Author: Aram Torosian

A scene from last weekend’s Homenetmen Regional Convention

The Homenetmen Western U.S. family gathered from November 12 to 14 to convene the organization’s 42nd Regional Convention, during which a new Regional Executive was elected to govern the organization for the upcoming two years.

Delegates representing Homenetmen chapters from across the Western U.S. and invited guests meticulously discussed and evaluated the organization’s activities of the past two years, provided the necessary assessments and adopted resolutions that will guide the newly-elected executive body’s work.

The 42nd Regional Representative Convention elected the following members to the 2021-2023 Regional Executive Board: Hagop Tufenkjian, Sevag Garabetian, Souzi Ohanian, Siran Marselian, Pierre Manoukian, Hrach Galoustian, Talin Ghazarian, Anita Derderian, Roubina Manouchehri, Tamar Kilijian, and Paul Bachkabakian.

The Convention executive met with the newly elected executive board on November 16 for a transfer meeting and supervised the board’s election of officers. The 2021-2023 Regional Executive Board elected the following officers: Chairperson, Hagop Tufenkjian, Vice Chairperson, Sevag Garabetian, Secretary, Souzi Ohanian, Treasurer, Siran Marselian.

Homenetmen Western US Region’s Executive Board said that it is looking forward to the opportunity to lead the region and the community through the course of the next two years, overcoming challenges presented by the pandemic, re-introducing in-person programs and activities such as the 45th Navasartian Games & Festival, the Regional Scouting Jamboree, the 11th Pan-Homenetmen Games and much more.

Ali Haydar Kaytan, one of the founders of the PKK terrorist organization and seen as a possible successor of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, was killed in 2019 in a joint operation by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and National Intelligence Organization (MIT), security sources said Thursday. Sources indicated that the PKK didn’t reveal Kaytan’s death to avoid lowering the morale of its terrorists, who have taken significant blows in recent years due to drone-supported operations within Turkey and neighboring countries.

The reports noted that the PKK terrorists who buried Kaytan in an unknown place were executed by PKK leadership. Kaytan’s death caused a rift between PKK leaders Cemil Bayık and Murat Karayılan. Bayık criticized the organization for being imprudent, while Karayılan accused Bayık of staying in Qandil Mountains and abandoning PKK to its fate.

Kaytan is one of the six founders of the PKK, together with Öcalan, and described him as “the authority after me.” He is also a member of the so-called executive council of the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK), which serves as an umbrella body of the PKK and its affiliates in different countries.

He was directly responsible for two major terrorist attacks on civilians in Ankara. During the first attack, 29 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew up his bomb-laden car next to shuttle buses carrying soldiers and civilians on Ankara’s Merasim Street on Feb. 17, 2016, during the evening rush hour. The second attack was carried out at the Ankara central Kızılay square when PKK terrorists attacked bus stops using a bomb-laden car. Thirty-six people were killed and 125 others were injured in the attack. He is also known to be the second ideological mentor of the PKK, following Öcalan, who was responsible for the training and motivation of suicide bombers.

During the Sept. 12, 1980, military coup, Kaytan fled abroad, seeking asylum from Germany and France. Even though he was sentenced to seven years in prison in Germany on murder and kidnapping charges, Kaytan was released and fled to Lebanon to train new PKK members with Öcalan.

Determined to curb terrorism at its source, Turkey is throttling the terrorist group in northern Iraq. The TSK and the MIT, which eliminated the so-called ringleaders of the PKK in their terrorist dens, have already caused the psychological collapse of the group. In the last two years, the operations intensifying in northern Iraq have demolished the terrorist dens in Metina, Avashin-Basyan, Zap and Gara. After destroying the organization’s influence in these regions, Turkey now aims to clear Qandil, Sinjar and Makhmour – described as the “main target” – of terrorism.

The PKK terrorist group often hides out in northern Iraq, just across Turkey’s southern border, to plot terrorist attacks in Turkey. The Turkish military regularly conducts cross-border operations in northern Iraq. Turkey has long been stressing that it will not tolerate terrorist threats posed against its national security and has called on Iraqi officials to take the necessary steps to eliminate the terrorist group. Ankara previously noted that if the expected steps were not taken, it would not shy away from targeting terrorist threats.

The Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq are the PKK’s stronghold and the group is active in many cities and towns. It occupies a large number of villages in the region from where it launches attacks on Turkey. Turkish intelligence learned that the Makhmour camp was as important as Qandil for the terrorists as they were able to recruit and train members under its guise.

Armenia announced a cease-fire on the border with Azerbaijan, according to defense ministries of Russia and Armenia on Tuesday.

Azerbaijan and Armenia took steps to stabilize the situation on their borders, said a written statement by the Russian Defense Ministry.

It said the clashes in Karakilise have ceased and the situation is currently back to normal and under control.

“As of 5.30 p.m (1330GMT) with the mediation of Russia, a cease-fire was declared on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border,” the Armenian Defense Ministry said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the tension on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

Putin and Pashinian agreed to stay in contact, the Kremlin said in a written statement.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov told Russian Counterpart Sergei Shoigu that Azerbaijan will continue to stop military provocations by Armenia, as Yerevan announced that it has declared a cease-fire after carrying out attacks on the Lachin and Kalbajar areas.

In the phone call, Shoigu told Hasanov that Russia was ready to stop Armenia’s military operations near the border and ensure stability.

Armenia’s defense ministry said that a cease-fire had been announced at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border after Russia’s mediation, following a clash at the frontier, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday.

Armenia has been attacking Azerbaijani positions to take over some areas and has been shelling the positions. Two Azerbaijani soldiers were injured in attacks, and Azerbaijan has taken the Armenian soldiers who carried out the attacks hostage, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

Shoigu also held a phone call with his Armenian counterpart, the Interfax news agency quoted his ministry as saying on Tuesday.

Armenia asked Russia to help defend it against Azerbaijan, after a border clash in which it said 15 of its soldiers had been killed, 12 were captured and two combat positions had been lost. According to Azerbaijan, workers were shot at by Armenian forces two days ago as they built border fortifications.

Meanwhile, EU chief Charles Michel urged the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to call a “full cease-fire” after escalation on the border.

Michel, the president of the European Council, said he had spoken to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian of Armenia.

Michel did not apportion blame for the “challenging situation in the region,” but demanded an “urgent de-escalation and full cease-fire.”

“EU is committed to work with partners to overcome tensions for a prosperous and stable South Caucasus,” he tweeted.

The United Nations also urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to “exercise restraint” after border clashes.

At the U.N., deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said: “We urge all sides to exercise restraint … and address any related concerns peacefully through dialogue.”

“We want to avoid any return to the sort of escalation we had earlier,” Haq added.

Earlier, Armenia had reported that some of its troops had been killed and that it had lost control of two military positions near the Azerbaijan border.

Azerbaijan accused Armenia of provoking the clash by attacking positions, and said two of its own soldiers were wounded.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

The latest large-scale clashes erupted in the Karabakh region on Sept. 27, 2020, when the Armenian Army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

Azerbaijan then launched a counteroffensive operation, later dubbed “Iron Fist,” which led to the 44-day conflict ending with the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from the nearly three-decade occupation of Armenian forces.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the nearly three-decade Armenian occupation.