Month: February 2020

Syrian Ambassador to Armenia: We urge all parliaments in the world to recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire

Edgar Tavakalian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 13 2020

ArmInfo.The resolution on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, adopted today by the Syrian parliament, confirms that the Armenian Genocide was committed by the  Ottoman Empire in the territories of Syria and Western Armenia. The  Ambassador of Syria to Armenia Mohammed Haj Ibrahim announced this at  a press conference.

“The Syrian parliament today recognized and condemned the Armenian  Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century.  It also condemns any attempt by anyone to deny this crime and distort  historical truth. The resolution confirms that this crime is one of  the most cruel, most heinous crimes against humanity, “the Ambassador  emphasized.

According to Haj Ibrahim, the Syrian parliament also calls on all  parliaments of the world and the international community to recognize  and condemn the 1915 Armenian Genocide. “Today, terrorist groups that  commit terrible acts against the Syrian people are the grandchildren  of those who once committed genocide against Armenians and other  peoples. Turkey is now aggressing against Syria, and terrorist groups  operating in Idlib and elsewhere are supported from the Turkish  government, “he stressed.

The Syrian Ambassador to Armenia stated that the Armenians who  survived the Genocide and moved to Syria have always been an integral  part of Syrian society. According to him, the Armenians in Syria  continued to live in safety, preserving their religion, language and  identity. There are many churches in Syria that perpetuate the memory  of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, and this year the history of  the Armenian Genocide will appear in history textbooks.

Asked why only today the Syrian parliament adopts a resolution  recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the Ambassador replied: “This  issue has long been studied, and the Syrian government treats Syrians  of Armenian descent with all respect and sympathy. Mass pogroms of  Armenians have always been mentioned in Syria as part of those events  held in the Armenian-populated areas of Syria. In 2015, the then  speaker of the Syrian parliament took part in events dedicated to the  100th anniversary of the genocide, and this year the parliament  issued a statement stating that that genocide was committed against  Armenians. “

It should be noted that on February 13, the Syrian parliament  unanimously adopted a resolution on the recognition and condemnation  of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Thus, the Syrian  parliament joined the more than 30 parliaments of the world that  adopted resolutions on the recognition and condemnation of the  Armenian Genocide.

The fact of the genocide of the Armenian people in the Ottoman  Empire, whose victims in 1915 were up to 1.5 million ethnic  Armenians, is recognized by many states. Uruguay was the first in  1965, followed by France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland,  Russia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus,  Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Vatican,  Bolivia, Czech Republic, Austria, Luxembourg. The European Parliament  and the World Council of Churches also recognized the Armenian  Genocide.

Legendary Soviet spy Alexey Botyan dies at 103

Nahapetian Zhanna
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 13 2020
Society 12:25 13/02/2020 Region

Legendary Soviet-Armenian intelligence officer, Hero of Russia Alexey Botyan has died at the age of 103, RIA Novosti reported.

In 1945 he led the operation to liberate the Polish city of Krakow. The legendary spy had just turned 103 years old.  

Botyan joined World War II on September 1, 1939 as an officer of the Polish air defense forces. During the first days of the war, the intelligence agent shot down one of the flying machines of the Nazi army, downing three others during the Warsaw defense. 

Armenian government approves funding for political parties, blocs

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 13 2020

The Armenian government adopted unanimously on Thursday a draft law on providing financial assistance to the political parties and blocs that garnered three or higher percent of the votes during the December 2018 snap parliamentary elections in the country.

Under the bill, a total of 105 million 725 thousand Armenian drams will be allocated to four parties and one bloc. In particular, the ruling My Step bloc will receive 78 million 6 thousand drams, the Prosperous Armenia Party – 9 million 150 thousand drams, the Bright Armenia Party – 7 million 56 thousand drams, the former ruling Republican Party of Armenia – 5 million 208 thousand drams, and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) – 4 million 303 thousand drams.

Addressing the cabinet meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan stressed that the development of the party system is crucial for a parliamentary country. “Parties in Armenia should develop and continuously operate at a higher level,” he said. 


Sports: Armenia wins gold, bronze medals at European C’ships

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 13 2020
Sport 11:52 13/02/2020Armenia

Armenian Greco-Roman wrestlers on Wednesday won three medals, including two gold and one bronze, at the 2020 European Championships underway in Rome, Italy.

Artur Aleksanyan (97 kg) clinched the gold medal after taking a 7-1 win over Nikoloz Kakhelashvili in the final bout, the National Olympic Committee reported. The Armenian athlete won his fifth European title. 

Gevorg Gharibyan (60 kg) beat Turkey’s Kerem Kamal 5-5 to claim the European champion’s title. The bout ended in a draw, but preference was given to the Armenian wrestler for performing a more complex trick.

Meanwhile, wrestler Karen Aslanyan (67 kg) won a bronze medal after defeating his rival from Hungary 7-5. 

Earlier another Armenian wrestler Karapet Chalyan had also won a bronze at the European Championships.  

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Sports: Turkey wrestler does not stand beside Armenia’s Aleksanyan during award ceremony

Jirair Kafian
News.am, Armenia
Feb 13 2020

The Turkish wrestler did not stand beside Armenia’s Olympic champion Artur Aleksanyan for the general photoshoot during an awards ceremony at the 2020 European Wrestling Championships in Rome.

The Greco-Roman competition of this event ended with the 97kg final where Aleksanyan won the European gold medal for the fifth time.

Turkey’s Cenk Ildem, who faced the Armenian wrestler in the Round of 16, stood out with an unsportsmanlike conduct at the awards ceremony. During the overall photoshoot, the Turkish wrestler changed places with the other bronze medalist, Aleksandr Golovin (Russia), in order not to stand next to Aleksanyan.

Artur Aleksanyan beat Ildem 7-1 in the Round of 16. During the fight, the Turkish wrestler repeatedly provoked and hit Artur in the head, causing the referee to penalize him and adding two points in favor of the Olympic champion.


Sports: Gevorg Gharibyan: I am proud to raise Armenian flag

Nahapetian Samvel
News.am, Armenia
Feb 13 2020

Greco-Roman wrestler, newly crowned European champion Gevorg Gharibyan dedicated his victory to Armenian soldiers and the Armenian people.

Talking to NEWS.am Sport after his win over Turkey’s Kerem Kamal in the finals of the European Championships, Gharibyan said he prepared for the tournament.

“I was very well prepared for the European Championship. We did an excellent job with the national team coaches and my personal coaches. I am happy that I managed to win a gold medal. It was not an easy task, and I am happy I could overcome the difficulties,” he said.

Gharibyan said it was hard to beat the Turkish wrestler psychologically, because he had no right to lose.

“I am proud to raise our flag. I dedicate my victory to our soldiers and the entire Armenian nation. I would fight to qualify to the Olympics,” he added.

Sports: Armenia’s Artur Aleksanyan clinches gold at European Championship

Kajoyan Gevork
Public Radio of Armenia
Feb 13 2020

Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler Artur Aleksanyan (97 kg) defeated Italy’s Nikoloz Kakhelashvili to win gold at the European Championships under way in Rome, Italy.

In total, the Armenian athletes won two gold and two bronze medals at the Championships.

Artur Aleksanyan and Gevorg Gharibyan claimed gold medals, while Karen Aslanyan and Karapet Chalyan won the bronze.

Nicknamed the “White Bear,” Aleksanyan is now a five-time European Champion.

He won a bronze medal at 2012 Olympics and was crowned Olympic Champion in 2016.

In November 2019 he was named UNICEF National Ambassador for Armenia.

Pashinyan responds to criticism about oppressing opposition opinions

Babken Chilingarian

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 17:22,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. During Parliament-Cabinet Q&A session Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan responded to the criticism addressed to the authorities about oppressing the people with opposition views.

ARMENPRESS reports PM Pashinyan said, “There has never been any voting in Armenia when there are 5 opposition TV channels, there has never been a voting in Armenia when Armenia shares the 8th place with France in terms of freedom of press. What are you talking about? Whose mouth do we shut? Whose car do we burn”, he said.

Saying “Whose car do we burn?” Nikol Pashinyan supposedly referred to the incident when his car was burnt down in 2004, when he was the editor-in-chief of Haykakan Zhamanak daily.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Turkish historian Taner Akcam’s books on Armenian Genocide available in Arabic

Jhanna Virabian

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 16:48,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Turkish historian Taner Akcam’s books on the Armenian Genocide – “A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility” and the Killing Orders …Talat Pasha’s Telegrams and the Armenian Genocide”, have been translated, published in Arabic and now are available to a broad audience.

Translator Kivork Khatoun Wanes, who is from Syria, has Armenian origins, but currently lives in Belgium, told Armenpress that the most important motive behind the translation of these books was the enrichment of the Arab Library on this subject which is rarely known to the Arab readers in addition to the courage, credibility, objectivity and impartiality of the writer.

“A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility” was published in August 2017, and the second one in September 2019 in Lebanon by Dar Alfarabi international alliance of independent publishers. These two books are available online via the following websites: www.neelwafurat.com, www.Jamalon.com.

“At the beginning of 1915, under the cover of the World War I, a whole nation was deliberately killed. More than one million Armenians lost their lives as a result of massacres, forced deportation and starvation. Although many countries and historians accept the deliberate plan to kill the Armenian people, the Turkish authorities still deny that this shameful act has taken place.

In this amazing work Turkish historian Taner Akcam deeply and thoroughly examines this deliberate action carried out by the Ottoman government relying mainly on the Ottoman sources, such as military notes, court hearings, parliamentary protocols and reports. In this work Taner Akcam explores the plan of extermination and its implementation by the state agencies, the army and the ruling party”, the translator said in the summary of the book “A Shameful Act”.

In the summary of the book “Killing Orders”, Kivork Khatoun Wanes says: “In this work Akcam, who was called the “Sherlock Holmes of Armenian Genocide” in New York, presents the telegrams existing in the memoirs of Naim Efendi up to the smallest details and compares them with the thousands of documents received from the Ottoman archives (coding methods, signatures of Aleppo governor, telegram dates, mentioned people and events)”.

The Killing Orders is also available in French.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan