Author: Karapet Navasardian

Photo: Ermenihaber.am

German parliament’s move to vote on a resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide fueled outrage in Turkey. A group of activists from the Homeland Party (VP) staged a demonstration outside the German Consulate in Istanbul to denounce the recognition vote, Daily Sabah reports.

Protesters said German parliament has no say in recognizing genocide, a thorny issue between Turks and Armenians dating back to the last decade of the Ottoman Empire.

Speaking on behalf of protesters gathered outside the German Consulate in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district, VP Istanbul branch Chairman Erkan Önsel said the vote in German parliament could harm Turkish-German friendship.

He then recited a letter by Doğu Perinçek, VP chairman, addressed to Bundestag President Norbert Lambert. Perinçek gained international fame for remarks deemed genocide denial and was taken to court in Europe.

Today, at the Yerevan Expo Exhibition Complex President Serzh Sargsyan attended the opening ceremony of the New Perspectives for the Syrian Armenians exhibition which is being held in the framework of the Week of Economic Opportunities business forum.

The exhibition presents over seventy companies and individuals entrepreneurs of the Armenian descent who have fled war in Syria and relocated to Armenia.

The President of Armenia familiarized with the results of the activities of the Syrian Armenians in different areas, observed goods and services presented at the exhibition, learned about existing problems and programs of development. At the exhibition, private companies of Armenia present to the Syrian Armenians existing jobs and services, while state and international institutions present their programs of assistance. President Serzh Sargsyan assessed as inspiring the efforts of our compatriots working in the area of publishing, printing, jewelry making, wood processing, tourism, embroidery, equipment and machinery production, as well as in other areas and highly praised the quality of the exhibited goods. The President discussed with the Syrian Armenian entrepreneurs issues related to the sales and export opportunities for their production.

Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright has publicly identified himself as Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, the BBC reports.

His admission ends years of speculation about who came up with the original ideas underlying the digital cash system.

Mr Wright has provided technical proof to back up his claim using coins known to be owned by Bitcoin’s creator.

Prominent members of the Bitcoin community and its core development team have also confirmed Mr Wright’s claim.

Sona Rubenyan’s new song is dedicated to mothers of all fallen soldiers.

Music by Sona Rubenyan
Lyrics by Avet Barseghyan

Following the latest controversies, Sweden’s Turkish National Association risks having to pay back millions of krona the union earlier received in government grants; competent bodies question whether the association can be considered democratic at all, reports.

On April 9, Barbaros Leylani, then vice president of the Turkish National Association, raised hell with a speech at a demonstration in Stockholm, where he announced his support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Also, a number of flag-waving members of the Grey Wolves, a Turkish supremacist, far-right and neo-fascist organization, were spotted at the demonstration.

“Death to the Armenian dogs! Death! Death!” Leylani shouted, among other things, according to .

This triggered an investigation to find out whether the Turkish National Association reflects the basic requirements of democratic values.

“This statement was not consistent with respect for human equality and human rights, and therefore we [initially] started this investigation on our own initiative,” says Anders Hagquist, communications director at the National Agency for Youth and Civil Society, MUCF.

Barbaros . However, his confrontational statements are not the only thing that is now being investigated, according to Anders Hagquist. Numerous minority organizations and former members of the Turkish National Association have formally the organization’s texts and speeches for being “hateful.”

“We have received many complaints in the past and now we need to examine them again, considering the recent situation,” he said.

Earlier, Sweden’s reported the incident to the police.

“I was very, very worried when I saw the clip. This is very unnerving,” president Garlen Mansourian told TV4.

Despite the frequent complaints, the Turkish National Association has continued to receive state support of over half a million krona per year. According to the news portal , the state aid from MUCF (whose primary aim is to combat racism and promote integration in Sweden) amounted to 630,000 krona (roughly 80,000 dollars) last year alone. Now, MUCF may very see its funding cut, which spells doom.

This would be a disaster for the Turkish National Association, Union Secretary Yasin Ipek told .

“We would probably go out of business and cease to exist as an association,” he said.

Yasin Ipek believes that last week’s debate was unfair.

“We are neither racists nor fascists. You cannot punish the whole union because of one person,” he says.

According to the Swedish , which endorses state aid to minority societies, the Turkish National Organization is a large association, comprising over 12,000 members. At present, over 50,000 Turks are estimated to be living in Sweden.

A cross-stone dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims was unveiled in the German city of Jena on April 17. The monument was blessed by Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian, Primate of the German Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Germany Ashot Smbatyan, Member of Bundestag, Chairman of the German-Armenian Forum Albert Weiler and Jena Mayor Albrecht Schröter offered opening remarks. The speakers noted that recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey is the milestone for reconciliation.

The event was attended by members of Bundestag and the Landtag of Thuringia, employees of the Jena City Hall, representatives of the local Armenian community.

 

 

 

“The military actions launched by Azerbaijan unprecedented not only after the 1994 ceasefire, but also in comparison with the first Artsakh War because of several factors,” Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said at the government sitting today.

“The actions were unprecedented first of all for the density of firing, the types of the weapons and military equipment used, the number of troops involved and the great number of losses,” the Minister said. He added that the number of Azerbaijani casualties considerably exceed those of the Armenian side.

He also emphasized the high combat readiness of the conflicting parties, and the fact of terrorists fighting on the Azerbaijani side at different sections of the line of contact and their aggressive actions.

The Armenian Defense Minister said, however, that Azerbaijan achieved nothing as a result and turned town the Azeri reports of having conquered several Armenian settlements. “Talish and Nor Seysulan villages are under Karabakh control,” he said.

The Minister said the agreement on ceasefire has been reached on the level of the General Staffs of the armed forces of the two parties.

Seyran Ohanyan added that the actions of the Azerbaijani side, including torture and decapitation, amount to war crime.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is attending the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington at the invitation of UN President Barack Obama. The summit featured more than 50 heads of state and government.

The goal of the two-day event is to come up with strategies for preventing would-be attackers against nation states from obtaining or building nuclear weapons capable of inflicting mass casualties.

Among the Easter masses held around the world, a very special one took place in Montreal, where Syrian refugees celebrated the holiday for the first time since coming to Canada, reports.

“It is the first Easter for them in Canada and we would like to make it as joyous as possible and welcome them in Montreal and in Canada,” said Antranik Sirinyan, chairman of the St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Outremont.

The service saw 250 Syrian families attending Easter mass. It’s a small piece of normalcy for those whose entire lives have been uprooted.

“Of course it’s difficult, but it needs time and in time I think everything will be okay,” said refugee Shoghig Kochakejian. “I’m happy because we have a great community here and we’re having fun, but you still think that we have relatives and friends still in Syria, so it’s happiness but it’s not complete.”

The newcomers expressed appreciation to their new country and to their fellow parishioners for making a rough transition much easier.

“I’m very thankful that Canada and Montreal gave us the opportunity to be here,” said refugee Hovesp Bogossian. “We’re happy to be serving our church and serving the community.”

New images have emerged from Palmyra, hours after Syrian troops recaptured it from the Islamic State group (IS).

The pictures reveal the extent of destruction wrought by the group during their 10-month occupation of the Unesco World Heritage site.

While some treasured monuments have been destroyed, much of the ancient city’s ruins are said to remain intact.

Syria’s antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim said authorities had been “expecting the worst”.

But he told the AFP news agency that “the landscape, in general, is in good shape”.