Author: Zhanna Nahapetian

Suleyman Karaman has long been caretaker of an ornate Armenian Orthodox Church built more than 100 years ago in Istanbul’s Yali quarter – an area now under threat from the city’s relentless expansion.

The softly-spoken custodian, who lives with his wife in a cottage on the grounds of the Surp Tateos Partogomeos church, is among hundreds of Yali residents watching with mixed feelings as their historic district transforms before their eyes, reports.

Once home to Armenians and Greeks who bequeathed the elegant buildings, the area fell into disarray after its original inhabitants abandoned the city amid anti-minority policies.

By the time most of the Armenians had left – to be replaced by Kurds from the southeastern province of Mardin – Suleyman Karaman had also headed west from the province of Batman and become caretaker of the Surp Tateos Partogomeos church.

Apart from Karaman and his wife, today there are just 10 Armenians living in the neighborhood.

“Usually, around 10 or 15 people show up [to church], but if there are those coming from Bakırköy [a district with a large Armenian population] there are as many as 50,” Karaman said, lighting a rolled cigarette from a small tin box emblazoned with a photo of Istanbul’s iconic Galata Tower

Another local, Mehmet, 51, rents out a building he owns in Yali and lives elsewhere, but he still prefers to spend his days in the quarter where he lived for decades and where he once restored the former home of the priest at the Armenian church.

He is unhappy at what he says is the suffocation of the neighborhood by the urban projects going on around it.

“We can’t breathe,” he said. “But we’ve been here 50 years. Where else will we go?”

has released a private, high level email exchange within the Hillary Clinton campaign about the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) informs.

The letter dated April 19, 2015 authored by John Podesta, Chairman of the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign to Jake Sullivan, a top foreign policy advisor to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election.

The letter reads:

Friday is the 100th Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. I presume the Armenian groups will be looking for a statement or a signal from the campaign on whether she will call it a “genocide” if she is elected president. As a Senator and candidate, she was unequivocal in recognizing the genocide. As Secretary of State, she did not use the term genocide but rather focused on future reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia.

The White House has studiously avoided using “genocide” so far. There is an internal debate now about whether to change that posture given that it is the 100th anniversary. But in all likelihood they won’t change.

Two questions:

Do you all agree that she should embrace the position she took as Senator and candidate, even though she did not take it as SecState?

Do you all agree that we should just wait until we are asked as opposed to doing something proactive?

Sorry to bother with this, but as you all know this matters enormously to Armenian-Americans.

In the morning of October 10, President Serzh Sargsyan met in New York with the members of the Board of Directors of the Armenian Assembly of America.

The parties discussed agenda items of pan-Armenian importance, priorities of the activities of the Armenian Assembly of America, dynamically developing Armenian-American relations and possibilities for their further strengthening and deepening. Views were also exchanged on the pressing international problems, challenges existing in the South Caucasus region, the current stage of the NK peace process and existing issues, as well as the refugee problems which emerged as a result of the ongoing military activities in Syria. In this context, the President of Armenia and members of the AAA Board of Directors discussed issues pertinent to the assistance provided through the joint efforts by the Republic of Armenia and various Armenian structures to our compatriots in Syria as well as to the friendly people of Syria, who are suffering as a result of military actions.

Serzh Sargsyan also responded to the questions raised by the participants of the meeting, presented the process and prospects of Armenia’s economic development, and expectations from the new government of Armenia.

In the framework of his working visit to the United States, in the evening President Sargsyan will participate at the Armenia Investment Forum.

Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, today conducted a monitoring exercise on the Line of Contact in accordance with his mandate. This exercise took place six months after the outbreak of hostilities in early April.

Personal Representative Kasprzyk said: “As usual, the sides provided information regarding the situation on the Line of Contact, including ceasefire violations registered since the previous monitoring exercise. This information has been reported to the Minsk Group members, including its Co-chairs, and the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. Reports in the media sometimes allege that my Office does not register ceasefire violations or indicate the responsible party. They may be referring to the fact that no ceasefire violations occurred during the observation phase of our monitoring exercise, at the time when staff members are in exposed positions on the front lines. We always register ceasefire violations when they occur in our presence. Otherwise we rely on information provided by local commanders. I would like to reiterate that we do not have the mandate to conduct investigations of incidents.”

He added: “In the six months following the April clashes, the Minsk Group Co-chairs have worked tirelessly to stabilize the situation and move the negotiation process forward, and the information provided through the monitoring exercises is an indispensable part of this process. These efforts continue.”

According to a decree signed by President Serzh Sargsyan, Movses Hakobyan has been relieved of the duties as Deputy Defense Minister, Head of the Logistics Department of the Ministry of Defense.

According to another presidential decree, Movses Hakobyan has been appointed Chief of Staff of RA Armed Forces.

Armenia’s Acting Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan visited the Armed Forces divisions located in the northeastern section of the country’s border.

He visited the military positions and examined the living conditions of the soldiers. He also followed the process of ongoing construction works.

Seyran Ohanyan visited the families of servicemen killed in the April war – Benyamin Yeghoyan, Armenak Urfanyan, Sargis Sahakyan and Vladimir Alikhanyan.

The Acting Defense Minister underlined that the feats and sacrifice of their sons will serve an example for the youth.

Seyran Ohanyan pledged the Defense Ministry’s support to the solution of the problems the families face.

On September 21, Edward Nalbandian, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, had a meeting with Michael B. Christides, the Secretary General of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).

Congratulating Foreign Minister Nalbandian on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of Independence of Armenia, the BSEC Secretary General commended Armenia’s active engagement within the Organization he presides over.

Expressing his gratitude to the BSEC Secretary General, Edward Nalbandian noted that Armenia attaches big importance to multilateral cooperation in the framework of the Organization in the areas of transport, energy, telecommunications and information technologies.

Edward Nalbandian and Michael B. Christides discussed the primary directions of collaboration within the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, as well as issues related to institutional reforms of the Organization.

A reference was made to the implementation of the BSEC new economic agenda – the 2015/17 Action Plan and the increase of effectiveness of the Organization aimed at the development of regional economic cooperation.

The Armenian Church of Surb Astvatsatsin (Holy Virgin Mary) in Caeserea (Kayseri), which has been used as a gym for 40 years, will turn into a library after the completion of reconstruction works carried out by the Kayseri City Hall, reports.

The library will work round the clock and will host 50 thousand books, the report says. The library will have e-books and a document section.

A café-library will also be opened adjunct to the main building. The library is expected to open its doors in fall 2017.

The delegation of the Armenian Defense Ministry participated in the Second International Military and Technical forum “Army-2016” held at Patriot Park near Moscow from September 6 to 11.

The Armenian booth was attended by the leadership of the CSTO, representatives of the Federal Service of the Russian Military-Technical Cooperation, officials from the Russian Defense Ministry and others.

The Armenian enterprises represented at the forum received proposals for cooperation from Russian and Belarussian companies.

The Armenian delegation received the Grand Prix of teh Army-2016 forum along with delegations from Belarusa nd Kazakhstan.

Asbarez – Leading member of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and member of the Turkish Parliament, will visit the Southern California Armenian community and participate in several events, which include an academic conference, a community dinner and a town hall meeting hosted by Asbarez.

Paylan represents the 3rd district of Istanbul and is active within the Armenian community there. He has been a strong advocate for minority rights, human rights and social justice in Turkey and will engage in discussions involving current events in Turkey and the region. Prior to his election to Parliament, Paylan served in the central committee of the HDP and also served on management boards of Armenian schools in Istanbul. He has long promoted bilingual education and minority rights in Turkey and has been actively engaged in raising awareness on issues of discrimination toward minorities, the rights of the Armenian community in Turkey, Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, Hrant Dink’s case, and justice for the Armenian Genocide. His family originates from Malatya, and he is currently one of three deputies in the Turkish Parliament who are of ethnic Armenian heritage.

On Saturday, September 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Paylan will be the featured speaker at an academic conference organized by Armenians & Progressive Politics and the All-ASA Armenian Students Association in partnership with the Woodbury ASA.

The conference, entitled “GEOPOLITICS AND MINORITIES: THE CASE OF TURKEY” will be held at the Fletcher Jones Auditorium on the campus of Woodbury University, located at 7500 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA. Guest panelists will include Khatchig Mouradian, Ph.D., Visiting Professor of Armenian Studies at California State University, Fresno; Asli Bali, Ph.D., Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Near Eastern Studies at UCLA; and Edvin Minassian, Esq., Board Member and Past President of the Armenian Bar Association.

Saturday evening at 7 p.m., a Community Dinner with Garo Paylan will be hosted by the United Armenian Council of Los Angeles (UACLA) at Ferrahian High School, 5300 White Oak Avenue, Encino, CA

On Sunday morning, September 25, at 10 a.m., Garo Paylan will first attend Mass at St. Leon Cathedral, 3325 N. Glenoaks, Burbank, CA, and at 11:30 a.m., he will attend Mass at Holy Cross Cathedral, 900 W. Lincoln, Montebello, CA.

On Sunday afternoon, September 25, at 4:00 p.m., Garo Paylan will pay homage to the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide by laying a wreath at the Monument in Bicknell Park, Montebello.

On Sunday evening, September 25 at 7:00 p.m., Asbarez Newpaper will host a Community Town Hall with Garo Paylan at the Krikor & Mariam Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center located at 211 W. Chestnut, Glendale, CA.