Month: May 2021

European Parliament urges Turkey to recognize Armenian Genocide, condemns role in the Karabakh conflict

Bedik Zaminian
Public Radio of Armenia
May 19 2021
– Public Radio of Armenia

EU-Turkey relations have deteriorated to such an extent that the EU needs to profoundly reassess them, MEPs say in a report adopted on Wednesday.

In recent years, the Government of Turkey has distanced itself increasingly from EU values and standards. As a result, relations have been brought to a historic low point, warn MEPs, who are particularly concerned about the state of the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights.

In the report adopted on Wednesday, they insist that if Turkey does not reverse this current negative trend, the Commission should recommend that the accession negotiations be formally suspended.

Hyper-centralisation of power

Criticising Turkey’s regressive institutional reforms, they are alarmed by the “authoritarian interpretation of the presidential system”, pointing to the lack of independence of the judiciary and “continued hyper-centralisation of power in the presidency”. MEPs call on Turkey’s relevant authorities to release all imprisoned human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, academics and others who have been detained by the government on unsubstantiated charges.

MEPs are also worried about Turkey’s hostile foreign policy, including towards Greece and Cyprus, as well its involvement in Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh, which consistently collides with the EU’s priorities. They also repeat their encouragement to Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide, which would pave the way for a genuine reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian peoples.

Call for continuous support to Syrian refugees

Reaffirming their conviction that Turkey is a key partner for stability in the wider region, MEPs acknowledge the EU’s ongoing diplomatic efforts for a true and effective dialogue with the country.

The report recalls that Turkey still plays an important role as host to almost 4 million refugees, of which approximately 3.6 million are Syrian, noting that the challenges in addressing this crisis have increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It commends these efforts and encourages the EU to continue to give the necessary support to Syrian refugees and to host communities in Turkey. They emphasize though that the use of migrants and refugees as a tool for political leverage, and blackmail cannot be accepted.

Finally, MEPs stress that within Turkey there exists a diverse and engaged civil society, one of the few remaining checks on government power. They urge the Commission to continue to support Turkish civil society organisations financially.

The rapporteur Nacho Sánchez Amor (S&D, ES).said: “This report is probably the toughest yet in its criticism of the situation in Turkey. It reflects all that has unfortunately happened in the country in the last two years, in particular in the fields of human rights and rule of law, which remain the main concern for the European Parliament, and in its relations towards the EU and its members. We hope Turkey will definitively change course and put recent expressions of good will into concrete action. We urge the other EU institutions to make any positive agenda they might pursue with Turkey conditional upon democratic reform.”

The report was adopted on Wednesday by 480 votes in favour, 64 against and 150 abstentions.

Authorities unwilling and unable to settle situation in Armenia’s Syunik – Reviving Armenia Party leader

Emil Lazarian
Aysor, Armenia
May 19 2021

Situation in Armenia’s Syunik has not changed with the Azeri forces having penetrated into the Armenian territory and increase the number of their troops, former governor of Syunik, leader of Reviving Armenia party Vahe Hakobyan said in an interview with Aysor.am.

Referring to the statement of Armenia’s acting PM Nikol Pashinyan about the Azerbaijan information war agents operating in Armenia, Hakobyan urged to mention their names.

The party’s leader stressed that it appears those who oppose what authorities say are agents of other countries.

“If I was on their place I would have searched for agents among them, they know quite well who they are and which country’s agents they are,” Hakobyan added.

The ex-governor claimed that the authorities neither want nor are able to settle the Syunik issue.

“It is a conviction that they do not care about the nation, state, statehood, captives. Who is dealing today with the issue of our captives? Who? I am convinced that they do not know the exact number,” Hakobyan said, stressing that these authorities must leave a second earlier for the people able to make decisions in critical situations come and settle the issues.

The ex-governor noted that it is absolutely senseless to sit over table with Nikol Pashinyan to discuss the Syunik issue.

“Because a traitor, unskilled one is sitting in front of us. How can we sit and negotiate with such person? If he has logic, patriotism inside he must say “dear people, I am unable,” kneel and ask for apology and say “take me to court”,” he said.

Hakobyan added that people who still support Pashinyan make a very small mass now.

“These are people, to put it mildly, without education who are in information collapse. The literate know very well that Nikol Pashinyan is the evil of the country and he cannot reproduce, it will not happen,” the ex-governor said.

The leader of the party said he is convinced that some documents will be revealed that will show that some territories will be conceded.
“I am convinced that Syunik’s cases are Azerbaijan’s asymmetric steps for him [Nikol Pashinyan] to probably bring to life what he has promised,” Hakobyan said.

The ex-governor said the authorities have wasted time in Syunik issue, and now the issue must be settled with concrete steps where Russia’s role will be quite big.

Embassy of Poland asks its citizens avoid traveling to several Armenia’s provinces

Lilit Nahapetian
Aysor, Armenia
May 19 2021

The Embassy of Poland in Armenia issued a statement on Tuesday, urging its citizens to avoid traveling to several of Armenia’s provinces.

“In view of the recent events in the border sectors of Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces and agreed with the tense situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the Embassy of Poland urges its citizens to avoid traveling to Armenia’s Tavush, Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor and Syunik provinces,” The Embassy said in a statement on Facebook.

“Be careful and follow the instructions of the local authorities,” the Embassy added.

CSTO FMs discuss Armenia’s request over situation in Syunik – Lavrov

John Hovhannisian
Aysor, Armenia
May 19 2021

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the CSTO MFA heads discussed Armenia’s request over the situation in Syunik province on Tuesday.

“I also want to say that yesterday we started the work of the CSTO foreign ministers in non-formal regime,” Lavrov said on Wednesday at the joint press conference with Tajik counterpart.

“During the yesterday’s meeting we discussed the request of our Armenian colleagues. In accordance with this request we discussed the situation in the relations between Yerevan and Baku,” he added.

Pashinyan, Putin discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani border issue – Armenian cabinet

Albert Nalbandian
TASS, Russia
May 19 2021
Acting Armenian Prime Minister thanked Russian President "for Russia’s efforts aimed at strengthening peace and stability in the region"

YEREVAN, May 19. /TASS/. Acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have focused on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border issue in a phone call, the Armenian prime minister’s press service said on Wednesday.

"Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and RF President Vladimir Putin talked over the phone today. Nikol Pashinyan presented the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. He underscored that in breach of all norms of international law, Azeri troops have crossed into the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia," the press service said.

Pashinyan thanked Putin "for Russia’s efforts aimed at strengthening peace and stability in the region."

"The parties agreed on the ways and methodology to resolve the situation," the press service said.

Earlier in the day, the Kremlin reported that Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev agreed in a phone call that the border dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan should have diplomatic solutions.

On May 12, Armenia’s Defense Ministry reported that early in the morning Azerbaijani forces had attempted to conduct "certain work" in an area bordering the Syunik region to "adjust the border." The ministry said that after the Armenian detachments had taken action, Azerbaijani troops stopped the work. Later in the evening, Acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan convened a meeting of the national Security Council to slam the incident as an encroachment on Armenia’s territory. Pashinyan claimed that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces crossed into Armenia, travelling 3.5 kilometers. Several rounds of talks have been held in recent days to resolve the situation. The latest round, brokered by Russia, took place on May 16.

After the fighting had ceased in Nagorno-Karabakh last autumn, Armenian forces turned over control of seven districts adjacent to the region to Baku, so the Armenian-Azerbaijani border now lies along the Syunik and Gegharkunik regions.

Ombudsman: Azerbaijan servicemen threaten shepherds while illegally in sovereign territory of Armenia

Kanayan Tamar
Panorama, Armenia
May 19 2021
  
Law 10:37 19/05/2021Armenia

The fact-finding activities of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan in Gegharkunik and Syunik Provinces have confirmed that on May 12 and 13, Azerbaijani military threatened shepherds (border residents of Armenia) with weapons, while illegally being in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

Specifically, in the region falling between Sev Lich (Black Lake) and the village of Vernishen in the Goris community of Syunik, Azerbaijani forces approached the shepherd of the village who was grazing the animals on the dawn of May 12, threatened him, and with a show of weapons demanded that he leaves the barn and the pasture, the ombudsman said in a statement on Tuesday.

The fact-finding activities of the human rights defender have demonstrated that the barn of the shepherd of Vernishen is located in the area of the pasture permanently used by the residents of Akner, Vernishen and a number of other villages, in the area falling between Sev Lich and Vernishen civilian community. Sev Lich is located in the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

In the area of the barns in the pastures of Verin Shorzha village of the Vardenis community of Gegharkunik, around 10 Azerbaijani servicemen approached the shepherd of Verin Shorzha village on May 12, and threatened him with a show of weapons, speaking to him also in the Armenian language.

On the same day, when six shepherds from Vardenis and Ayrk villages grazed their large and small cattle around the water basin near the same pasture located in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, dozens of Azerbaijani servicemen approached them, threatened them with a show of weapons and gave them 5 minutes to leave, otherwise they threatened to take them as captives.

Similarly, on 13 May about 50 Azerbaijani servicemen threatened the shepherd of Verin Shorzha village with a show of weapons and demanded him to leave, otherwise threatening to kill or take him as a captive.

Moreover, on May 12, a shepherd from the village of Kut in Geghamasar went to the barn in his pasture located adjacent to the village and discovered around 50 Azerbaijani armed servicemen.

During the ombudsman’s visit, it became apparent that the pastures are allocated to the people on the basis of rent by the legal documents of the local authorities. Therefore, the issue is related to the illegal deprivation of legal rights.

According to the shepherds, they no longer have access to the pastures. Moreover, in Kut for example, the residents mentioned that they are obliged to not to send the animals to the pastures.

The issue is the fact that the Azerbaijani armed servicemen ae physically present in the pastures that legally belong to the people, and in some cases, it is impossible to use the pastures since they fall under the Azerbaijani line of fire.

At the same time, the shepherds informed that they could not even approach the pastures, as in the event of such an attempt, the Azerbaijani armed servicemen would open fire. This also applies to the hayfields.

These circumstances mentioned by the shepherds are confirmed also by the evidences obtained by the human rights defender, such as the legal documents on the use of the pastures, the studies on the ground, relevant photographs, etc.

“The ombudsman’s fact-finding activities of May 12 and 13, 2021, evidences that the Azerbaijani servicemen, being armed, committed criminal acts against the border residents, threatening to kill or taking as captives unarmed civilians, illegally demanding to leave their pastures and barns that belong to them by the legal documents provided by the competent authorities of the Republic of Armenia.

“The Azerbaijani forces have violated the internationally recognized rights of the border resident of Armenia; rights which are also enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, which are the rights to life, to physical and mental immunity, to property, and other fundamental rights. Moreover, the Azerbaijani servicemen were wearing balaclavas (masks) when they were communicating with the civilians.

“It is evident that in order to protect the border residents of Armenia from such illegal actions, a security zone should be created around the Gegharkunik and Syunik region, along all the sections of the border with Azerbaijan.

“The issue is that such actions are not unique. The fact-finding activities of the Human Rights Defender in recent months have registered other cases of violation of the rights of shepherds living on the border by the Azerbaijani armed servicemen,” Tatoyan said, sharing a photo showing an example of a pasture which is under Azerbaijani line of fire.

12 museums with 20,345 exhibits beyond Artsakh’s control after war

Varazdat Torgomian
Panorama, Armenia
May 19 2021

What cultural values are left in the territories of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) occupied by Azerbaijan during last year’s war and what opportunities exist for their salvation?

In a video report by the Artsakh Public TV on Tuesday, representatives of the museums shared specific details.

The director of the Artsakh State Historical Museum of Local Lore, Zhanna Arstamyan, says that as a result of the 44-day war, 12 museums under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Artsakh have been left out of Artsakh's control. They include 10 state and 2 private museums housing 20,345 exhibits.

Armenian military completely deprived Azerbaijani forces of opportunity to take any action – Defense Ministry

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
May 19 2021

The situation after the provocations carried out by the Azerbaijani military in some border areas of Armenia’s Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces on 12 and 13 May has not changed significantly as of Wednesday morning, the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

In all directions of the provocations by the Azerbaijani forces, the territories, the Azerbaijani troops and their potential supply lines remain under the full control of the Armenian forces.

“Moreover, in the previous two days, additional units of the Armenian army were deployed in the area, completely depriving the Azerbaijanis of the opportunity to take any action even theoretically, leaving their return to the starting positions as the only reasonable solution for them.

"Nevertheless, the negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the issue are underway. The Defense Ministry is hopeful that they will produce the desired result and the existing situation will be settled in a peaceful way. At the same time, as it has already been announced, in the event of absence of a solution within reasonable timeframes, the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia reserve the right to resolve the issue by other means, including by force, "the statement reads. 

Robert Kocharyan about Armenian authorities: They will constantly be forced to sign something

Jhanna Virabian
Panorama, Armenia
May 19 2021

Armenia’s second President Robert Kocharyan on Tuesday met with representatives of the healthcare sector within the framework of meetings with specialists from different spheres, the official Facebook page of the former president reported.

Some of the issues raised during the meeting concerned the border situation in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces and Armenia's appeal to the CSTO for assistance.

“You [the Armenian authorities] have placed your positions deep within and Azerbaijan has advanced, now you are shouting out loud, ‘Let Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan come and push Azerbaijan back.’ But where are you? How is it that within the CSTO everyone has more friendly relations with Azerbaijan, which is not a CSTO member state, than with Armenia. Should they answer this simple question or not? Why should Belarus, Kazakhstan and other countries have better relations with Azerbaijan? Now you turn to them. Why should they protect you? You don’t stand on your border and defend it, you apply to the CSTO and present it to the people as heroism. So what is next? One of the main functions of the state – ensuring security – is simply worthy of ridicule,” the ex-president said.

Speaking about the border crisis and possible developments in Syunik, Kocharyan said: “No measures are being taken to strengthen the borders of the country. If you have a border, you must defend it with your own military. To do this, you need to understand where your positions are. During this period, our armed forces had to be given the opportunity to deploy troops with the appropriate density on this border area.

“I believe we will first of all be demanded to demarcate the borders and forced to recognize those borders. They will constantly force [the authorities] to sign something. These are broken people, and, I am convinced, that there will be no resistance.”

“Our key problem at the moment is the complete lack of new resources to resist," he stated. 

Tribute paid to Pontic Genocide victims in Tsitsernakaberd

Arbi Tashjian
Panorama, Armenia
May 19 2021
Society 12:54 19/05/2021Armenia

Today, on Pontic Greeks Genocide Remembrance Day, wreaths were laid at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan on behalf of third President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).

The RPA members paid tribute to the memory of the victims of the genocide committed in 1915-1923 by Ottoman Turkey against the Greeks of Pontus in Asia Minor, Sargsyan’s office