Author: Bedik Zaminian

Russian President instructs Lavrov to inform international organizations about situation in NK

Bedik Zaminian
 

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 18:35, 13 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putin informed that he has instructed Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to inform OSCE and other international partners about the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports, Ria Novosti informs.  

The Russian President emphasized the importance of returning civilian population to normal life. According to him, the November 9 joint declaration allowed to stop bloodshed and to stabilize the situation in Nagorno Karabakh.

Putin emphasized that the humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh is complicated, civilian infrastructures and cultural objects have been destroyed.

The Russian President also said that he has asked the Minister of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief Yevgeny Zinichev to report on the possibility of providing additional assistance to the people of Nagorno Karabakh.

Armenian CDC reports 1472 new cases of COVID-19

Bedik Zaminian

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 11:17,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. 1472 new COVID-19 cases were recorded over the past 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 115855, the Armenian Centers for Disease Control reported. 3697 tests were conducted.

With 1989 reported recoveries over the past day, the total number of recoveries reached 74105.

41 people died from COVID-19 complications, bringing the death toll to 1738. This number doesn’t include the deaths of 448 other people (8 in the past 24 hours) infected with the virus, who died because of other pre-existing illnesses, according to healthcare authorities.

The number of active cases as of 11:00, November 14 stood at 39564.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Azeri offensive at village of Karmir Shuka thwarted by Artsakh Defense Army, 3 UAVs shot down

Bedik Zaminian

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 17:00, 9 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani offensive in the direction of the village of Karmir Shuka has been thwarted by the Defense Army of Artsakh, the Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said.

“The enemy offensive launched at 14:20 in the direction of Karmir Shuka has been thwarted. Fighting continues in the south-eastern direction,” she said, adding that the Artsakh military have shot down 3 Azeri UAVs in between 12:10-14:50.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 11/05/2020

Bedik Zaminian 
                                        Thursday, November 5, 2020
Armenia Prioritizes Ceasefire Verification Mechanisms For Karabakh
        • Tatevik Lazarian
Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian (archive photo)
Armenia believes the introduction of mechanisms for the verification of a 
possible future ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh is a priority at the moment.
Speaking to reporters while attending a budget discussion session in the 
Armenian parliament on Thursday, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanian 
said that work in this direction is currently underway.
Armenia and Azerbaijan three times reached ceasefire agreements since the 
current armed conflict broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27. But the 
October 10, 17 and 26 ceasefires brokered by Russia, France and the United 
States, respectively, did not hold, with each side accusing the other of 
violating the deals reached with the mediation of the three co-chair countries 
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group.
Mnatsakanian said today that verification mechanisms were important in this view 
even if no ceasefire has been achieved yet.
“The introduction of a verification system will make it possible to carry out 
this function more effectively. In this sense, the work is being pursued today 
as well. And we need to achieve that,” he told reporters.
Mnatsakanian described ceasefire verification mechanisms as a priority issue 
today. “Under the direction of Turkey, Azerbaijan has violated the reached 
agreements three times, but this does not mean that the work on establishing a 
ceasefire will not continue. It does not follow from this that we will stop 
working on establishing a ceasefire, and we will be working not alone, but also 
with the co-chairs,” he said.
Mnatsakanian said that the basis of the current work is the four points 
expressed in the joint statement of the foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan 
and Russia that was published after nearly 11-hour-long talks in Moscow on 
October 10.
In that joint statement, the three ministers announced an imminent ceasefire 
which eventually did not hold “for the humanitarian purposes of exchanging 
prisoners of war and other captives and bodies of the dead.”
The statement said that while “concrete parameters of the ceasefire regime will 
be agreed upon additionally,” Baku and Yerevan were “embarking on substantive 
negotiations with the aim of rapidly achieving a peaceful settlement.” It also 
made it clear that the talks will be held “on the basis of the basic principles 
of settlement.”
It was an apparent reference to a framework peace accord that was first drafted 
by the Russian, French and U.S. co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in 2007 and 
has been repeatedly modified since then. The conflicting parties have for years 
disagreed on some key elements of the proposed deal.
Amid stalled negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, fighting continues 
unabated in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
Armenia-backed ethnic Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh claimed to have 
repulsed attacks by Azerbaijani armed forces in several directions of the 
frontline, including in the east, on Thursday. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan gave a 
different account of the developments along the frontlines, claiming that its 
armed forces have been making more gains on the ground.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s de facto ethnic Armenian leader Arayik Harutiunian on 
Thursday reportedly visited Shushi (Shusha), a strategic town sitting on a 
mountaintop and overlooking the region’s capital Stepanakert.
In a Facebook post Harutiunian said that in Shushi he met with defenders of the 
town “to discuss the strategy of the struggle against the numerous forces of the 
enemy.”
He said “all possible efforts are being made to keep the stronghold town 
impregnable.”
France Raps Turkey’s ‘Aggressive Actions’ In Nagorno-Karabakh
        • Gevorg Stamboltsian
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (archive photo)
France has accused Turkey of pursuing aggressive policies near European borders, 
including in Nagorno-Karabakh.
In an interview with the Europe 1 radio station on Thursday French Foreign 
Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said there have been serious disagreements between 
Paris and Ankara for several years due to Turkey’s actions.
“Turkey is taking aggressive actions in the immediate vicinity of Europe, in 
particular in Libya, in the eastern Mediterranean, in Nagorno-Karabakh and in 
northern Iraq. Now a new factor has emerged. In recent days, the tone of 
President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s statements addressed to France and Europe has 
changed. Erdogan regularly makes statements full of hatred and violence, 
including against French President Emmanuel Macron,” said Le Drian, adding that 
“Paris demands that Turkey abandon such behavior.”
The top French diplomat’s remarks came a day after a Turkish ultranationalist 
organization, Gray Wolves, was banned in France.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has claimed that “this decision also 
shows that the French government has become totally a captive of the Armenian 
circles.”
Ankara claims that Gray Wolves does not exist as an organization, and that the 
decision of the French government is “imaginary, hypocritical and provocative” 
in nature. Still it calls it “unacceptable to ban symbols.”
“We will reciprocate to this decision in the strongest way,” the Turkish Foreign 
Ministry said in a statement issued on November 4.
In Turkey, the Gray Wolves are linked to the far-right Nationalist Movement 
Party (MHP) of Devlet Bahceli. The party has a political alliance with President 
Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The plan to ban the Gray Wolves came after two anti-Armenian demonstrations by 
people carrying Turkish flags in the Lyon and Grenoble areas. The demonstrations 
are believed to be tied to the Gray Wolves.
French media also reported that a monument in Lyon dedicated to the victims of 
the 1915 massacres of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey was defaced with pro-Turkish 
Gray Wolves slogans and “RTE” in reference to Erdogan.
The Gray Wolves are considered the militant wing of the MHP, known for their 
pan-Turkish and far-right ideology.
In the past, they are believed to have had ties to the Turkish “deep state” and 
mafia, having been involved in street violence against leftists in Turkey during 
the 1970s and 1980s. Its members have also been involved in attacks on Kurdish 
activists and aided the state’s fight against Kurdish nationalist militants.
There have been tensions in France between its large ethnic Armenian population 
and Turkish communities over the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, in which 
Turkey has strongly backed its ally Azerbaijan.
No Let-Up In Karabakh Fighting Amid Conflicting Frontline Reports
Armenian soldiers stand as troops hold positions on the frontline during ongoing 
fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh. October 25, 2020
Heavy fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone continued during the night 
and into the morning, with ethnic Armenian forces and Azerbaijan providing 
different accounts of the developments along the frontlines.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian Defense Army said on Thursday that 
Azerbaijan’s armed forces attempted an offensive in the eastern direction of the 
frontline at around 10:30 am, using armored vehicles in the onslaught.
“Due to competent actions of Defense Army units and reservists the enemy has 
been thrown back, leaving behind one armored vehicle, one truck and many killed 
soldiers on the battlefield,” the Defense Army said.
Overnight Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian forces also reported activities of 
Azerbaijan’s armed forces in other directions, claiming that all attacks by 
Azeri assault groups have been repulsed.
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that fighting continued with 
varying intensity mostly in the direction of Aghdara (Martakert) and Khojavend 
(Martuni) where it said Armenian forces lost both soldiers and materiel and 
retreated.
Both sides have claimed to be in command of the operational situation along the 
frontlines. They have also accused each other of targeting civilian areas.
Claims and counterclaims in the current hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh are 
often difficult to confirm independently.
The ongoing armed conflict broke out on September 27, with Azerbaijan and ethnic 
Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh accusing each other of being the aggressor.
Since then both sides have reported scores of deaths among civilians. Armenians 
have also confirmed 1,177 deaths among their military. Azerbaijan does not 
disclose its military casualties, considering them a wartime secret. Russia has 
estimated as many as 5,000 deaths on both sides.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

German Historian, “War in Nagorno-Karabakh is a Struggle of Civilization Against the Hitler of our Times”

Bedik Zaminian
POLITICS 14:10 04/11/2020 ARMENIA

Religious historian Michael Hesemann believes the war in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh is a war of Turkey’s puppet regime of Aliyev against Armenia – which is the lighthouse of civilization in the midst of barbarism. He believes that Turkey’s goal is to silence the Armenian genocide by silencing the Armenian nation. Dr. Hesemann calls for stopping Erdogan and condemns Israel’s sales of weapons to Azerbaijan, saying that Artsakh is a red line that shouldn’t be crossed.

• Dr. Hesemann, as a historian who studied the Armenian genocide, can you comment on the current military-political support of Turkey on behalf of Azerbaijan against The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/Artsakh and Armenia in the light of Turkey’s long-term goals? 

Turkey feels threatened by Armenia because more and more nations recognize the Armenian genocide. Everybody who is a member of the ruling class in Turkey today owes his riches and possessions to the Armenian genocide. Thousands of Turks robbed the Armenians and their houses after they were either directly massacred or sent on the death marches to the Syrian desert. So if indeed an international court would serve justice and demand a compensation from Turkey, just like Germany supports the state of Israel with billions of Euros as a compensation for the murder of 6 million Jews during the holocaust, Turkey with its fragile economy would collapse. This is why Turkey tries everything to silence talks about the Armenian genocide – and now tries to silence the Armenian nation! This is not a war of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, but a war of Turkey’s puppet regime against Armenia – always keep this in mind.

• What measures by the international community (especially countries that have recognized the genocide) can be effective in putting a stop to Azerbaijan’s aggression, if any? You once said, “had Turkey been condemned for genocide, the situation in Middle East would have been different”. How about the current situation?

Turkey should become a total outlaw until it recognizes the Armenian genocide. You can only prevent future genocides if you don’t let anyone get away with it. Genocide should be considered an unforgivable, major crime against humanity which in any case requires adequate retaliation. The denial of any recognized genocide, not just the holocaust, should automatically cause sanctions on the responsible state. The international community should recognize Artsakh, which has been an Armenian land for 5000 years or more; so is Western Armenia. Turkey broke the taboo of international justice and re-introduced genocide into modern history.

The Armenian genocide was the role model for the holocaust and any other subsequent genocides. Also, Neo-Ottoman aspirations caused the terrorist war in Syria, in Iraq and now in Libya and Artsakh. Turkey is the main aggressor in any of those cases, the power behind the murderous civil war in Syria, behind Islamist terrorism, behind the chaotic situation in Libya. First of all, Turkey deserves no place in NATO. It should be outlawed until it learns that terror is not a method of 21st century policy any longer. If Turkey is not willing to become a civilized nation, the international community should reinforce the Treaty of Sevres and return the stolen territory to the Greeks, the Armenians, the Kurds, the Aramaic and the Assyrians.

• As a citizen of Germany – a country which apologized and paid Israel for holocaust, how do you feel about Israel providing massive amount of arms to Azerbaijan fueling its intentions to destroy Artsakh and Armenians?

I love the state of Israel and would defend the Jewish homeland at all cost. But Israel ignores that holocaust was a brainchild of Turkish Islamic-fascism and that the Turks even planned to massacre the Jewish Zionist settlers in Palestine in 1917 and now they support Azerbaijan! This is a Schande – a great shame! Israel should be a natural ally of the Armenian people, especially because of their common history. I can only call the Israeli alliance with Azerbaijan extremely short-sighted, because Azerbaijan is just the puppet state of Turkey and Erdogan already openly declared that the ultimate goal of his policy is the “liberation” of Jerusalem, the Israeli capital. Liberated from whom? From the Israelis and from the Jews. The murderer of Armenians today is the murderer of the Jews tomorrow. Any Israeli who supports Erdogan should know that he supports the new Hitler, the ultimate enemy of the Jewish people and the great, beloved nation of Israel!

• Why should the world care about Armenia and about stopping Erdogan? To what extent do you see this as a fight against civilization or Christianity? What consequences would this have for Europe and the civilized world?

Because Armenia is a lighthouse of civilization in the midst of barbarism. The Armenians by nature are a peaceful nation of artists and intellectuals. Armenia has given so much to the world and has the potential to give even more. Armenians just need to live in peace. That’s their nature. They are builders of civilizations, not destroyers. The civilized world has the responsibility to protect a peaceful civilized nation against any aggressor. Erdogan is the Hitler of our times. He inserted Islamist terrorism into Syria and Libya, he supported Islamist terrorism in Egypt. Why nobody stops him? Why is there appeasement everywhere, like there was in Munich 1938? Artsakh should be the red line.

The world should get up and tell the most dangerous dictator of our times, Mr. Erdogan, to stop now or he would be stopped. The Turkish aggression has to end right here and now. Not one step further. Otherwise, he will also go for Jerusalem, attack Israel, and then we all have to expect World War III. If you learned anything from history, from the great mistake of the masters of the “Appeasement” policy in Munich 1938, it is this: Never give any dictator the impression that the world would hesitate and close its eyes, since this always is understood as a permission to go one step further. Erdogan has to be stopped now by the international community, before it is too late. If we wait, we will all regret it sooner rather than later.

Interview by Nvard Chalikyan


Ignoring calls from international community, Aliyev again brings forward preconditions

Bedik Zaminian

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 11:24, 4 November, 2020

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev has again brought forward preconditions for stopping the war against Artsakh, despite numerous calls from the international community on halting hostilities without any preconditions.

Speaking to the Italian La Repubblica newspaper, Aliyev again dictated his preconditions, and even speaking about a compromise solution to the issue he said it is Armenia that should be the first to make concession.

He factually once again admitted that Azerbaijan started the war, saying that Azerbaijan is ready to stop the war if Armenia makes concessions.

Earlier the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict can only have a peaceful resolution and it requires mutual concessions.

Meanwhile, towns and cities in Artsakh have come under Azerbaijani bombardments.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Over 100 U.S. Representatives Call for Emergency U.S. Funding for Artsakh Explosive Clearance and De-mining

Bedik Zaminian

November 3,  2020



Artsakh de-mining

ANCA welcomes bipartisan leadership of Representatives Bilirakis, Chu, Costa, Cox, Johnson, Katko, Nunes, and Sherman

WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America joined The HALO Trust in welcoming the bipartisan leadership of over 100 U.S. Representatives in calling for emergency humanitarian assistance for Artsakh explosive clearance and de-mining in response to the ongoing Azerbaijani and Turkish attacks.

Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), TJ Cox (D-CA), Bill Johnson (R-OH), John Katko (R-NY), Devin Nunes (R-CA), and Brad Sherman (D-CA) led the Congressional letter to US Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Administrator John Barsa earlier today.

“The ANCA welcomes the strong, bipartisan support for the life-saving de-mining and humanitarian aid efforts conducted by the HALO Trust in Artsakh,” noted ANCA Government Affairs Director, Tereza Yerimyan.  “At a time when civilian lives are at such high risk due to Azerbaijani war crimes, and the ongoing pandemic, the U.S. must do all it can to provide for the safety and security of Artsakh’s population.”  Yerimyan worked with ANCA regional and local leaders in a week-long grassroots advocacy effort to rally support for this pro-Artsakh initiative.

“As an international aid organization dedicated to removing the types of lethal explosive hazards now strewn throughout Nagorno Karabakh, we at HALO hope to see strong US funding to respond to this humanitarian crisis unfolding in the south Caucasus. We greatly appreciate the leadership of Representatives Jim Costa, Devin Nunes, T.J. Cox, Gus Bilirakis, Brad Sherman, Bill Johnson, Judy Chu, John Katko, and the many other Members of Congress that signed onto this letter to urge US support,” stated HALO USA Executive Director Chris Whatley.

The Congressional letter notes that the Azerbaijani and Turkish “bombings of cities with large populations including Stepanakert, Shushi, and Martakert have resulted in high levels of explosive contamination including rockets, missiles, artillery projectiles, and cluster munitions. Over 73,000 people either remain in or have been displaced from towns and villages which are now contaminated by explosive remnants of war. This is over half the population of the region prior to September.”

The letter concludes noting, “Given the potential to protect civilian lives and contribute to efforts to stabilize Nagorno Karabakh, we strongly urge USAID to invest in humanitarian de-mining and unexploded ordnance removal activities and to provide additional humanitarian aid to help those in the conflict zone. Please give this request all fair and full consideration within all the applicable laws, rules, and regulations.”

Congressional organizers welcomed the groundswell of support for the initiative from their U.S. House colleagues.

Rep. Brad Sherman explained, “Azerbaijan’s indiscriminate bombing of Nagorno Karabakh has left cities, including Stepanakert, with high levels of explosive contamination, such as rockets, missiles, and cluster munitions. We need a trained and capable team on the ground working to remove the explosive ordnance which pose a danger to the families who remain, and those looking to return. It is important that the U.S. Government moves to support the emergency removal of explosive ordnance in Nagorno Karabakh as soon as possible. Thank you to Representatives Jim Costa, Devin Nunes, T.J. Cox, Gus Bilirakis, Bill Johnson, Judy Chu, and John Katko for joining in this important effort to provide stability to Nagorno Karabakh.”

Rep. TJ Cox, who along with Rep. Sherman, co-authored an amendment earlier this year to continue U.S. aid to Artsakh, explained, “The ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh is a humanitarian crisis that needs immediate international attention. In the same breath, it is crucial the US maintain funding for humanitarian de-mining in the region. We should not have to fight tooth and nail for peace and basic human rights. I am proud to join my bipartisan colleagues in highlighting this need to USAID.”

Fellow Central Valley California Representative Devin Nunes was clear in his assessment of the importance of Artsakh de-mining efforts, stating, “HALO’s de-mining actions are crucial for protecting civilians from catastrophic injuries. This vital humanitarian assistance will directly save lives in Nagorno Karabakh.”

Rep. Chu, who visited Artsakh last year, noted, “I’ve seen the amazing work HALO has done to remove mines and UXO to make this land safe to live on again. This work is only more important now as Azerbaijan continues to attack civilian areas in Nagorno Karabakh. The US must continue our support for this life-saving work to clear the lethal debris of Azerbaijan’s hostility.”

Rep. Jim Costa noted, “It’s clear that more needs to be done to protect the people of Artsakh and bring lasting peace to the region.  De-mining efforts save lives and this conflict has put thousands at stake. The peace process must resume. I’m hopeful Administrator Barsa will act quickly to fund de-mining and unexploded ordnance removal in Nagorno Karabakh to prevent avoidable casualties during and after the conflict.”

Joining Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Judy Chu, Jim Costa, TJ Cox, Bill Johnson, John Katko, Devin Nunes, and Brad Sherman (D-CA) in cosigning the letter are Representatives: Alma Adams (D-NC), Colin Allred (D-TX), Jim Banks (R-IN), Nanette Barragan (D-CA), Karen Bass (D-CA), Don Beyer (D-VA), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Andre Carson (D-IN), David Cicilline (D-RI), Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Jim Cooper (D-TN), Lou Correa (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Danny Davis (D-IL), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Bill Foster (D-IL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Russ Fulcher (R-ID), Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Deb Haaland (D-NM), Josh Harder (D-CA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), William Keating (D-MA), Dan Kildee (D-MI), Steve King (R-IA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Susie Lee (D-NV), Andy Levin (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), James McGovern (D-MA), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mark Pocan (D-WI), David Price (D-NC), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Harley Rouda (D-CA), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Lori Trahan (D-MA), David Trone (D-MD), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), and John Yarmuth (D-KY).

The full text of the Congressional letter is provided below.

Text of Congressional Letter to USAID Acting Administrator Barsa Urging Life-Saving De-mining Assistance for Artsakh

November 2, 2020

The Honorable John Barsa
Acting Administrator
U.S. Agency for International Development
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20523

Dear Acting Administrator Barsa,

We are writing out of great concern regarding the recent escalation of conflict in Nagorno Karabakh. There is an urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis brought on by the renewed outbreak in fighting and U.S. support for the removal of explosive hazards that threaten large numbers of civilians in Nagorno Karabakh is especially critical.

Bombings of cities with large populations including Stepanakert, Shushi, and Martakert have resulted in high levels of explosive contamination including rockets, missiles, artillery projectiles, and cluster munitions. Over 73,000 people either remain in or have been displaced from towns and villages which are now contaminated by explosive remnants of war. This is over half the population of the region prior to September.

This explosive ordnance poses a danger to people who remain, or are unable to leave, and will continue to present a risk when displaced families return. All unexploded munitions present a risk to civilians if moved or mishandled. Cluster munitions present a particular risk, as they are often present in large quantities due to high failure rates, can be especially sensitive to disturbance, and cluster munitions used in Karabakh with bright red ribbons attached are especially attractive to children.

Given the potential to protect civilian lives and contribute to efforts to stabilize Nagorno Karabakh, we strongly urge USAID to invest in humanitarian de-mining and unexploded ordnance removal activities and to provide additional humanitarian aid to help those in the conflict zone. Please give this request all fair and full consideration within all the applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

Sincerely,

The United Nations is a paper tiger

Bedik Zaminian
Online Opinion, Australia
Nov 2 2020
 
 
 
 
By Peter Bowden – posted Monday, 2 November 2020
 
The Armenia and Azerbaijan war is a superb example of the UN’s problems. This war is a territorial dispute over the Armenia-backed breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, located inside Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan are two former Soviet republics in the Caucasus. The dispute between Yerevan and Baku, respective capitals of each country, is over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, predominantly ethnic Armenian. The Soviet authorities merged it into Azerbaijan in 1921.After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenian separatists seized it in a move supported by Armenia. In that war 1991 -1994, about 30,00 people were killed. An independence referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh on 10 December 1991, approved by 99.98% of voters. Armenia, a Christian country, the official date of state adoption of which is 301 AD, has faced political and economic instability since it gained independence from the former USSR.Corruption is a big problem. Azerbaijan, on the Caspian Sea, has been under the authoritarian grip of a single family since 1993. It has a Muslim majority.With approximately three times the size of its rival, in population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), boosted substantially by large oil and gas reserves, Azerbaijan can better dominate a war of attrition.
 
The New York Times reports (19 October,2020) that three weeks of fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave that is part of Azerbaijan under international law, has settled into a brutal war of attrition. The Armenians are defenceless against the Azerbaijani drones that hover overhead and kill at will. About 300 – 400 Armenians have been killed in the current conflict.
 
Azerbaijan has deployed firepower superior to Armenia’s, using advanced drones and artillery systems that it buys from Israel, Turkey and Russia. But it has failed to convert that advantage into broad territorial gains, indicating more conflict to come.
 
 
 
Heydar Aliyev, a former officer of the KGB, ruled Azerbaijan until his death in October 2003. He handed over power to his son, Ilham, only weeks before. Ilham has made his wife, Mehriban, Azerbaijan’s first vice president.Turkey, with ambitions to be regional power in the Caucasus, has thrown its weight behind oil-rich and Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan.Armenia is hostile towards Turkey over the killing of Armenians by Turkey under the Ottoman Empire during World War I.The Young Turk regime killed 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923, a massacre which Turkey denies. The veracity of the Armenian genocide, details of which can be found on several websites, is widely accepted.
 
Readers in the West may be ideologically inclined to support Armenia. Others of us believe that if the people in a region vote for independence then they must be given that independence. Barcelona is a good example. Other reasons exist for intervening. The Preamble of the Charter of the United Nations states that it was established to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations provides that the UN seek solutions to conflict. The Security Council is the organ with primary responsibility, under the United Nations Charter. The Charter gives the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
 
Has the United Nations done anything on the Armenian Azerbaijan conflict?The UN Security Council has called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately halt the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh and urgently resume talks. The Secretary General has issued his standard “Tut! Tut! Naughty Boys!” But that is all. The UN has implemented more than 70 peace keeping operations since its inception. Even the threat of intervention by the Blue Helmets would ensure that the bombing and shelling, mostly of civilians, would stop. But it has done next to nothing.
 
Why? Is it because most of us have only the haziest idea of where these two countries are located? And we do not care? Why do we not demand of our own government to initiate peacekeeping steps? Is it because the United States, usually a prime mover on UN peacekeeping resolutions, is too preoccupied with Donald Trump and his election? Is it because the United Nations is mostly a paper tiger? It will step in when the United States urges, but not of its own initiative? The writer of this opinion piece seeks other opinions.
 
There are many other examples where the United Nations has failed to implement its peace keeping charter. Syria is another good example What started as a nonviolent uprising in the mainly Sunni province of DarÊ¿Ä, in southern Syria, that the first major protests occurred in March 2011. A group of children had been arrested and tortured by the authorities for writing antiregime graffiti; has escalated into a full-fledged civil war. The war was essentially a sectarian conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslims. The Shia sects being represented by the Alawite faction. The regime of Bashar Al Assad cracked down violently, and civil war broke out. The US and several other countries joined in support of the rebels. Al Assad was confirmed by an unopposed referendum in July 2000. He was confirmed again on 27 May 2007 with 97.6% of the vote.
 
97.6% of the vote appears very suspicious, somewhat like Alexander Lukashenko’s 80% in Belarus. Once again, the UN could have supervised this election. There are many dictators. Freedom House tells us that there are 50 dictatorships in the world (19 in Sub-Saharan Africa, 12 in the Middle East and North Africa, 8 in Asia-Pacific, 7 in Eurasia, 3 in the Americas and 1 in Europe).
 
 
 
It may be because the governments of this world are unwilling to give the United Nations too much power. They are wary of creating a world government. The five superpowers at the Security Council (China, Russia, France, United States, United Kingdom) would lose their veto of ” substantive ” issues.
 
But it is conceivable that they may be willing to create a world policeman. A United Nations policing force, assigned the sole task of preventing world conflicts. Countries would regularly assign troops to the extent that they were judged economically capable.
 
The policeman would have a limited number of tasks. To stop wars, ensure elections at reasonable intervals, ensure that the elections were not rigged, police commitments in international agreements. The world would be a safer and happier place with an effective world policeman.
 
China might present a problem. Xi Jinping recently had himself elected for life .It is indubitably a dictatorship, one that squashes numbers of its citizens (Uighurs, Tibetans,) and plays heavily in foreign trade and in the South China Sea. It is the world’s second largest power and also has veto power in the Security Council. The alliance of South East Asian Nations on China, The Quad, eventually spreading across the nations of this world, may convince Xi that he does not have world support.
 
 
 
 

TURKISH press: Resonance of arts in heart of Istanbul, where history, architecture meet modern life

Bedik Zaminian
 ISTANBUL REVIEWS 
NOV 01, 2020 1:37 PM GMT+3

With its historical atmosphere, Istanbul’s streets and sidewalks can have a spellbinding effect on those who stroll them. Beşiktaş district’s Akaretler neighborhood, in particular, stands out with cobblestone streets lined with local shops. While walking up the sloping streets of the neighborhood, rowhouses, called Sıraevler, beautifully restored with charm and neoclassical style, welcome visitors.

The historical houses were built during the period of Sultan Abdulaziz in 1875 by Ottoman Armenian architect Sarkis Balyan. Adding color to the texture of Istanbul as the best example of the 1870s civil architecture, they served as accommodation for the leading high-ranking officials of Dolmabahçe Palace, which was the final seat of the Ottoman rulers, at that time. With a restoration project completed in 2008, the rowhouses became a significant gathering place in the city regardless of the event genre.

Şevket Sönmez, “Hari-Kiri”, oil pianting on canvas, 180 by 145 centimeters.(Courtesy of Merkür Gallery)

It is not surprising that such a place bearing traces of the past has become the new spot swarmed by people from various organizations in modern times. The latest event that drew crowds to Sıraevler, despite anxiety over the coronavirus, is the fourth edition of Artweeks@Akaretler, a program consisting of exhibitions, interviews with artists and workshops.

Bringing art lovers and collectors together with the works of local and foreign artists, the event is highly anticipated by art circles in the city especially because of its meticulously curated selections. I was lucky to have a chance to visit the fourth edition, spread across the numbered buildings 25-27, 35, 37-39 and 55 of Sıraevler.

Kübra Boy, “Cybele”, sgraffito, acrylic on polyester, 100 by 90 centimeters. (Courtesy of Merkür Gallery)

I always start to visit group events like Artweeks@Akaretler with this exhibit, which attracts my attention most. This is why my steps directed me to Building 35, where the Ara Güler Museum offered some imposing captures by Turkish photojournalist Güler, who was also known as “Istanbul’s eye.” Even if Güler never described himself as an artist and stressed what he was doing was just capturing a moment of history, his iconic black-and-white pictures of Istanbul and its residents prove that he was a gifted photographer who hit the right chord and touched the soul of viewers with his heartfelt perspective.

Stunned by Güler’s phenomenal Istanbul photos, I walked to building No. 39 where a large selection of works by prominent artists of Merkür Gallery is exhibited. The gallery, founded by Sabiha Kurtulmuş in 2010, offers new works that the artist produced in their own style with the promising power of art. The vividness of the artworks reveals that the gallery offers the event to bring dynamism to the cultural industry again. The artists contributing to the gallery’s effort are Abdülkadir Öztürk, Arzu Akgün, Burak Kutlay, Cengiz Yüzsever, Ersan Deveci, Eylül Deniz, Fatma Tülin, Zeynep Çilek Çimen, Gamze Zorlu, İsmet Doğan, Kurt Bullend, Kübra Boy, Nilhan Sesalan, Nilay Özenbay, Saliha Yılmaz, Şevket Arık, Şevket Sönmez, Ziya Tacir, Burcu Perçin, Ebru Döşekçi, Ekrem Yalçındağ and Vuslat. Two pop-art paintings by Çimen in this space were especially mesmerizing as forms of _expression_ of traditional interaction.

Modern blends with tradition

Zeynep Çilek Çimen is a young artist on the rise in the contemporary Turkish art scene. In Turkish painting, miniatures, calligraphy art, carpets and rugs, manuscripts, embroidery and all other traditional arts were included in art production in modern forms, and a new language began to be formed through this new trend started in the 1950s. This new language, established with care and skill in the trace of new forms, managed to transform the local into a novelty. Creating her artworks with a similar view, Çimen moves toward producing even greater abstract motifs and adopts the approach of placing a visual on an optical surface. At its core, this approach is centered on the relationship between shapes while also allowing for the use of symbolic motifs.

Her art pieces for Artweeks@Akaretler follow a simple, clean line, allowing for the proper placement of motifs inspired by a nomadic existence. These intertwined images of the artist are deformed to establish new notional ties and transformed into a stylistic concept that carries the belief that cultural identity can be displayed through symbols.

However, Çimen did not only participate in the event with just these two pieces. Her other two paintings are also on display in building No. 55, where the Art for Goodness Association, aiming to contribute to the development of the art environment in Turkey, displays valuable works by artists who participated in its projects “One Year in Passage,” “Impressions from Anatolia” and “Workshop Cer.”

Zeynep Çilek Çimen, “Eli Belinde-Arms-Akimbo”, 80 by 100 centimeters.(Courtesy of Art for Goodness Association)

As an attendee of the “Workshop Cer” project, Çimen prepared two pieces for this exhibition as well. The first painting comprises of black and white tones and again reconstructs regional images. But this piece moves away from calligraphy and analyzes them with geometric color plans.

The other painting of the artist plays with the “elibelinde” (hands-on-hips) motif, one of the symbols that embody the rich cultural identity of Anatolian, Seljuk and Turkish societies. The people of these societies passed on meaningful, subtle messages with their art. And Çimen, combining all these elements in her works, interpret their motifs with analytic lines, which lead to the creation of a unique algorithm.

Kadir Akyol, “David”, 90 by 130 centimeters.(Courtesy of Art for Goodness Association)

Challenging curation

The Art for Goodness Association’s other two sections in Artweeks@Akaretler also offer impressive works that were selected after meticulous evaluation. Before visiting the exhibitions of the Art for Goodness Association, I heard praise about their curation from the people around me. Naturally, my curiosity was at the highest starting from the first step.

Mehmet Kaplan, “Ortadoğu’ da Bir Çocuk” (“A Child in the Middle East”), oil on canvas, 100 by 120 centimeters.(Courtesy of Art for Goodness Association)

Meeting with Feride Çelik, the curator of the association’s exhibitions, by chance, I learned that “Impressions from Anatolia” comprises of artworks produced by fine art students from different regions in Turkey, while “One Year in Passage” presents pieces by young artists who graduated from Mimar Sinan University Faculty of Fine Arts (MSGSÜ).

Çelik said that they received more than 60 applications for the “Impressions from Anatolia;” however, she had to choose eight among them to display at Sıraevler. While mentioning how challenging the evaluation period was for her, it became clear that the curator felt proud of her output.

I should mention I found this section charming because its works were opening the doors of a different world. What was magical about Çelik’s curation is that she has chosen artworks created with extraordinary perspectives. When I heard the name of the section, the first thing that came to my mind was paintings showing Anatolian culture. However, what I saw was completely different. Clearly, the pieces were a part of Anatolian lands as they were the creation of Anatolian students’ hearts. But they also tell particular stories, from brand obsession and wars that put children into desperate situations to the coronavirus affecting the whole world.

Yalçın Bulut, “Fethi Paşa Korusu” (“Fethi Pasha Grove”), oil on canvas, 108 by 140 centimeters.(Courtesy of Art for Goodness Association)

The works of “One Year in Passage” were no less expressive than the “Impressions from Anatolia.” This project was realized with the motivation to meet the production costs of young artists who are graduates of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (MSGSÜ). While the young artists of this project work at the workshops under the supervision of professor Nedret Sekban and Aslı Özok, they frankly expose a different reflection of their personal stories on their canvases.

You can also enjoy this great art by visiting Akaretler Sıraevler. The exhibition will continue until Nov. 8, 2020.

Armenia condemns all manifestations of terrorism – Pashinyan offers condolences to Macron

Bedik Zaminian

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 19:16,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan offered condolences to President of France Emmanuel Macron over the terror attack in Nice. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the message of Nikol Pashinyan runs as follows,

”Honorale Mr. President,

I am shocked by the horrible crime that took place in Nice. Armenia condemns all manifestations of terrorism. It’s more than obvious for us that extremism and fanaticism have no justification or moral ground.  

The Armenian people shares the pain and wrath of the friendly French people and offers sincere condolences and words of sympathy to the relatives and friends of the victims’’.