Author: Nyrie Kalashian

Tigran Abrahamyan: Public trust in Defense Ministry continues to decline due to ‘active efforts’ of its leadership

Nyrie Kalashian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 13 2021

The public trust in Armenia’s Defense Ministry continues to decline due to “active efforts” of its leadership, according to Henaket Analytical Center head Tigran Abrahamyan.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, the analyst accused the ministry of spreading “disinformation” and failing to disclose border incidents to the public.

"The Khndzoresk village municipality reported on its Facebook page about an incident between the village shepherd and the Azeri troops (the Azeris seized his sheep and later returned them). It said the border guards and the command of the 1st Army Corps responded to the incident, resolving the issue through negotiations,” Abrahamyan wrote.

“Incidentally, the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement that “the operational situation remained stable along the entire length of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on February 11 and 12. No border incidents were registered.”

“I don’t understand why the Defense Ministry continues to spread disinformation. What is the point of it? This is the second or third case when the ministry spreads information that does not correspond to reality.

“The previous one concerned an incident involving two Azerbaijani servicemen who were arrested in Tegh community of Syunik. Two days after the incident, they were handed over to Azerbaijan, however no official statements were made on any of them. Moreover, in its daily statement the Defense Ministry said no incidents had been recorded.

“Why do you issue statements on the border situation every single day, if in many cases they do not correspond to reality?” the analyst said, stating the public trust in the Defense Ministry continues to decline due to “active efforts” of its leadership. 

Ombudsman’s representatives visit the five captives that returned to Armenia this week

Nyrie Kalashian
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 12 2021

On the instructions of the Human Rights Defender, the Defender’s representatives, including the doctor, had private talks with the five prisoners released from Azerbaijani captivity.

Their health condition was assessed.

Necessary actions will be taken as a result of the visit.

Five captives were repatriated to Armenia earlier this week with the mediation of the Russian peacekeepers. 

MP’s call upon Dutch gov’t to recognize Armenian genocide

Nyrie Kalashian
NL Times, The Netherlands
Feb 9 2021

The Tweede Kamer wants the departing cabinet to officially recognize the Armenian genocide that happened between 1915 and 1917. So far, the cabinet was always careful to speak of "the issue of the Armenian genocide". A majority in parliament agreed with a ChristenUnie motion that this is absurd, NOS reports.

Between 1915 and 1917, some 1.5 million Armenian people were murdered when Christian Armenians were driven from their homes by the authorities of the Islamic Ottoman Empire, now Turkey. The Turkish authorities deny that the genocide ever happened. 

ChristenUnie, the smallest party in the Rutte III coalition, has been trying to get the Dutch government to recognize the genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire since 2004. Three years ago, the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, recognized the Armenian Genocide at the party's initiative.

But the cabinet is still sticking to "the issue of the Armenian genocide". According to Prime Minister Mark Rutte, recognizing the genocide will not contribute to a solution and reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey. But in 2018, a member of the Dutch cabinet attended the annual commemoration of the genocide in the Armenian capital for the first time.

According to ChristenUnie parliamentarian Joel Voordewind, it is over 100 years since the genocide and Armenians are still feeling threatened by Turkey. Last year, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan supported Azerbaijan in their fight against Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. "This aggression must be stopped," Voordewind said.

And a majority in parliament – PVV, CDA, SP, GroenLinks, SGP, PvdD, 50Plus, FvD, and independent MPs Henk Krol and Femke Van Kooten-Arissen – agree that acknowledging the genocide can help promote reconciliation and prevent another genocide.  "That is why it is first of all very important that countries speak out clearly. A large majority in parliament calls on the Dutch government to finally do this," Voordewind said. The motion will be put to the vote in the Tweede Kamer on Tuesday afternoon.  

Ishkhan Saghatelyan: We were not against snap elections but only those organised by Nikol Pashinyan

Nyrie Kalashian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 8 2021

The  Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Supreme Body representative, Coordinator at opposition Homeland Salvation Movement Ishkhan Saghatelyan believes Armenia's  authorities have assessed the demand  for snap elections through a survey within only the ruling force. "Otherwise, we would be able to learn there is real public demand to remove this evil government from power," Saghatelyan told media on Monday, commenting on the recent message by the ruling force about lack of public demand for elections in Armenia. 

Speaking of the possible reasons for refusing to hold elections, the ARFD member insisted the authorities have either realized they have no capacity to get reelected and face serious problems within the own team  or they are confident to get away with the occurred situation and can further promote the fake agenda to asset their rule. 

"However, they are gravely mistaken, since Armenians can not tolerate the actions of these treacherous authorities," stressed Saghatelyan, adding mass protests will resume in the coming days to demand Pashinyan's resignation. 

Saghatelyan noted that the opposition forces have never rejected the idea of snap elections but instead have been the proponents to organize them. "We were against the snap elections organised by Pashinyan and have justified our position," added the opposition

 

Armenian opposition announces new rally on Feb. 20

Nyrie Kalashian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 8 2021

The Armenian opposition has announced a new rally in Yerevan on Saturday, February 20, to again demand the resignation of the current authorities after lawmakers representing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s My Step bloc said on Sunday the premier’s call for fresh parliamentary elections later in 2021 has not received support by either the parliamentary opposition or the public at large.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF, Dashnaktsutyun) Supreme Council of Armenia member Ishkhan Saghatelyan, who coordinates the activities of the Homeland Salvation Movement, outlined three reasons for the ruling bloc’s decision to abandon the plan for the conduct of snap elections.

"There are three main reasons for the refusal to hold snap elections. First, the prime minister clinging to power has realized that he has no chance of regaining power as a result of elections, it is simply impossible.

“Second, he has realized that if he goes down that path, he will have serious problems with his own team, as most of the "backpacks" that appeared in the parliament by chance have felt the danger of losing their mandates irreversibly.

“Third, they think that the movement has died down, and in case the people are distracted by false agendas for a little while, they will manage to get away with what they have done,” the opposition figure said.

“Thus, they have decided to maintain their grip on power by force, trying to strengthen it by various methods. But they are gravely mistaken, because populist traitors can deceive the people once, but never twice.

“Now the citizens who hoped to get rid of the authorities through elections will take to the streets. Only then will the "proud courageous men” feel the power of the public demand.

“The upcoming rally will take place in the Liberty Square on February 20, at 3pm,” Saghatelyan said.

Also, he said none of the opposition parties, including the parliamentary forces, opposed snap elections. Moreover, they highlighted the need for their conduct, at the same time outlining a clear-cut roadmap for the process, which included Pashinyan’s resignation and formation of an interim government.

Armenia ruling bloc MP appointed head of Armenian delegation to Euronest

Nyrie Kalashian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 8 2021
18:28, 08.02.2021

Deputy of the ruling My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Victor Yengibaryan posted the following on his Facebook page:

“By the decision of the Council of the National Assembly, I have been appointed head of the Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Eastern Partnership (Euronest).

This platform for parliamentary diplomacy is important for Armenia. There is a lot of work to do, and the delegation will report on the actions on Facebook and other platforms.”

President of Artsakh hosts philanthropist Aleq Baghdasaryan

Nyrie Kalashian

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 09:51, 4 February, 2021

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan received on February 3 philanthropist Aleq Baghdasaryan, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

Arayik Harutyunyan thanked the philanthropist for the charitable projects being implemented in Artsakh, stating that the post-war difficulties are possible to overcome only with joint efforts of the people.

Aleq Baghdasaryan thanked the President for the warm welcome and informed that they are going to carry out additional activities in Artsakh aimed at the education development.

The meeting was also attended by chief of staff of the Artsakh President’s Office Artak Beglaryan.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Deputy PM Avinyan receives Dutch Ambassador

Nyrie Kalashian

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 18:30, 3 February, 2021

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan received on February 3 Ambassador of the Netherlands to Armenia Nicholas Schermers.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of Tigran Avinyan, greeting the guest, the Deputy PM highlighted the opening of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Yerevan and highly appreciated Ambassador Schermers՛s personal contribution to the development of bilateral relations.

Thanking for the reception, Ambassador Schermers underlined his readiness to spare no efforts for strengthening and deepening the Armenian-Dutch relations.

The sides discussed the issue of Artsakh and the situation resulted by the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh, addressing in detail the issue of the return of prisoners of war. The Deputy PM presented the current stage of the process of exchanging the POWs, assessing it a priority for the Government of Armenia. He thanked the Dutch parliament for the position on Artsakh issue, as well as for the adoption of the resolution on providing humanitarian assistance to the population of Artsakh.

Economic issues were also addressed during the meeting. Tigran Avinyan presented the measures taken by the Government aimed at restoring the economic life.

Armenian street food makes good use of savory flatbread

Nyrie Kalashian
Tucson.com, Arizona
Jan  26 2021

  • By Robin Mather Special to the Arizona Daily Star


The key to making quality lahmacun is its meat, highly seasoned with Middle Eastern spices.

Getty Images

By Robin Mather Special to the Arizona Daily Star

Flatbreads fascinate me.

In virtually every culture around the world, there’s some kind of risen dough, rolled out into disks, topped with a savory something and then baked.

It’s food at its most elemental, isn’t it? Just the basics of wheat and meat, quick to prepare, quick to bake and satisfying to eat.

All of us know pizza, America’s favorite flatbread. Whether you like it simply topped or loaded with everything, pizza is a reliable crowd-pleaser however it’s served. The average American eats 23 pounds of pizza per year, according to some pizza demographics researchers, and 93% of Americans will eat pizza at least once in the next 30 days.

There are lots of other savory flatbreads topped with something delicious around the world, though.

That brings me to lahmacun, a Middle Eastern flatbread topped with a highly seasoned mix of ground lamb or beef. It’s a quintessential walking-around food, the kind of thing you pick up from a street vendor.

My Armenian friends call it “lahmajun” and say it’s an Armenian original. My Turkish friends say no, it’s their creation. I dislike getting into the middle of that fray, preferring instead to simply enjoy indisputably good food.

Here in my Southern Arizona home, I sometimes use the big burrito-sized flour tortillas instead of a yeasted dough to build my lahmacun. You can do that, too, or you can stick to the more authentic base of a simple risen bread dough. Because I’m a lazy cook and frequently don’t think about dinner until I’m already past ravenous, I make no apologies for buying ready-made pizza dough to use as its base.

Whatever you use as the base, the key to lahmacun is its highly seasoned topping. No dairy here, with the exception of an optional yogurt garnish — just meat seasoned with typical Middle Eastern spices. While Americans don’t usually think of allspice and cinnamon in meat dishes, their addition here creates a lovely Mediterranean flavor profile. Smoked paprika lends a bit of the flavor of the brick oven, and a ripe red bell pepper helps make the topping a most appealing eye-popping crimson.

I highly recommend mixing up some garlicky yogurt — say, two or three crushed cloves to a cup of yogurt — to dress the finished lahmacun. The thinly sliced red onion, which I sometimes dress with a spoon or two of za’atar (the mixture of sumac, oregano and sesame seeds), also brightens its flavor.

If you’re ready for a change of pace, this satisfying alternative can up your flatbread game.

LAHMACUN

Makes 4 servings

Most commonly made with ground lamb, these “pizzas” are equally good made with ground beef. Slice like pizza or let each diner dress his portion with lemon juice, sliced onions, and garlicky yogurt and then roll up like a burrito. Serve these hot or at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS

½ pound store-bought pizza dough, homemade pizza dough or 4 burrito-size flour tortillas

½ sweet red pepper, cored, cut into chunks

½ small onion, quartered

4 garlic cloves

A handful of fresh parsley with some stems

8 ounces ground lamb or ground beef

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Lemon wedges, for serving

Thinly sliced red onion, for serving

Greek yogurt mixed with crushed garlic, for serving

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to the middle.

In the large bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add red peppers, onion, garlic and parsley. Pulse a few times to chop. Add ground lamb or beef. Season with spices and salt. Add tomato paste and extra virgin olive oil. Now pulse again until well-combined (about eight to 10 pulses.)

Prepare two large rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Divide the pizza dough into four equal balls, about 2 ounces each. Working with one ball of dough at a time, place on a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough as thin as you can, to a disk that’s about 8 to 9 inches in diameter. If you’re using tortillas, you will skip this step.

Place one flatbread disk on one of the prepared pans. Reshape as needed. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons topping onto dough and spread topping evenly to edges, leaving a thin border.

Bake five to 10 minutes or until dough and meat are fully cooked (dough will be a little crusty around the edges.)

Repeat with the remaining dough and topping.

Squeeze a little lemon juice on top of baked lahmacun. Scatter sliced red onion over the top. Dress with garlicky yogurt. Serve lahmacun hot or at room temperature.

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Turkish press: Ancient Assyrian castle, home of prophets, on way to UNESCO list

Nyrie Kalashian
 DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY HISTORY 
JAN 21, 2021 1:50 PM GMT+3
The Assyrian castle and a tent leading to the underground tunnels in the Eğil district of Diyarbakır province, southeastern Turkey, Jan. 18, 2021. (AA Photo)

In the southeastern Turkish province of Diyarbakır, the Municipality of Eğil and the district governor's office have been working extensively to preserve and promote the ancient Assyrian Eğil Castle and the King Tombs. As part of their efforts, an application was made to UNESCO to register these historical and cultural heritage sites on its World Heritage List.

The ancient Eğil Castle, which overlooks deep valleys on three sides and whose foundations are carved into a single rock base, is famous for its Kralkızı (King's Daughter) Dam Lake, its water cisterns and its incredible historical texture. The site is also believed to be the resting place of prophets Dhu al-Kifl and Elisha, whose names are mentioned in the Quran.

Idris Arslan, district governor and deputy mayor of the Eğil district, stands in front of Eğil Castle in Diyarbakır province, southeastern Turkey, Jan. 18, 2021. (AA Photo)

Eğil District Governor and Deputy Mayor Idris Arslan told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they have applied to the Culture and Tourism Ministry to begin excavations at the site and the relevant procedures are underway. Arslan said the first part of the project was to clear the ancient tunnels of the Assyrian castle.

Arslan pointed out that these historical sites should be known and renowned not just in Turkey but all over the world as well.

“We decided that we should promote this site through an organization known worldwide. So, we have started our work with professor Irfan Yıldız of Dicle University, and we have applied for the temporary list,” he said. “I hope our Assyrian castle and the King Tombs will soon be on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We should reach a conclusion in the upcoming months.”

Diyarbakır already has two sites, the Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens, on the list.

Arslan said archaeological excavations would start at the site once permissions were granted by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, and the historical and natural beauty of Eğil would be unearthed.

“Eğil will welcome people not just with its spirituality but also with its history. Being on UNESCO's list will mean that this ancient history will enter the world stage. Not only domestic tourists but also foreign tourists will learn of our region, which means a lot to us,” Arslan said.

Arslan pointed out that Eğil, based purely on its significant religious importance and attractions, has received high numbers of visitors. “We have had 400,000 guests daily. Going forward, we want to create a religious tourism complex and attraction with our Assyrian castle,” he explained, saying that it would be a long and arduous but prosperous journey.

Professor Irfan Yıldız of Dicle University stands at Eğil Castle in the Eğil district of Diyarbakır province, southeastern Turkey, Jan. 18, 2021. (AA Photo)

Yıldız, meanwhile, said the castle was immensely important for shedding light on the region's history, and it was maybe the most significant castle in Diyarbakır. According to modern and historical sources, the castle originally belonged to Salmanasar, the third king of Assyria. The discoveries of the king's figures and etchings of his name on the stones also point toward that probability.

Yıldız also explained the strategic importance of the castle by saying that it was one of the border castles of Rome. He then touched upon the graves located in the historical Assyrian castle.

"One of the most important aspects of Eğil Castle is the kings' graves built in a similar shape to the Turkish kümbet, or mausoleum. The buried kings are believed to belong to Armenian kings from the Arsacid dynasty and to have been constructed during the (A.D.) first and second centuries. We know from sources that there were many valuable materials buried with the kings. It is also mentioned in historical sources that during the Sassanid Empire, the kings' graves were opened up and the treasures were taken," he explained.

Yıldız emphasized the importance of Eğil as a city of prophets and kings, relevant in the fields of cultural and religious tourism. He said the castle fully deserved recognition from UNESCO. “Hopefully, soon it will be included in the temporary list,” he said.