Author: Anna Tamamian

Turkish Ambassador to Berlin Hüseyin Avni Karslıoğlu returned to Turkey late on June 2, after the German Parliament approved a bill describing the 1915 massacres of Ottoman Armenians as genocide, th eHurriyet Daily News reports.

“This is an emotional decision. It is not a decision that was made in a rational framework. All of the speeches [of German lawmakers during the voting session] show this … We had many talks [with the German authorities] before the vote but the decision was already made,” Karslıoğlu told reporters on his arrival at Esenboğa Airport in Ankara.

“Our friendship and our relations with Germany will continue. We will act logically,” the ambassador said, adding that he will now hold extensive meetings at the Foreign Ministry to analyze the decision taken by the German Parliament and decide what measures will be taken.

Asked whether he had a return ticket, Karslıoğlu said “Turkish Airlines doesn’t run out of tickets.”

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will leave for Paris on June 2 to meet with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

Shortly before the planned vote on the Armenian Genocide resolution at the German Bundestag, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had a phone conversation with Turkey’s new Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Spiegel reports.

The PM called the resolution a “baseless and unjust political judgment.” He said “Turkey and millions of Turks in Germany” are watching the developments with concern.

The Turkish PM said “Ankara expects a “respectful attitude” from the Federal Government and the Bundestag.

The Bundestag is set to vote on the bill on June 2.

Kris Jenner has revealed her desire to go back to be being called Kris Kardashian – and taken a jab at her ex’s gender transition in the process, reports.

In a deleted scene of Keeping Up With The Kardashians released after Sunday night’s show, the 60-year-old told her daughter Khloe about her plans.

Despite not have been known as a Kardashian since her divorce from the late Robert Kardashian back in 1991, the reality star thinks it is best for everyone.

The issue came up after Khloe asked how her mom gets a special order from beloved Los Angeles Mexican Casa Vega.

Kris explained: ‘I call the manager and say ”Hey! It’s Kris Kardashian.”’

When Khloe pointed out that is not her name, the momager did not seem perturbed: ‘I’m going to change my name back to Kardashian.’

Not hiding her distaste of the idea, Khloe said: ‘Why? You haven’t been that in over 24 years.’

Kris said she was taking the name back: ‘I was that before you were that. I was the original Kardashian.’

Kris and the late Robert Snr were married from 1978 to 1991 and share four children – Khloe, Kourtney, Kim and Robert Jr. while  she shares daughters Kendall and Kylie with Caitlyn.

 

 

 

A draft law condemning the genocide of Sinjar Yazidis has been submitted to the Armenian National Assembly. The Sinjar Yazidi National Union participated in the elaboration of the bill.

Boris Murazi, who heads the public organization, said today “the Yazidi people will benefit both if the bill passes and if it fails to pass.”

“The document is not vulnerable in any respect, because it refers to international resolutions and laws adopted by the UN, which Armenia has also joined,” he told reporters in Yerevan.

He said the genocide continues today, as people are denied entry to their homes.

“If Armenia recognizes this genocide, it will provide Yazidis with an opportunity to present themselves on the international arena with concrete documents, to say that the US and Armenia have recognized the genocide,” he said.

An open-air concert dedicated to Charles Aznavour’s 92^nd birthday will take place at Charles Aznavour Square in Yerevan on Sunday, May 22.

The performers at the concert will include Levon Malkhasyan, Aramo, Tigran Hamasyan, the Art Cinema Ensemble, Sona Shiroyan and Hayk Petrosyan.

Aznavour’s best works will be performed at the concert.

The crews of Mi-8 and Mi-24 attack helicopters held exercises at the Russian military base in Armenia, the Russian Ministry of Defense reports.

The pilots were training to hit targets on the ground and flying the helicopters at high altitudes.

Management of Mi-8 and Mi-24 heavy helicopters in the mountains has its peculiarities.

It is necessary to carefully fly the machine over mountain ridges and peaks, taking into account the features of rarefied air. That’s why all flights were performed under the guidance of instructors.

Armenia has retained the 110th place in the FIFA World Ranking released today.

Argentina leads the ranking, followed by Belgium and Chile.

With no A-international matches played in April, the May edition of the FIFA/Cola-Cola World Ranking provided a brief moment of security for teams eager to hold onto their top positions.

All teams in the Top 50 maintained their positions this month, while the regional composition of said teams also remained unaffected since last month’s ranking.

The next FIFA World Ranking will be published on 2 June 2016.

Members of U.S. Senate and House took part in the annual Capitol Hill remembrance of the Armenian Genocide on April 27, stressing that the United States, as a matter of national policy, should be working toward a truthful and just recognition of this crime, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

During the evening remembrance program, legislators raised serious concerns, on a bipartisan basis, regarding the dangerous modern day implications of continued official U.S. and international indifference to a century of unchecked anti-Armenian violence and genocide, even amid warning signs of renewed atrocities against Nagorno Karabakh.

“We want to thank each of the legislators who joined us today, and the many more who are working to stop official U.S. complicity in Ankara’s genocide denials and bring an end to the Administration’s troubling silence in the face of Azerbaijan’s reckless military escalation against Nagorno Karabakh,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Sadly, we are seeing today – in Azerbaijan’s attacks all along the Nagorno Karabakh line-of-contact – the results of longstanding U.S. appeasement of Turkey and international indifference to Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian aggression, even amid clear warning signs of renewed atrocities.”

A prominent theme was the escalation of Azerbaijan’s attacks against Nagorno Karabakh, which claimed several hundred Armenian and Azerbaijani lives between April 2nd and 5th. Constant ceasefire violations continue to undermine peace in the region, with three members of Artsakh’s defense forces killed in just the last two days. Members of Congress called for zeroing out military aid to Azerbaijan, with many urging an increase in assistance to Artsakh in light of recent violence.

The annual Capitol Hill observance of the Armenian Genocide was organized by the Congressional Armenian Caucus in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, Office of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh in the U.S. and Armenian American organizations.

Among the federal legislators offering remarks were Senator Robert Menendez (D-CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Robert Dold (R-IL) as well as, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Democrat Adam Schiff (D-CA), Armenian and Assyrian American Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), and David Trott (R-MI). Also in attendance were Rep. David Brat (R-VA), Hellenic Caucus Co-Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Co-Chair James McGovern (D-MA), and Armenian Genocide Resolution lead author David Valadao (R-CA).

Capitol Hill veteran and Greater Washington DC community activist Elise Kenderian Aronson served as Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening, inviting clerical leaders His Eminence Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Eastern U.S. and Rev. Fr. Tatev Terteryan of St. Mary Apostolic Church to offer the benediction and invocation. Also offering keynote remarks were His Excellency Grigor Hovhannissian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the U.S., and the Honorable Robert Avetisyan, Nagorno Karabakh representative to the U.S.

Armenian Americans were joined by representatives from the Hellenic, Assyrian and Kurdish communities at the observance, including Ted Katsoubas from the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC); Steve Oshana, Executive Director of A Demand for Action; and, Dasko Shirwani of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) among many others.

The first groups of volunteers from Armenian have arrived in Artsakh. Thousands are volunteering to join the soldiers on the frontline as heavy fighting continues along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact.