Author: Badalian Vardan

The Sunday elections in Turkey were a regress for the ruling Justice and Development Party, expert of Turkish studies Arestakes Simavoryan told reporters today.

“The voters sent clear messages to Erdogan, making it clear they stand against constitutional changes,” he said.

According to expert of Turkish studies Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, the elections marked a turning point, first of all with regard to the correlation of forces.

“For the first time in history, 95 percent of the Turkish electorate will be represented in the Parliament,” Vahram Ter-Matevosyan said. According to him, the elections can be seen as a “vote of no confidence” on Erdogan’s political objectives, and more than 2 million people voted against Erdogan’s vision of Turkey.

“The elections changed the correlation of forces in the parliament, and on the political field, at large. After a leadership of 13 years, the Justice and Development Party has to take the new realities into consideration and seek ways of cooperation with the opposition.”

The worst scenario for the Armenian-Turkish relations will be a coalition between the Justice and Development Party and the Nationalist Movement. “In this case there will be no shortage of anti-Armenian statement,” he said.

Another expert of Turkish studies Anush Hovhannisyan said the election of three Armenians from three different parties is unprecedented.

“The three MPs will at least try to raise issues concerning the Turkish Armenian community. I think they will actively participate in discussions on the Armenian Genocide, the Turkey-Armenian relations, if there are any in the Parliament,” she said.

Vahram Ter-Matevosyan said the expectations from the three Armenian MPs should be different. He expects more from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and its representative Kato Palyan.

“At this point the HDP is the only force capable of bringing any change in the Armenian-Turkish relations,” he said.

If the Justice and Development Party opts for a minority government, it will not survive long and unwanted developments will be unavoidable.

Experts say it’s clear to everyone that early elections will mean a period of political instability, which will, in turn, lead to great economic shocks.

Turkey should form a government in 45 days.

On Tuesday, June 2^nd, the Brazilian Senate voted to approve the motion recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The decision is posted on the Senate’s

Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ivica Dačić, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian reiterated Armenia’s support for the Brazilian Senate’s decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

“This was yet another important step in favor of the efforts of the international community targeted at the prevention of new genocides and crimes against humanity,” he added.

The resolution expresses its “solidarity with the Armenian people during the course of the centenary of the campaign of extermination of its population” and states that “the Senate recognizes the Armenian Genocide, whose centenary was marked on April 24, 2015.”

In addition, it denounces the “systematic denial, pressure and intimidation against those who try to reconstruct historical events.”

FIFA President Sepp Blatter is being investigated by US officials as part of their inquiry into corruption at the world football body, the BBC reports.

The news came hours after Mr Blatter, 79, announced that he was stepping down from his role.

US prosecutors launched a criminal inquiry last week, with seven FIFA officials arrested in Switzerland, part of a group of 14 people indicted.

Two days after the arrests, Mr Blatter was re-elected president of FIFA.

However, he said on Tuesday that it appeared the mandate he had been given “does not seem to be supported by everyone in the world”.

Mr Blatter said: “FIFA needs profound restructuring.” He said he would continue in post until an extraordinary congress is called to elect a new president.

No dates have been set, but it is expected to take place between December 2015 and March 2016.

World famous Armenian photographer Yousuf Karsh between 1943 and 1987, including the three powerful portraits on view—capturing her first as a warm, spontaneous princess and then later as the elegant queen she became, the British Embassy of Armenia writes in a Facebook post.

Yousuf Karsh has snapped portraits of some of the most iconic figures of the last century. His wide-ranging pool of subjects includes Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Joan Crawford, and Walt Disney.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will leave for Latvia on May 21 to participate in the summits of the European People’s Party and the EU Eastern Partnership.

President Sargsyan is expected to have a number of bilateral meetings within the framework of the visit.

Russia’s economic contraction will curb the growth prospects this year for ex-Soviet republics in central Asia and the Caucasus, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on Thursday, Reuters reports.

Declining remittances from migrant workers in Russia will take a heavy toll on countries from Armenia to Tajikistan, while oil producers such as Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan also have to wrestle with sharply lower global crude prices.

The EBRD released forecasts for the region during its annual meeting, held this year in the Georgian capital Tbilisi.

“As the Russian economy has declined, remittances from Russia to Central Asia and to eastern Europe and the Caucasus have been declining at an alarming rate,” the EBRD said.

Neighbouring Armenia, heavily dependent on aid and Russian investment, will contract by 1.5 percent this year and grow by 1 percent in 2016, the EBRD predicted.

Arthur Abraham and Robert Stieglitz will face each other for the fourth time in July. A super middleweight belt will once again be on the line when the familiar foes clash July 18 at Gerry Weber Hall in Halle, Germany, according to boxingscene.com.

The first fight between the pair of top super middleweights saw Abraham (42-4, 28KOs) score a career-resurrecting decision win to dethrone Stieglitz.

Their rematch eight months later saw Stieglitz (47-4-1, 27KOs) post his lone win of the rivarly, forcing a 4th round stoppage to regain his title in March 2013. The bout marked the only bout among their three previous meets to end inside the distance.

Abraham – who claimed a split decision win last March to begin his second tour as a super middleweight titlist – vows to get his own knockout win to provide a definitive end to this series.

“Robert is mandatory challenger, so of course he deserves his shot,’’ acknowledges Abraham, who has made three successful defenses during his second super middleweight title reign.  I’ve enjoyed our rivalry, but like all good things, this must come to an end.”

“The Gerry Weber Stadium will provide the perfect venue for me to finish our feud. I had Robert down in the 12th round of our last encounter, but this time he will hit the canvas a lot sooner!”

TURKEY RECALLS AMBASSADOR AS AUSTRIA RECOGNIZES 1915 ARMENIAN KILLINGS AS ‘GENOCIDE’

Today’s Zaman
April 22 2015

Turkey said Wednesday it is recalling its ambassador to Austria after
parties represented in parliament signed a declaration recognizing
the massacre of Armenians a century ago as genocide.

The six parties signed a declaration on Tuesday and held a minute of
silence in memory of the victims.

“Due to the historic responsibility – the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy
was allied with the Osman Empire during World War I – it is our
responsibility to recognize the terrible events as genocide and to
condemn them,” the declaration stated.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry recalled Turkey’s Ambassador to Vienna
Mehmet Hasan Goðuþ to Ankara for consultations after the Austrian
Parliament’s decision.

“This declaration….has caused outrage for us,” the Turkish Foreign
Ministry said in a statement. “We reject this biased attitude of the
Austrian parliament, trying to lecture others on history, which has
no room in today’s world.

“It is clear that this declaration…will have permanent negative
effects on Turkey-Austria relations.”

The ministry said it had recalled its ambassador from Vienna for
consultations over the declaration, one of a number by foreign
institutions and parliaments as the 100th anniversary of the killings
approached.

The killings of Armenians by modern Turkey’s predecessor, the
Ottoman Empire, have been one of the most debated issues on the
Turkish-Armenian political agenda. Armenians refer to the killings as
genocide, saying 1.5 million Armenians were systematically murdered
by Ottoman forces in the early years of the 20th century while Turkey
vehemently rejects the allegations, saying the death toll is inflated
and that Muslim Turks were also killed during the civil strife that
coincided with the final years of the deteriorating empire.

Around 268,000 people of Turkish origin live in Austria, according
to government figures, of which nearly 115,000 are Turkish citizens.

Earlier on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoðan said he
did not expect US President Barack Obama to use the word “genocide”
in reference to the killings.

“I would not want Obama to use the word ‘genocide’, and I would not
expect such a thing,” Erdoðan told a joint press conference with
Iraqi President Fuad Masum.

Erdoðan has expressed condolences for the loss of Armenian life during
World War One, but refuses to call the mass killings a genocide.

Germany’s parliament is set to adopt a motion using the word genocide
on Friday. Earlier this month, Pope Francis also called the massacres
a genocide, prompting Turkey to summon the Vatican’s envoy and recall
its own.

RUSSIAN STATE DUMA ADOPTS STATEMENT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENARY

15:32, 24 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, has passed
a draft statement on Friday in connection with the 100th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, TASS reports.

The document submitted by the State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs,
Eurasian Integration and Ties with Compatriots expresses “deep sympathy
to fraternal Armenia in connection with the centenary of the Armenian
Genocide and also to other peoples who suffered during the tragic
events of the First World War.” “Complex historical issues need to
be resolved by peaceful means, including by diplomatic efforts – for
the sake of establishing lasting peace and security on the planet,”
it says.

The State Duma believes that the “Eurasian continent can and
should become an example of good-neighborly relations and equitable
cooperation, a space of peace and creative endeavor.” “Multifaceted
activities in the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, the
Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization are aimed at achieving this goal,” the draft resolution
says, noting that these organizations “were designed to ensure
sustainable development, prosperity of our peoples and the triumph
of humanistic ideals.”

The document adds that the lawmakers are guided by “the principles
of equity and support the striving of all people for preserving the
historical memory.”.

LITHUANIA FM: WE SHARE GRIEF OF ARMENIANS

15:11, 24.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia, Turkey
Theme: Politics

Lithuania shares the grief of Armenians caused by the 1915 events,
Lithuania’s Ambassador Linas Linkevicius said.

“We share #Armenians grief caused by horrifying events in 1915. World
must do everything poss 2prevent such tragedies from ever happening,”
hetweeted.

April 24, 2015 marks the centennial of the Armenian Genocide
perpetrated in the Ottoman Empire.

The Armenian Genocide is recognized by many states. The first to
acknowledge the fact was Uruguay in 1965. France recognized the
Armenian Genocide in 2001. Genocide was recognized by Russia, Italy,
Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden,
Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina,
and 42 U.S. states. Armenian Genocide was recognized by the Vatican,
the European Parliament, the World Council of Churches.