Author: Talar Tumanian

Turkish press: Azerbaijan dissatisfied with Russian peacekeepers’ pro-Armenia attitude

Talar Tumanian
 ISTANBUL DIPLOMACY 
JAN 07, 2021 1:12 PM GMT+3
An Azerbaijani border guard raises the national flag during the opening ceremony of the frontier post in the village of Zangilan, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5, 2021. (AFP Photo)

The one-sided and partial attitude of Russian military elements deployed in the Karabakh region to monitor a cease-fire deal signed in November in favor of the Armenian side has raised eyebrows in Azerbaijan.

Deployed to the region as part of the Russia-brokered cease-fire deal signed on Nov. 10, Russian troops sometimes exhibit a pro-Armenia attitude instead of taking the required neutral stance for the implementation of the peace agreement, Azerbaijani officials say.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Azerbaijan’s state customs academy department chair, Araz Aslanlı, said Thursday that some discourse and practices of Russian elements do not contribute to the permanent solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and cause doubts in Azerbaijan and Turkey about Russia’s good intentions.

Aslanlı said the long-awaited solution for the Karabakh issue could have strained Turkey-Russia relations. "However, this risk has been largely eliminated following the 44-day war and since cooperation possibilities between the two countries have increased. It is important to create multidimensional cooperation conditions in the region. For the stable future of the region, Russian elements should act with the awareness of they are taking part in Azerbaijani territory," he said.

Caucasus International Relations and Strategic Studies Center (QAFSAM) Deputy Chair Nazım Cafersoy also told AA that Russian elements in the region are causing the continuation of the illegal military forces’ presence in the region rather than providing peace between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

Cafersoy said it is wrong for Russian elements to recognize the separatist forces in the region as a legitimate actor, adding: “This situation that the so-called Armenian administration tries to use for their own interests is unacceptable. Russia does not give a good test in this process. Russian elements should exert effort for the implementation of the cease-fire in the region in line with their job description and should avoid any action against Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.”

Rustem Muradov, the commander of the Russian troops in the region, was pictured with senior figures of the separatist Armenian forces. Azerbaijanis also reacted against the presence of the so-called Armenian administration's flag at Muradov's meetings and events.

On another occasion, the Russian Defense Ministry in a news story published on its website used the phrase “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,” referring to the separatist Armenian forces’ administration. After Azerbaijan objected, the ministry removed that part from the article.

Most recently, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Armenian foreign minister's visit to the Nagorno-Karabakh region violated the conditions of November's trilateral agreement that put an end to the conflict between the two countries.

"The illegal visit of Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, where he met with representatives of the puppet regime and signed the 'documents,' contradicts the trilateral statement of Nov. 10 and does not comply at all with the framework of peace, security and cooperation in the region after the cessation of hostilities," Leyla Abdullayeva, head of the Press Service Department of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement.

Abdullayeva added that the violation of the commitments by an Armenian official is a "provocation" and such actions catering to a domestic audience do not serve the normalization of the situation in the region.

Fresh clashes erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan in late September, rekindling the Caucasus neighbors' decadeslong conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. During the conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several towns and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation. Fierce fighting persisted for six weeks before Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a Moscow-brokered peace deal.

The agreement came after Baku's military overwhelmed the separatist forces and threatened to advance on Karabakh's main city of Stepanakert (Khankendi). Following the deal, Russia deployed its troops to the region for monitoring the implementation of the deal.

Armenian president stuck in London with coronavirus

Talar Tumanian
RTE, Ireland
Jan 5 2021

Armenian President Armen Sarkisian has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self-isolating in London where he had been spending the New Year with his family, his office said today.

The 67-year-old president "had symptoms of the novel coronavirus. A test gave a positive result," the presidency said in a statement. 

Mr Sarkisian had been in London to "spend the New Year with his family and grandchildren", as well as to have an operation on his leg, the statement added.

"The president is in self-isolation and will continue temporarily to carry out his role at a distance," it said.

The role of president in Armenia is largely ceremonial and executive power rests primarily with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who himself caught the virus in June alongside his family.

The small Caucasus country, home to around three million people, has badly struggled to contain the effects of the pandemic, counting 160,000 cases and 2,878 deaths so far, according to the latest official figures available today.

Armenian authorities have been criticised for their handling of the outbreak, with experts complaining that the decision to close the borders came too late and that citizens were confused by contradictory messages from officials.

The situation was aggravated by six weeks of deadly fighting between Azerbaijan and separatists backed by Armenia for control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

In early November, a peace deal mediated by Russia ended the conflict, which left more than 6,000 people dead.

Concert of spiritual music in Stepanakert

Talar Tumanian
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 6 2021

The State Symphony Orchestra of Armenia (conductor Sergey Smbatyan), the Artsakh State Chamber Choir (conductor Nina Grigoryan) and soprano Siranush Gasparyan performed a concert in the yard of the Mother Cathedral of the Mother of God in Stepanakert on Christmas Day.

The concert was organized by the Yerazank (Dream) Development Fund in cooperation with the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and Stepanakert Municipality.

The Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan congratulating those present on Christmas and said: “I wish you a peaceful year. May baby Jesus, the King of peace, grant us all peace, may we all live in hope, in the light of Christmas. And let that light lead us to the future we believe in, which we will build together with you, with faith, love, and most importantly, with a united spirit.”

The artistic director of the State Symphony Orchestra of Armenia, principal conductor Sergey Smbatyan mentioned that music has the power to bring people to life. “There are projects, there are ideas that are needed, they change the atmosphere. People’s hope and expectations for the future must be reborn. This is the ideology of this concert program.”

The concert featured works by Barsegh Kanachyan, Komitas, Arno Babajanyan, Johann Sebastian Bach and others.



COVID-19: Armenia confirms 60 new cases in past 24 hours

Talar Tumanian

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 11:26, 2 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 2, ARMENPRESS. 60 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 159,798, the ministry of healthcare said today.

285 more patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 143,640.

8 more patients have died, raising the death toll to 2836.

The number of active cases is 12,635.

The number of patients who had coronavirus but died from other disease has reached 687 (2 new such cases).

TURKISH press: UK to start new drone program following example of Turkey’s Bayraktar: Guardian

Talar Tumanian
 ISTANBUL DEFENSE 
DEC 30, 2020 9:23 PM GMT+3
An Azerbaijan army Bayraktar TB2, a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle, is displayed during a military parade to mark the victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 10, 2020. (Turkish Presidential Press Office / Handout via Reuters)

The United Kingdom wants to embark on a new armed drone program after studying the success of Turkish Bayraktar drones in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Guardian newspaper reported late Wednesday, citing Ministry of Defense officials.

“Defence officials believe that Azerbaijan’s use of cheaper Turkish drones in the six-week autumn war was crucial in defeating the Armenians,” the paper said.

A Moscow-brokered truce was reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan, after more than six weeks of deadly clashes over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region that lies within Azerbaijan but has been illegally occupied by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. Following the truce Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist leader, Arayik Harutyunyan, acknowledged that "had the hostilities continued at the same pace, we would have lost all of Artsakh (an Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh) within days.” Bayraktar TB2 drones operated by the Azerbaijani military proved extremely effective in the country's success in taking back its territories.

The Guardian also touched upon the Bayraktar TB2 drones’ affordability, saying that each one of them costs between $1 million to $2 million while other drones previously procured by the British military cost around $20 million each.

The British defense secretary, Ben Wallace, also previously praised the Bayraktar drones.

"The roots of these drones are born out of Turkish innovation," Wallace said in a webinar organized by the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies (RUSI), a British security think tank.

"Prevented from gaining access to exquisite foreign programs, they (Turkey) did what we used to do so well – they innovated."

Wallace said the Turkish drone has the capability to present "real challenges to the enemy."

Turkey realized its program of developing and producing drones over a short span of 10 years. The Bayraktar TB2 armed drones, produced by the country's leading unmanned aerial platform developer Baykar, have been operationally used since 2015. They have continued to support Turkey’s fight against terrorism in other regions while providing effective surveillance, reconnaissance and fire support.

Asbarez: National Salvation Leaders Meet with Employees’ Union

Talar Tumanian

December 30,  2020



National Salvation Movement’s candidate for prime minister, Vazgen Manukyan, and coordinator of the movement Ishkhan Saghatelyan on Wednesday met with the chairman of Armenia’s Employees’ Union, Gagik Makaryan.

National Salvation Movement’s candidate for prime minister Vazgen Manukyan and coordinator of the movement Ishkhan Saghatelyan on Wednesday met with the chairman of Armenia’s Employees’ Union, Gagik Makaryan.

The current socio-economic crisis in Armenia and its main reasons, as well as the challenges facing the country were discussed.

The side exchanged views on ways to emerge from the current situation and agreed to continue talks about programs to emerge from the socio-economic crisis.

Vazgen Manukyan meets with representatives of the cultural community

Earlier on Wednesday, Manukyan met with representatives of the arts and culture communities in Armenia.

Manukyan presented the priorities of the National Accord government, which he seeks to lead, among them modernizing the armed forces, the reestablishment of Karabakh talks under the OSCE Minsk Group banner, the recalibrating of relations with allies and the realization of financial and socio-economic program to lead Armenia out of the current crisis.

Manukyan said members of the arts, culture and academic communities will have an important role to play in addressing national concerns and said the cooperation with these communities was crucial.
The participants of the meeting expressed their concerns about the current domestic political situation in Armenia, and expressed their collective belief that the best way to emerge from the crisis and to not endanger the country’s future would be the resignation of the prime minister and government.

The culture and arts representatives also presented issues of concern to them and their community, adding that they are planning to start a movement to make the voices of the intelligentsia heard in Armenia’s civic life.

Asbarez: After Disparaging Opposition, Pashinyan Invites All Political Forces to Plan Snap Elections

Talar Tumanian

December 25,  2020



Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday announced that he would begin consultations with parliamentary and extra-parliamentary forces to hold snap elections in 2021. His announcement, however, disparaged those very extra-parliamentary parties, which have been calling for his resignation since he signed the November 9 agreement that ended the Karabakh War, but forced the surrender of territories in Artsakh and Armenia to Azerbaijan.

He made the announcement in a Facebook post, the translation of which is presented below.

Fellow Armenians, Dear Compatriots.

It has now become evident that the opposition efforts of demanding the resignation of the prime minister did not receive the people’s support.

The opposition had all the opportunities to generate popular support around its demand. It has huge financial, media and organizational resources. It had ample opportunities to organize rallies and protests, but not only could it not garner popular support for its demands, but also the number of its supporters was reduced to a minimum. The processes in the squares have been vanquished.

No one can say that we have stayed power by using brute force. On the contrary, we are being faulted for unnecessary mildness.

All of this, however, does not in any way change our political team’s and my personal commitment to stand before the people and answer to the people. I am not clinging on to the prime minister’s position, but I also cannot have an uncaring attitude toward the government—the position prime minister—that was handed to me by the people.

The future fate of that position and the political leadership of the country must be decided by the people through the _expression_ of their free will, and I, as the Prime Minister of Armenia, consider myself the guarantor of that free _expression_.

I am also ready to leave the position of prime minister based on the people’s decision. And I can leave the post of the prime minister only by the decision of the people.

I am also ready to continue leading the Republic of Armenia during these difficult times in the event that the people’s trust is re-established.

There is only one way to get the answer to all these questions: to hold extraordinary parliamentary elections.

Based on the above, I invite the parliamentary and interested extra-parliamentary forces to consultations on holding special parliamentary elections in 2021.

Ombudsmen of Artsakh and Armenia publish ad hoc report on targeting of journalists by Azerbaijan

Talar Tumanian

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 12:50,

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. On December 18, the Ombudsmen of the Republic of Artsakh and Armenia published a joint ad hoc report on the attacks of journalists by Azerbaijan covering the hostilities in Artsakh, the Office of the Ombudsman of Armenia said in a statement.

“In parallel with the targeting of the civilian population and infrastructures of Artsakh, journalists and their service vehicles were also targeted deliberately and indiscriminately as a result of which 7 journalists (5 foreigners and 2 Armenians) were injured and one person convoying the journalistic group was killed. Deliberate targeting is testified by the fact that journalists were wearing uniforms and distinctive signs that were also present on their cars.

Besides, some evidence suggests that Azerbaijani reconnaissance UAVs were flying at the scene before and during the strikes which means that the journalists were fully visible and distinct by the Azerbaijani armed forces”, the statement says.

Families of missing soldiers ‘unhappy’ after meeting at Armenian government

Talar Tumanian
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 25 2020
Society 16:10 25/12/2020Armenia

Families of missing servicemen are unhappy with the meeting held at the Armenian government on Friday. After a three-hour meeting, they say they have not received answers to their questions.

"I am not satisfied with our government’s response. I did not receive an answer to my questions," Sergo Davtyan, the uncle of one of the missing soldiers, told reporters after the meeting.

He said he had also raised the issue of equipment used for DNA testing of unidentified bodies removed from the conflict zone at the meeting.

Earlier on Thursday, Sergo Davtyan along with a group of other protesters blocked Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan with trucks, paralyzing the traffic on the road.

"I am a missing soldier’s relative. We have been looking for them for 45 days, but have not found the children. I have been to Artsakh. We are sceptical about search operations… This is not a political action and I am not a member of any party.

“These lies have to stop. At first they said we were winning, but now we don’t even know how many soldiers have been taken prisoner, how many are missing and how many casualties we have. We need a normal and educated leader able to hold talks. I don’t want to give names, simply people who can stand by us," Davtyan had said.



Mayor of Goris town will be released from detention

Talar Tumanian
Panorama, Armenia

Dec 22 2020

The Mayor of Goris town Arushan Arushanyan will be released from detention, according to the court decision, his lawyer Armen Melkonyan reported. In his words, the court examined the legality of detention as a restrictive measure and ruled to set Arushanyan free. 

"Arushanyan has been under illegal detention for two days, while his deputy has been negotiating with Azerbaijanis in Shurnukh to divide the houses," said Melkonyan. As to the charges brought against the mayor, the lawyer said those were nothing else but an extended hand to Turks, since Arushanyan was the one Goris community needed at this crucial time as never. 

To remind, Arush Arushanyan was arrested on Monday on suspicion of holding and organizing protest with violation of the procedure established by law. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case according to the Part 1 of the Article 34-2251 of RA Criminal Code. Arushanyan's arrest came after a Facebook post in which he called on locals to prevent the entry of the prime minister to Syunik province.