Month: November 2016

Two people have been fined for hurling online abuse at two German politicians of Turkish origin. Both officials had backed the parliament’s Armenia Genocide resolution, angering many Turks and Erdogan supporters, reports.

A Berlin court handed financial fines to two people who directed online abuse at German parliamentarians of Turkish origin, according to media reports on Thursday.

A Turkish national was handed a fine of 600 euros ($665) for comments aimed atBundestag member Sevim Dagdelen, of the Left party, on Facebook.

Another man was fined 700 euros for verbally abusing the co-leader of Germany’s Green Party, Cem Özdemir. In return, charges against him were dropped, at least provisionally.

Dagdelen and Özdemir had backed the German parliament’s Armenian genocide resolution in July, which formally labeled the Ottoman Empire’s killing of 1.5 million Armenians and other Christian minorities during World War I as  “genocide.” Both officials were subsequently bombarded with online abuse from Turkish nationalists, including those residing in Germany.

Both targeted officials welcomed the court’s decision. “It is good that the internet is not a lawless environment,” Dagdelen told the “Berliner Zeitung” newspaper. “I hope that the judgment has a deterring effect.” However, there remain outstanding threats of violence and murder that must be curtailed, she said. “I intend to pursue these civil claims.”

Özdemir said that he welcomed the court’s decision to punish online insults and threats. However, “some state prosecutors are reacting too cautiously,” he said. “Some take the issue seriously within our formidable democracy. Others are somewhat more lenient.”

The Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER) announced today the launch of its new GoHye fundraising and social media challenge campaign. The aim of the campaign is to ensure the sustainability and expansion of the range of organization’s programs and activities throughout the region.

In 2016 alone, the ANCA Eastern Region has registered many successes, including:

·         Expansion of its strong local ANC network into Minnesota, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Northern Ohio, and Central Florida;

·         Halt of an anti-Armenian resolution in Kentucky State Senate;

·         Passage of an Artsakh independence recognition resolution in the state of Georgia;

·         West Virginia becoming the 44th state to officially affirm the Armenian Genocide;

·         Protest and coordinated campaign against the genocide denial ads and billboards, which resulted in formal policy changes and apologies issued to our community;

·         Commemoration of the atrocities committed against Armenians during Sumgait and Baku Pogroms;

·         Dozens of meetings with elected officials in Washington, DC and in the districts to advocate for the issues our community cares most about – deeper U.S.-Armenia partnership; safety for the Syrian-Armenians; independence of Artsakh; truth and justice for the Armenian Genocide;

·         And so much more.

“These are challenging times everywhere. The Armenian Nation especially is faced with many challenges in the Diaspora as well as in the Homeland,” said ANCA Eastern Region Chairman Stephen Mesrobian. “ANCA-ER has been on the front-lines advocating on behalf of our nation in all corners of the Eastern United States. We are asking our friends and supporters to join our GoHye campaign for us to be able to go higher and achieve even more together.”

While there have already been many achievements, there is a lot more work ahead, and today – more than ever – there is a need for greater community involvement and engagement to rise up to the challenges facing us. By joining the GoHye campaign and making a symbolic donation of $19.15 per month, community members can help ensure that the ANCA Eastern Region has the necessary resources to continue to get the job done.

In an effort to raise awareness about the campaign, ANCA-ER has also launched a GoHye challenge encouraging Armenians to share their cultural pride on social media. The GoHye Challenge is very simple:

1.    Record video on what makes you proud as an Armenian (what makes you GoHye?)

2.    Tag and challenge three of your friends, giving them 48 hours to complete the challenge

3.    Share the video on social media and use the #GoHye hashtag

Participants have 48 hours to respond to the challenge or they have to donate to ANCA Eastern Region Endowment Fund to support its activities.

The two co-leaders of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition party have been detained along with other MPs.

Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag were detained at their respective homes as part of a counter-terrorism inquiry, security sources quoted by Anadolu news agency said.

At least nine other MPs from the People’s Democracy Party (HDP) were also taken into custody.

Yuksekdag and Demirtas face prosecution under anti-terrorism laws after their parliamentary immunity was lifted earlier this year, along with other lawmakers from Turkey’s main political parties.

Hours later, there were reports of a massive explosion in southeast Turkey.

Ambulances were sent to the scene of the blast in Diyarbakir, the city where Mr Demirtas was arrested.

China’s top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng met with Vazgen Manukyan, chairman of Armenia’s Public Council on Thursday, calling for joint efforts on the Belt and Road Initiative, Xinhua agency reports.

Describing Armenia as China’s good friend and important partner in the south Caucasus, Yu said both countries have a healthy and stable relationship based on equality, mutual benefit and respect.

“China and Armenia have understood and coordinated with each other on issues related to their core interests and major concerns,” said Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

“China is willing to work with Armenia to consolidate the political and public opinion foundations for bilateral relations, and jointly push forward the Belt and Road Initiative and practical cooperation,” he said.

Yu said the CPPCC National Committee is ready to strengthen exchanges with Armenia’s Public Council in state governance.

Manukyan said Armenia is along the ancient Silk Road and has great interest in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, welcoming more cooperation with China in all fields.

Du Qinglin, vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, held talks with Manukyan later Thursday.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admits summer signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan “has to do more” to earn his place in the team ahead of the Reds’ other attacking options, according to MU’s official website.

Mkhitaryan replaced Marcus Rashford for the final half-hour of United’s Europa League clash with Fenerbahce on Thursday, his first appearance since the Manchester derby in September.

But the Armenian and his team-mates couldn’t prevent a 2-1 defeat in Istanbul that leaves the Reds third in the Group A table with two games left to play.

Asked specifically about Mkhitaryan in his post-match press conference at Sukru Saracoglu, the boss replied: “He has to do more. It’s as simple as that.

“We have big expectations at this club, lots of players for these positions and he has to play better than Mata, Lingard, Martial – he has to play better than them. It’s as simple as that.

“Every manager wants to win matches, every manager in the world wants to play the players that he thinks can help the team more, and I’m no different.”

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin.

The interlocutors held a detailed discussion on the steps towards reinforcement of bilateral cooperation in different spheres.

Edward Nalbandian and Frank-Walter Steinmeier exchanged views on a number of urgent international and regional issues, namely the situation in the Middle East, flow of migrants and their integration. Reference was made to issues of Armenia-EU cooperation.

Minister Nalbandian drew Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s attention to Azerbaijan’s refusal to implement the agreements reached at Vienna and St. Petersburg summits aimed at creating conditions for furthering the Karabakh conflict settlement process. Moreover, he said, Azerbaijan keeps aggravating the situation at the line of contact with the Karabakh forces.

Edward Nalbandian hailed the support of the OSCE German chairmanship to the efforts of resolving the issue exceptionally in a peaceful way. The interlocutors agreed that there was no alternative to a peaceful settlement.

Photo: AFP

 

Russian and Syrian government forces have begun a 10-hour ceasefire in the city of Aleppo to allow rebels and civilians to leave besieged areas, the BBC reports.

Russia has said this pause will be the last chance for rebels to leave eastern districts in safety.

The rebels have rejected the offer and have been continuing a counter-offensive aimed at breaking the siege.

About 250,000 people remain trapped and are enduring food and medical shortages as well as intensive bombing.

Rebels can leave unharmed and with their weapons using two specially created corridors between 09:00 and 19:00 (06:00 and 16:00 GMT), the Russian defence ministry said. Six other routes were to be opened for civilians.

Russian and Syrian warplanes are expected to resume attacks on rebel areas when the truce ends.

Europe has criticized the detentions of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmakers and co-chairs.

The high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy, Federica Mogherini, reacted to the detentions of HDP lawmakers.

Mogherini said on Twitter she was “extremely worried” about the arrest of Selahattin Demirtaş and other HDP MPs and said she was in contact with authorities, while calling for an EU ambassadors meeting in Ankara.

“Very bad news from Turkey. Again. Now HDP members of parliament are being detained.” Kati Piri, the European Parliament’s Turkey rapporteur said on her Twitter account.

A car bomb attack in the largest city in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast region killed eight people Friday, hours after authorities detained at least 12 pro-Kurdish legislators for questioning in terror-related probes, the Associated Press reports.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said two police officers, a technician and five civilians died in the attack near a building used by the riot police. Up to 100 people were hurt in the blast but only seven of them remain in hospital, he said.

Yildirim also said one of the assailants was “caught dead” but did not provide details.

The Diyarbakir governor’s office said the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, had claimed the attack, which the state-run Anadolu Agency said was carried out with a minibus laden with a ton of explosives.

All EEC economies are expected to generate positive growth in 2017, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said in a report on the Regional Economic Prospects in EBRD Countries of Operations in November 2016.

The EBRD leaves the growth forecast for Armenia unchanged at 2.0 per cent in 2016 and 2.0 per cent in 2017.

“Armenia’s economy made a good start in 2016 but growth slowed in the second quarter; GDP growth decelerated from 4.5 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter to 1.5 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of the year. In the first half of 2016, growth in exports and government consumption was offset, in part, by contraction in gross fixed capital formation and household consumption. Deflation in the first eight months of 2016 reflected weak domestic demand and low import prices. Armenia’s economy remained exposed to spill-overs from the recession in Russia. In the first half of 2016, net FDI inflow was low and remittances declined, albeit at a lower rate than in 2015. The current account deficit remained contained in the first half of 2016 after sizable adjustment in 2015 which was driven by a reduction in imports. In the first nine months of 2016, the dram was mostly stable vis-à-vis the US dollar,” the report reads.

“International reserves provided approximately five months of import coverage as of September 2016. Tax and customs revenues were affected by deflation and by decreased nominal value of import flows. The fiscal deficit is expected to widen in 2016 on the account of revenue shortfall, followed by fiscal consolidation in 2017. In response to slowing growth, negative inflation and a stabilizing exchange rate, the Central Bank of Armenia gradually lowered refinancing rate from 10.50 per cent in August 2015 to 6.75 per cent in September 2016. In the first seven months of 2016, commercial bank lending remained mostly flat in the context of weak domestic demand and continued consolidation in the banking sector. The conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region presents a risk to the growth outlook. Our growth forecast for Armenia is unchanged at 2.0 per cent in 2016 and 2.0 per cent in 2017,” the EBRD said.