Author: Lena Karagyozian

The seventh International Hrant Dink Award was presented on Tuesday, September 15th with an award ceremony held at the Istanbul Congress Center. This year’s awards were granted to women’s rights activist Samar Badawi from Saudi Arabia and to Kaos GL, an initiative that works for LGBT rights in Turkey. Badawi stands out as a leading voice for advocating women’s rights and for raising international awareness about the oppression of human rights defenders in her country, while Kaos GL was recognised for its persistent and efficient struggle for LGBT rights in Turkey, where violence against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and trans individuals continues to increase.

The award ceremony was opened with Ceylan Ertem’s performance of Bülent Ortaçgil’s widely-acclaimed song, Bu Su Hiç Durmaz (This Water Will Never Stop Flowing). In his keynote address, historian Taner Akçam reminded that the conception of the legal terms ‘‘humanitarian law’’ and ‘‘crime against humanity’’ and the concomitant crime of genocide is directly related to Turkey’s past. He stressed the importance of facing the past to be able to give back the massacred people their dignity, to restore justice and conscience, and to overcome enmity, atrocity, and conflicts. He emphasized that confronting the Armenian Genocide in its centenary was one of the preconditions for the co-existence of peoples of Turkey. Akçam pointed out the fact that, in these lands, ethnocentric politics have only caused catastrophe and devastation, and that the real solution could be achieved through co-existence, which is, in fact, much easier than militarization and murder. He also stressed the importance of keeping Hrant Dink alive as a civil rights leader for the pursuit of co-existence. Following Akçam’s address, Eileen Khatchadourian from Beirut took the stage for her musical performance.

As part of the ceremony, two videos, “Inspirations 1915” and “Inspirations 2015,” were screened. The first video commemorated individuals such as the Aleppo governor Celal Bey, Kastamonu Gendarmerie Commander İzzet Bey, the Ambassador of the United States Henry Morgenthau, who witnessed, recorded, raised their voices against, and, at the expense of their lives, strived to prevent massacres during the Genocide that was committed 100 years ago in Anatolia. The second video saluted the people and organisations from Turkey and from around the world, who raise hope for the future with their actions. Among the Insipirations of 2015 were India’s Robin Hood Army for gathering left-over food from restaurants and wedding parties, and for distributing them to orphans and the homeless; the White Helmetgroup in Syria for rescuing people from buildings that were burned or destroyed during the war; Kurdish MP Vyan Daxil for being the first politician to speak out about the Yazidi Massacre in the Iraqi Parliament; Electric Yerevan for protesting the raised electricity prices in Armenia; Black Lives Matter for drawing attention to and for shaping the public opinion about the police murders of black people committed by police and civilians; Camp Armen for demanding the the unconditional return of the Armenian children’s camp in Tuzla, Istanbul to the Armenian people; the young people who lost their lives in a suicide bombing during their press conference in Suruç, Urfa, where they were setting out to give hope, take toys and build a library for the children in Kobani whose lives have been devastated by the war.

The laureates of 2015 International Hrant Dink Award were announced at the end of the ceremony. As Samar Badawi could not attend the award ceremony due to a travel ban, her colleague Elsa Saade received the statue on her behalf from the President of Hrant Dink Foundation Rakel Dink and 2014 International Hrant Dink Award laureate Şebnem Korur Fincancı. In her speech, Saade explained how Samar Badawi put her life in danger to fight for the fundamental human rights, and how she became an inspiration for thousands of Saudi women with her dreams and her struggle for making them true. She also emphasized that in regions where power is dictated by the abuse of sectarianism, religion, and economic interests, we need people like Samar Badawi to voice out human concerns. Saade also stressed that such awards and messages of solidarity did extend a cord of hope to those who feel afraid and sometimes forgotten in the most challenging parts of the world.

Kaos GL received its award statue from Ali Bayramoğlu, the Chairman of the International Hrant Dink Award Committee. Having received the statue on behalf of Kaos GL, Ali Erol reminded that homosexuals lived their entire lives in the ‘‘disquiet’’ that took the life of Hrank Dink. He also noted that emancipation of homosexuals was a prerequisite for the liberalisation of the society. Erol also stressed the importance of figuring out the linkages between different forms of discrimination. He said that racist and nationalistic discourses institutionalised through state policies did create ‘‘enemies of the nation” and that this fake ‘‘national integrity’’ could only be overcome by building bridges across various struggles for freedom.

The Jury of the International Hrant Dink Award 2015 consists of Baskın Oran, Gerard Libaridian, Kenneth Roth, Kumi Naidoo, Mary Kaldor, Oya Baydar, Rakel Dink and 2014 International Hrant Dink Awardees Angie Zelter and Şebnem Korur Fincancı.

Alper Görmüş, Amira Hass, the Conscientious Objection Movement of Turkey, Baltasar Garzón, Ahmet Altan, Lydia Cacho, İsmail Beşikçi, International “Memorial” Society Russia, Saturday Mothers / People, Nataša Kandić, Angie Zelter, and Şebnem Korur Fincancı are the former laureates of the International Hrant Dink Award.

Hungary’s army has begun exercises to prepare for a possible future role in guarding the southern border to try to stem the influx of migrants, the BBC reports.

Budapest plans to send soldiers to help police at the border where thousands of migrants arrive from Serbia every day.

A new razor-wire barrier is already being built along the frontier. MPs are expected to vote on stricter border controls later this month.

Authorities have been told to expect 40,000 more migrants by next week.

Many of them are fleeing conflicts in countries like Syria and Libya and are trying to travel through Hungary to Germany, Austria and Sweden – wealthier EU nations with more liberal asylum laws.

Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain’s longest-reigning monarch later when she passes the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, teh BBC reports.

The Queen will have reigned for 63 years and seven months – calculated at 23,226 days, 16 hours and approximately 30 minutes at about 17:30 BST.

Prime Minister David Cameron will lead tributes in the House of Commons and there will be a River Thames salute.

Business in the Commons will be postponed for half an hour so MPs can pay tribute to the Queen.

Buckingham Palace has released an official photograph to mark the occasion, taken by Mary McCartney in the Queen’s private audience room.

This is where she holds weekly audiences with prime ministers of the day, and receives visiting heads of state and government.

The Armenian St. Giragos Church in Diyarbekir was damaged as a homemade bomb exploded in Sur district, Ermenihaber.am reports, quoting the Turkish sources.

The windows of the church were broken, bullet traces were discovered on the walls, the source says.

Asbarez – Vista Players, the acclaimed theater ensemble that “set the standard by which others were judged” (Sacramento News & Review), will stage the world premiere of “Happy Armenians,” the latest work by Elly Award-winning playwright and director Aram Kouyoumdjian. “Happy Armenians” will open on October 2, 2015 at the NoHo Arts Center, where it will enjoy a 12-performance run over four weekends through October 25.

“Happy Armenians,” a dramedy, tells a “parallel world” version of history in which Armenia has become a global empire, upending the world order as we know it. Its king, however, has only 30 more days to live, and Levon, a blood relative, is the unexpected – and unwilling – heir to the throne, who must manage a war against Switzerland, the geopolitics of African and South American colonization of Europe, and his budding love for a brilliant scientist named Siran.

A humorous, imaginative, and poignant rumination on love, war, and the burdens of history, “Happy Armenians” boasts a stellar cast, led by Daniel Hubbard as Levon and featuring the talents of Heather Lynn Smith, Tavis L. Baker, Jade Hykush, and Mark Eric Howell.

Maro Parian is designing the production’s towering set and constructing its unique costumes. Henrik Mansourian is the show’s lighting designer and Armineh Hovanesian its stage manager. Ara Dabandjian is composing the play’s original music score.

Performances are on Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 pm (except on Saturday, October 3, when the curtain rises at 7:00 pm), and on Sundays at 3:00 pm. Due to the intimate nature of the performances, no late seating will be allowed.

Kouyoumdjian is the winner of Elly Awards for playwriting (“The Farewells”) and directing (“Three Hotels”), and has been hailed for having “an adventurous artistic sensibility for intelligent productions” (Sacramento Bee). His directing credits include “Arcadia,” “Far Away,” “Marvin’s Room,” “The Play About the Baby,” and “Six Degrees of Separation.” His feature plays and solo pieces have been performed in half a dozen cities, from Los Angeles (Fountain Theatre) to London (Finborough Theatre). His most recent productions include “Ancient Gods” (Garni Theatre Ensemble at the NoHo Arts Center, 2014) and, earlier this year, the open-air, site-specific performance “i Go On” at DTLA’s Grand Park.

Vista Players is an award-winning theater ensemble devoted to staging contemporary plays of social relevance. It was founded in Northern California, where its premier outing was “Six Degrees of Separation.” Over the course of six seasons, the “acclaimed” troupe (Sacramento Bee) staged esteemed productions of nine plays by such leading playwrights as Tom Stoppard, Caryl Churchill, and Edward Albee. Vista Players is now L.A.-based, and “Happy Armenians” marks its relaunch in Southern California.

On July 23 and the night of July 24th the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime on the Line of Contact between Karabakh-Azerbaijani conflicting forces for about 160 times, the NKR Ministry of Defense reports.

During that time more than 2,500 shots were fired in the direction of the Armenian defense guards from weapons of various caliber including 82mm mortars and various grenade launchers.

As a result of the response of advanced units of the Defence Army, the activity of the enemy was suppressed.

 

The Armenian authorities must urgently ensure an impartial, independent and thorough investigation into allegations that police used excessive force – including dousing people with water cannon – to disperse a mainly peaceful demonstration before arresting more than 200 protesters on the streets of the capital Yerevan early this morning, Amnesty International said.

Yerevan police said they arrested 237 people after a crowd marched away from round-the-clock protests in a central square towards the presidential headquarters. Since 19 June, thousands of people have taken part in the demonstrations against rising electricity prices in Yerevan and elsewhere, including the town of Gyumri where 12 others were arrested.

“For the Armenian authorities to disperse what was up until then a peaceful demonstration is a heavy-handed tactic that must be avoided to protect the right to freedom of expression and assembly. Video footage showing high-powered jets from water cannon flinging peaceful protesters to the ground is a cause for concern,” said Denis Krivosheev, Deputy Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International.

“It is our understanding that the Armenian authorities are investigating the protesters for ‘hooliganism’, rather than the heavy-handed police response. They must not do this at the expense of an impartial and independent investigation into the police’s alleged use of excessive force, including water cannon, against demonstrators who may have obstructed traffic but were peaceful. Any security forces found responsible of violations must be disciplined or prosecuted.”

In a statement, police said that stones were thrown and that at least seven protesters and 11 police officials were injured. No serious injuries were reported.

Police and an eyewitness also confirmed that journalists were targeted as well as peaceful protesters. Despite the journalists showing press credentials, police confiscated and damaged video equipment.

“The allegations that police specifically targeted journalists have worrying implications for freedom of expression, and must also be independently investigated,” said Denis Krivosheev.

 

 

 

The Sunday elections in Turkey were a regress for the ruling Justice and Development Party, expert of Turkish studies Arestakes Simavoryan told reporters today.

“The voters sent clear messages to Erdogan, making it clear they stand against constitutional changes,” he said.

According to expert of Turkish studies Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, the elections marked a turning point, first of all with regard to the correlation of forces.

“For the first time in history, 95 percent of the Turkish electorate will be represented in the Parliament,” Vahram Ter-Matevosyan said. According to him, the elections can be seen as a “vote of no confidence” on Erdogan’s political objectives, and more than 2 million people voted against Erdogan’s vision of Turkey.

“The elections changed the correlation of forces in the parliament, and on the political field, at large. After a leadership of 13 years, the Justice and Development Party has to take the new realities into consideration and seek ways of cooperation with the opposition.”

The worst scenario for the Armenian-Turkish relations will be a coalition between the Justice and Development Party and the Nationalist Movement. “In this case there will be no shortage of anti-Armenian statement,” he said.

Another expert of Turkish studies Anush Hovhannisyan said the election of three Armenians from three different parties is unprecedented.

“The three MPs will at least try to raise issues concerning the Turkish Armenian community. I think they will actively participate in discussions on the Armenian Genocide, the Turkey-Armenian relations, if there are any in the Parliament,” she said.

Vahram Ter-Matevosyan said the expectations from the three Armenian MPs should be different. He expects more from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and its representative Kato Palyan.

“At this point the HDP is the only force capable of bringing any change in the Armenian-Turkish relations,” he said.

If the Justice and Development Party opts for a minority government, it will not survive long and unwanted developments will be unavoidable.

Experts say it’s clear to everyone that early elections will mean a period of political instability, which will, in turn, lead to great economic shocks.

Turkey should form a government in 45 days.

At least 43 people have been killed and 20 injured in a gun attack on a bus carrying Ismaili Shia Muslims in the Pakistani city of Karachi, police say, the BBC reports.

A police official said six gunmen on motorcycles stopped the bus and fired indiscriminately at passengers.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has condemned the attack and ordered an investigation.

A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban called Jundullah has said it carried out the attack.

About 60 people were on board the bus when it was stopped in the Safoora Goth area of Karachi on its way to an Ismaili Shia place of worship, police said.

Arthur Abraham and Robert Stieglitz will face each other for the fourth time in July. A super middleweight belt will once again be on the line when the familiar foes clash July 18 at Gerry Weber Hall in Halle, Germany, according to boxingscene.com.

The first fight between the pair of top super middleweights saw Abraham (42-4, 28KOs) score a career-resurrecting decision win to dethrone Stieglitz.

Their rematch eight months later saw Stieglitz (47-4-1, 27KOs) post his lone win of the rivarly, forcing a 4th round stoppage to regain his title in March 2013. The bout marked the only bout among their three previous meets to end inside the distance.

Abraham – who claimed a split decision win last March to begin his second tour as a super middleweight titlist – vows to get his own knockout win to provide a definitive end to this series.

“Robert is mandatory challenger, so of course he deserves his shot,’’ acknowledges Abraham, who has made three successful defenses during his second super middleweight title reign.  I’ve enjoyed our rivalry, but like all good things, this must come to an end.”

“The Gerry Weber Stadium will provide the perfect venue for me to finish our feud. I had Robert down in the 12th round of our last encounter, but this time he will hit the canvas a lot sooner!”