actress and director Diana Leblanc, composer and conductor Walter Boudreau, and actor R. H. Thomson.