Author: Arsine Chaltikian

Heart surgeon Hrayr Hovagimian honored with the title of Armenia’s National Hero

Arsine Chaltikian
Public Radio of Armenia
Aug 27 2020

Heart surgeon Hrayr (Hagop) Hovagimian has been named National Hero of Armenia and awarded the Order of Motherland.

Earlier this year Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan asked the Prime Minister to propose to the President to honor doctor Hovagimian with a Medal for Motherlan for his exceptional medical services for the Republic of Armenia in the development of healthcare, establishment of an innovative medical center for complex heart surgeries, training of many new specialists and saving lives.

President Armen Sarkissian signed a relevant decree today. Hrayr (Hagop) Hovagimian is the first doctor to be honored with the title.


How President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is destroying Turkey through Islamic schools and nepotism

Arsine Chaltikian 
Zee News, India
How President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is destroying Turkey through
Islamic schools and nepotism
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is riding on the wagon of
political Islam to become the Caliph of the Muslim world. For ensuring
his success, he has converted Turkey into a lab of political Islam
during his 18-year rule. To radicalise the children and youngsters and
to build an army of Islamic preachers, he has changed the entire
education system of Turkey — dominated by political Islam and
projecting  Erdogan as the tallest Muslim leader.
The roots of his radicalism lie in the very fact that Erdogan is
himself an alumnus of an Imam Hatip school - a set of schools for
training Islamic clergymen in a traditional manner. He changed the
purely religious nature of the curriculum into politicised Islam that
is against the ethos of Turkish culture and shifted the focus of these
schools to extremism.
As per some experts “since Erdogan came to power, the number of such
schools began to rapidly increase, taking the number from 450 to 5,000
in the past 18 years. The number of Imam Hatip schools has outnumbered
the science schools in at least 61 provinces of Turkey. The army of
preachers to carry forward Erdogan’s agenda is being build within
these schools.”
However, popular discontent against these schools have started
erupting as these schools serve no purpose except radicalising
students and after graduating from such schools, students are left
with no skill sets, no scientific temperament, and eventually no job
prospects in the real world.
A recent survey conducted by Ensar Foundation Centre for Religious
Education has revealed that over 70% graduates from Imam Hatip schools
regretted their decision of being educated from such schools. Besides,
73% graduates of such institutions said that they would not study at
such schools, if given a second chance. While 68% students said that
they were unhappy with studying at those schools and were uncertain
about their future.The survey also revealed that most of the students
admitted in Imam Hatip schools earlier had a poor academic record and
failing to secure admissions in other schools, Imam Hatip was their
last option.
According to the survey, “ 44% respondents confessed that they chose
Imam Hatip schools after their poor performance in the national high
school placement examinations — an exam that helps students to secure
admissions in schools of their choice based on the marks secured in
the exam.”
To build a world dominated by political Islam, Erdogan needed to prop
a similar model in Turkey itself. Erdogan’s party  Justice and
Development Party (AKP) is on a mission to destroy the secular fabric
of the country since it came to power. It believes that through
radical Islamic education, it can build and train its own staff. To
serve the Purpose, besides brainwashing the parents, Erdogan’s party
has also started to forcefully admit students in these schools.
Besides producing Islamic clerics and foot-soldiers for Erdogan’s
political islamist aspirations, these schools have also started to
take over the political economy of the country. The top posts of
Turkey's administration and politics are being increasingly acquired
by the alumnus of the Imam Hatip schools. The alumni of Kartal Imam
Hatip High School, which is also the alma mater of President Erdogan’s
son Bilal Erdogan, have taken over the top positions in the national
airlines of Turkey - Turkish Airlines.
It is interesting to see that  “Nearly 80 schoolmates of Bilal Erdogan
have taken over the top posts of the Airlines. The list also includes
board members Arda Ermut and Ogun Sanlier, assistant general managers
Abdulkerim Cay and Ahmet  Olmustur, press undersecretary Yahya Ustun,
head of advertising Rafet Fatih Ozgur, head of human resources
Ebubekir  Akgul, besides others.”
However, this is not an exclusive case of nepotism related to Erdogan
family and Turkish airlines. Earlier, Recep Tayyip Erdogan appointed
his aide Mehmet Ilkar Ayci, also an alumnus of Kartal Imam Hatip
school, as the chairman of the board of the Airlines. President
Erdogan’s elder son Ahmet Burak Erdogan has also contributed in
tarnishing the image of Erdogan family through nepotism. Manta Marine
- the shipping company he is associated with, is facing allegations of
corruption and favoritism as its funds have suddenly doubled and are
increasing at a rapid rate. Ahmet Burat Erdogan is a senior partner in
the airlines and is alleged to promote the company by making illicit
favours. However, the door is not equally open for the common youth,
leaving them with no other option than to indulge in criminal and
radical activities.
The degradation of the youth through promotion of radical Islamist
schools at one hand and making illegitimate favors to his own folks,
Erdogan has killed two birds with one stone. Firstly, he is ensuring
that his kins keep ruling the nation by controlling the resources and
facing no tough competition from the Population with an unscientific
temperament. Secondly, he is successfully creating an army of Islamic
clerics which could further his political Islamist agenda across the
world. In this way, Erdogan is taking Turkey towards a path of slow
death and proving to be the worst thing that could have happened to
the country.

Armenpress: Armenia follows illegal provocative actions of Turkey and supports Greece and Cyprus

Arsine Chaltikian

Armenia follows illegal provocative actions of Turkey and supports Greece and Cyprus

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 18:17, 15 August, 2020

YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. The Foreign Ministry of Armenia has issued a statement over the recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, emphasizing the unconditional support of Armenia and solidarity with Greece and Cyprus.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the statement runs as follows,

”We closely follow the latest developments and naval mobilization in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean caused by the Turkish illegal and provocative actions. This destabilizing posturing in the Eastern Mediterranean manifests continued aggressive and expansionist policy that Turkey has been pursuing in its neighbouring regions.

We reiterate Armenia’s unequivocal support and solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and call on Turkey to de-escalate the situation, respect the International Law and cease all actions within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Greece and Cyprus”.

Turkish press: Turkey, Azerbaijan to complete joint military exercises

Arsine Chaltikian
 ISTANBUL POLITICS 
AUG 10, 2020 2:49 PM GMT+3
Helicopters carry out drills during joint military exercises conducted by the Turkish and Azerbaijani armed forces in Azerbaijan, Aug. 9, 2020. (AA Photo)

The 13-day joint military exercises conducted by Turkish and Azerbaijani armed forces are expected to be completed on Monday.

Turkey and Azerbaijan, with the participation of the countries’ air and ground forces, launched joint military drills in the wake of recent Armenian attacks on Azerbaijani border points.

The war exercises began on July 29, and Aug. 5 was the last day of ground engagements – including artillery, armored vehicles and mortars striking simulated targets – in the capital Baku and the exclave of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan’s autonomous region bordering Turkey. Air combat drills involving jets and helicopters were scheduled to continue in Baku, Nakhchivan, Ganja, Kurdamir and Yevlakh through Monday.

Last month, Armenia attacked Azerbaijani troops in the northwestern Tovuz border region. As a result, at least 12 Azerbaijani soldiers, including a major general and a colonel, were killed and another four soldiers wounded. A 76-year-old Azerbaijani citizen also lost his life.

Azerbaijan accused Armenia of taking “provocative” actions, with Ankara warning Yerevan it would not hesitate to stand against any kind of attack on Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, has been under illegal Armenian occupation since 1991.

International organizations, including the United Nations, have demanded the withdrawal of the occupational forces.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, co-chaired by France, Russia and the U.S., was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict but to no avail.

Armenian PM responds to comments of Russia Today editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan

Arsine Chaltikian

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 15:18,

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. In an interview to the Russian RBK Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded to the comments made by editor-in-chief of Russia Today Margarita Simonyan.

In her recent comments Margarita Simonyan criticized the current leadership of Armenia.

In response to Simonyan’s point that Armenia has not recognized Crimea, the PM said: “Armenia has not recognized the independence of Nagorno Karabakh too, but does it mean that we are not defending Nagorno Karabakh? No. We state that Armenia is the guarantor of the security of Nagorno Karabakh. I have said this in my speech delivered in Stepanakert. I have stated that Nagorno Karabakh is Armenia and that’s it. Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are one united security environment. There is conflict, and Armenia has its approaches in its solution format, and Azerbaijan has its own approaches”.

Commenting on another point that Armenia’s authorities have jailed Russia’s faithful ally Robert Kocharyan, Pashinyan said that the Armenian people, not the individuals, are Russia’s ally.  

“In Russia people should understand that Russia’s allies in Armenia are not Pashinyan, Petrosyan, Poghosyan, Sargsyan and Kocharyan. Russia’s ally and partner are the Armenian people. This is a very important issue. For quite a long time many presented themselves as Russia’s only ally, but Russia’s allies are Armenia and its people”, the PM said.

In response to Simonyan’s another point that there are many anti-Russian NGOs in Armenia, the Armenian PM said: “All that NGOs were created at a time when no one in Armenia had doubted in the pro-Russian moods of the Armenian leadership. All these organizations have bene created during the tenure of Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan. If these organizations were anti-Russian, why they didn’t close these organizations”, he said.

Armenian, Lebanese FMs hold phone call

Arsine Chaltikian
Panorama, Armenia

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on Monday held a telephone conversation with Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti.

The officials exchanged views on ways to further expand and strengthen bilateral cooperation. In the context of overcoming the socio-economic challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic, both sides highlighted the role of international cooperation and mutual assistance, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

The Armenian and Lebanese foreign policy chiefs also discussed a number of issues on the international and regional agenda. Mnatsakanyan touched upon issues concerning the regional peace and security, briefing his counterpart on Armenia’s approaches to the matters.

Asbarez: European Lawmakers Urge Azerbaijan to Install OSCE Investigative Mechanisms

Arsine Chaltikian
July 24,  2020

EU Vice-President Joseph Borrell

European Parliament member Costas Mavrides initiated a letter, which was signed by 29 other members of the European Parliament from seven political groups, addressed to EU High Representative/Vice-President of the European Commission Joseph Borrell calling on the EU to urge Azerbaijan to put in place genuine confidence-building measure on the border, reported the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy.

Specifically, the European lawmakers called for the EU to use it influence to urge official Baku to install investigative mechanism to monitor ceasefire violations that the OSCE called for after the 2016 April War.

On Wednesday, Borrell mediated a discussion between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, who replaced Azerbaijan’s long-time Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov last week.

“I urged both sides to reaffirm their commitment to a ceasefire and undertake immediate measures to prevent further escalation,” Borrell said in a Twitter post after the phone call.

According to an official statement from the EU on the phone call, Borrell told the parties to “refrain from action and rhetoric that provoke tension, in particular from any further threats to critical infrastructure in the region.”

“He also stressed the need for meaningful re-engagement in substantive negotiations on the key aspects of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement under the auspices of the [OSCE Minsk Group] Co-Chairs; both ministers concurred on this,” read the EU statement.

Reportedly Bayramov said that Baku was looking for “concrete results” from future talks with Armenia on the Karabakh conflict settlement, adding that Azerbaijan remained committed to a peaceful solution to the issue. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has called the OSCE mediation efforts “meaningless” and questioned its calls to refrain from a military solution to the conflict.
According to the Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, Mnatsakanyan “emphasized the importance of implementation of the previous agreements on reducing tensions, restoring and strengthening the ceasefire.”

The said confidence-building elements are precisely what the Members of the European Parliament referenced in their letter to Borrell.
Below is the text of the letter.
Dear Mr. Borrell,
Amid a global pandemic, we have been witnessing a dangerous escalation of the situation on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan since 12 July 2020, leading to tragic losses on both sides and with a potential to turn into a war, destabilizing the whole region and thus the eastern neighborhood of the European Union.

While clearly expressing our full support for the efforts of the OSCE Minsk group and the 2009 Basic Principles i.e. the non-use of force, territorial integrity and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples, it is essential to actively work towards tackling hate-speech and war rhetoric.

It is crucial that the EU uses its leverage to put in place genuine and effective confidence-building measures, notably the OSCE investigative mechanism for cease-fire violations which would prevent the sides from blaming each other for initiating deadly attacks. Armenia has agreed to discuss the details of the mechanism. Azerbaijan must do the same.

The sides must immediately resume negotiations and work towards a sustainable, peaceful resolution of the conflict. It is evident that there can be no military solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. It is our goal to have a peaceful, prosperous and safe EU neighborhood and we must take concrete steps in this direction.

Yours sincerely,
Alfonsi François, Ara-Kovacs Attila, Asimakopoulou Anna-Misel, Barrena Pernando, Castaldo Fabio Massimo, Christoforou Lefteris, Fourlas Loucas, Fragkos Emmanouil, Georgiou Giorgos, Georgoulis Alexis, Guillaume Sylvie, Hautala Heidi, Heide Hannes, Kaili Eva, Kouloglou Stelios, Kountoura Elena, Kovatchev Andrey, Kympouropoulos Stelios, Liberadzki Bogusław, Mavrides Costas, Papadakis Demetris , Papadimoulis Dimitrios, Santos Isabel, Schreijer-Pierik Annie, Sonneborn Martin, Spyraki Maria, Stefanuta Nicolae, Tomac Eugen, Vozemberg Elissavet.

Armenian PM congratulates President of Egypt on National Day

Arsine Chaltikian

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 15:58,

YEREVAN, JULY 23, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on the National Day, the PM’s Office told Armenpress.

The letter says:

“I warmly congratulate you on the national day of Egypt – the Revolution Day.

The task of constantly expanding and enriching in content terms the Armenian-Egyptian bilateral and multilateral cooperation agenda is always under the spotlight of Armenia. We are confident that a huge potential exists for that, the effective utilization of which will reveal new opportunities for making our friendly countries closer, as well as for the development of the mutually beneficial cooperation.

I wish you good health and new achievements, and to the good people of Egypt – peace, welfare and speedy overcoming of the challenges caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic”.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Asbarez: Artsakh Forces Down Azerbaijani Drone (7/18/20)

Arsine Chaltikian
July 18,  2020

Artsakh forces downed an Azerbaijani Orbiter-3 drone, which is made in Israel

Artsakh Air Defense units on Saturday shot down an Azerbaijani drone, which was on a reconnaissance mission in the northeastern direction of the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border.

The Artsakh Defense Ministry reported that at 6:38 a.m. local time on Saturday an Orbiter-3 unmanned aerial vehicle—drone. The Orbiter-3 is made by Israel’s Aeronautics Defense Systems, which was embroiled in legal and ethical controversy in 2017 when Azerbaijan reportedly forced the company’s technicians to test its equipment on live targets in Artsakh.

The elite units of the Defense Army continue to keep the situation on the border under full control, to confidently protect the air and land positions of the republic, the Artsakh Defense Ministry said.

This attempt to breach Artsakh’s airspace comes as Azerbaijani forces brazenly attempted to attack military and civilian targets in Armenia’s Tavush Province, resulting in massive losses for Azerbaijani forces, among them a high-ranking army general.

According to Armenia’s Defense Ministry, the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border is relatively calm and new attempts to attack Armenia have been reported.

Meanwhile, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, on Thursday threatened to end the Karabakh peace talks, calling the international mediators, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’s efforts “meaningless.”

A day earlier, Baku threatened to attack the Metsamor Nuclear Plant outside Yerevan as retaliation for what it termed as “Armenian aggression.”

At the same time, in what seemed like a government sanctioned protest took place in Baku’s Azadliq Square, where an estimated crowd of 50,000 people called for an all out war against Armenia.

Also, after weeks of pressure on its foreign ministry, Aliyev fired his long-time foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov, who had been a fixture at the peace talks since 2004. Aliyev appointed his education minister, Jeyhun Bayramov as the country’s new top diplomat.

Statement: Executive branch, Armenian ruling majority bear responsibility for failure in COVID-19 fight

Arsine Chaltikian
News.am, Armenia

13:40, 11.07.2020