Author: Chatinian Lara

Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Discloses Why He Got Three Armenian Carpets For Daughter Olympia

Chatinian Lara
Feb 22 2023

Ohanian recently recalled the horrific incident and revealed how he’s getting the carpets to put them in his farmhouse in Jupiter, Florida.

ByGouri Das
February 23, 2023

Serena Williams‘ husband Alexis Ohanian‘s family was tortured and killed by Turkish soldiers during the Armenian genocide of 1915. Three carpets, which were part of the family heirloom were seized.

Ohanian recently recalled the horrific incident and revealed how he’s getting the carpets to put them in his farmhouse in Jupiter, Florida. He is hoping that his daughter inherits the carpets and preserves them. At the same time, he is also planning to leave behind digital assets for his daughter. Also Read: Carlos Alcaraz Registers 1st Win At Argentina Open After Injury 

“These carpets are for Olympia. And who knows any other kids we might have? Knock on wood, this is not a country I’m planning on fleeing. But I know not everyone has that opportunity,” Ohanian told Forbes. 

The 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams recently confessed she doesn’t get enough time for her hobbies like reading and watching movies despite her retirement from the sport. Since becoming a mother, she is all attentive to her five-year-old daughter Olympia. Apart from being a loving mother to her daughter, she also runs her business, Serena Ventures.

“I love reading, but ever since I had Olympia, I just don’t even think I’ve read a book. But I do love reading. I absolutely love going to the movies, it’s my favorite thing, it shuts my brain off,” she said.

Also, recently the frenemies, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova reunited while attending the Moncler Genius fashion show in London for the first time since Williams’ retirement.

Sharapova retired her racquet following the 2020 Australian Open. She and Williams were fierce rivals despite the one-sided head-to-head record.

‘Treasures of Artsakh’: Virtual exhibition showcases Artsakh’s spiritual and material heritage

Chatinian Lara
Panorama
Armenia – Feb 23 2023

The Armenian Museum of America (AMA) and the History Museum of Armenia (HMA) are dedicated to the preservation, study, and promotion of the heritage of the Armenian people. This mission includes the presentation of the historical and cultural wealth of Artsakh.

An online exhibition titled “Treasures of Artsakh”, jointly organized by the two museums, aims to showcase the spiritual and material heritage of Artsakh during the ancient, medieval, and modern periods, spanning millennia of Armenian history. The virtual format combines collections to reflect the ethnocultural richness of Artsakh, the Armenian Museum of America reports.

This collaboration brings together artifacts from the collections of 16 Armenian museums around the world. Over the centuries these historical artifacts have been created as eloquent testimonies of the spiritual values preserved in tangible form, and serve an important role in the preservation and study of Armenian culture.

Speaking to Panorama.am on Thursday, one of the exhibition curators, Nzhdeh Yeranyan, Deputy Director for Science of the History Museum of Armenia, sad that during a meeting with a delegation from the Armenian Museum of America they decided to launch a joint virtual exhibition.

“Given the recent developments which led to a massive loss of cultural heritage in Artsakh, it was decided to dedicate the first exhibition to its cultural heritage,” he said.

Artsakh and Utik provinces, located in the east of historic Great Armenia, played an important role over millennia, developing a multi-layered culture which adapted and persisted, maintaining its continuity. This particular heritage is presented here through artifacts of the Paleolithic and Bronze Age, ancient unique anthropomorphic stelae, weapons, pottery, jewelry, and objects of worship, as well as early medieval manuscripts, carpets, costumes, early printed books, journals, and photographs.

The museums and institutions contributing to the exhibition include Alex and Marie Manoogian Museum (Detroit), Ararat-Eskijian Museum (Los Angeles), Armenian Museum of America (Boston), Artsakh State Museum of History and Country Study (Stepanakert), Cilicia Museum of the Armenian Catholicosate (Antelias), History Museum of Armenia (Yerevan), Museum of History and Regional Studies (Martakert), Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of Armenia’s National Academy of Sciences (Yerevan), Mekhitarist Congregation (Venice), Mekhitarist Congregation (Vienna), Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Armenian Manuscripts (Yerevan), National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (Boston), National Library of Armenia (Yerevan), Project Save Armenian Photograph Archive (Boston), Tapan Museum (Moscow) and Vache and Tamar Manoukian Matenadaran (Etchmiadzin).

“We have tried to showcase Artsakh’s historical and cultural heritage as much as possible through this small exhibition,” Yeranyan said.

He stressed the need to constantly keep the rich historical heritage of Artsakh in the spotlight and present the current trends.

As a result of the blockade, around 18 percent of business entities in Artsakh have suspended their activities

Chatinian Lara

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 20:03, 17 February 2023

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS. The information headquarters of Artsakh presented the bulletin of the 68th day of the blockade as of February 17. ARMENPRESS reports, it is stated in the message of the information headquarters of Artsakh that 3 children are in the neonatal and resuscitation departments of the children’s hospital. 8 adult patients are in the intensive care unit, 5 of them are in critical condition. Already 261 children have been born under the blockade.

“Due to the suspension of planned surgeries in all medical institutions of Artsakh, about 660 citizens were deprived of the opportunity to solve their health problems through surgery.

Until today, 105 patients have been transferred from Artsakh to Armenia with the mediation and escort of the International Committee of the Red Cross to receive appropriate treatment,” the message states.

The information headquarters of Artsakh informs that 755 economic entities, 17.7 percent of the total, have suspended their activities due to the impossibility of working under the blockade, and the rest of the economic entities are operating partially or with state support.

“Due to the created difficult economic situation, at least 5,100 people have lost their jobs and source of income,” reads the message.

Azerbaijan has been holding the 120,000 people of Artsakh under siege for 68 days. Due to the blockade, Artsakh’s population of 120,000 (including around 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly people, 9,000 people with disabilities) suffer many deprivations and face a high risk of malnutrition and frostbite, among violations of other rights.

41 kindergartens, 56 pre-school groups, 20 long-day educational institutions have been closed or partially working since January 9 due to the worsening food shortage under the blockade.

6,828 children are no longer able to attend kindergarten at all or on a long-day basis, depriving them of the opportunity to receive appropriate education and care.




Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of misusing Lachin Corridor

Chatinian Lara
 TASS 
Russia – Feb 15 2023
As stated in Baku, “the legitimate demands of the protesters on the Lachin road have not yet been fulfilled”

BAKU, February 15. /TASS/. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov accused Armenia of misusing the Lachin Corridor in a phone call with Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried on Wednesday, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“They touched upon the current situation in the region and the prospects for negotiations on a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov pointed out that under the trilateral statement, Azerbaijan guarantees only the security of civilians, vehicles and cargoes along the Lachin road, but Armenia is misusing the Lachin road for illegal economic activities, rotation of Armenian service members and transportation of mines,” the statement said.

Bayramov pointed out that “the legitimate demands of those protesting on the Lachin road have not yet been met.”

“The minister emphasized that the statements about the allegedly ‘tense humanitarian’ situation in the region have no grounds,” the Azerbaijani foreign ministry added.

In the phone conversation, the diplomats also exchanged views on bilateral and regional issues.

The Last Time

Chatinian Lara
September 23, 2022 Aram Dombalagian Reflections 4

The last time,
I will ever go there.
The streets vibrant with people,
Children, parents, soldiers, tourists.
This was the last time I would go.
The family whose father was disabled after the 1994 war,
The suitcases full of clothes that we had given them,
The crisp 100 dollar bill that was a shock to them,
The tears of joy,
This was the last time we would go,
This was the last time we would see them.
The sky filled with lights,
Fireworks?
No—bombs! drones! missiles!
These are what the people of Artsakh, native Armenians on their native land, saw, endured.
These were their last sights,
This was the last time I saw them,
Dead or alive—
They were gone.

The land we all loved—gone! The people we all loved—gone! The restaurants we went to—gone! Everything I had seen was gone. How could a place change so drastically within a year? I wonder now, even years later, if that dear family I met in Shushi was able to escape with their lives, died defending their land or lived as subjugated citizens of a hostile neighboring country.

A year before the calamity, our plane landed in Yerevan, and we were greeted by a family friend, a well-known physician. “Parev! Parev!” After exchanging hellos in Armenian, we began a 30 minute journey from the small airport to our hotel. The sky was dark, but the streets were lit by shop signs and street lights. There was a positive and exciting vibe that I don’t recall the last time I was in Armenia. I wonder if it was because I was much younger then?

Arriving at the hotel was a relief. The hotel looked small from the outside, but it was massive on the inside. We had ambitious plans ahead of us, so a good night’s rest was crucial. But we were so anxious that we could barely sleep, given that we had heard and read so much about Artsakh, a disputed region which has been inhabited by Armenians for centuries and our destination the following day. The multi-hour car ride in the back of a black Mercedes sprinter was lengthy, but enjoyable. Oblivious to any danger, as an uneasy peace had persisted in the region for the last 25 years, we drove into what seemed like a giant divot. It actually was a normal road with sandbags built up high so that Azeri snipers would be unable to get a clean shot off, a danger we didn’t really consider as Armenia maintained control of the region and surrounding areas. 

After driving through mountain after mountain and past military post after military post, we finally arrived in Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh. The excitement on the streets was something I had never seen before. It was shocking considering the city was being rebuilt after Azeri forces damaged it during a terrible six year conflict that ended in 1994, with the Armenian population winning control over the land they had inhabited for so long. 

The next day, we visited the heart of Artsakh—Shushi. After traveling up the mountain on a winding gravel road, we met a family who lived on top of the mountain. They had owned a vineyard for many years. “Tsavut danem” (Let me take your pain), they greeted us. It’s a common Armenian phrase of humbleness, affection and warmth. After talking to the family, we were saddened to hear that the father had experienced extreme physical and mental damage during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war. They were poor and couldn’t make much money as the head of the household was unable to get a job. My father asked if they needed anything. The mother explained in Armenian that they needed clothes for their daughter who was starting school. We took our two suitcases full of clothes that we had brought to give away and handed them to the family. They thanked us with tears rolling down their eyes. Knowing that they were struggling, my father had handed them a pair of crisp 100 dollar bills, something they’d never seen before. Tears streamed down their cheeks as they repeatedly expressed their gratitude, “Shnorhakalutyun.” We spent some time talking with them, and then we went on to tour the rest of the area. We hoped we could take their pain away in some small way. 

The author pictured third from the left with members of his family and Armenians from Shushi

I will never forget these moments. They opened my eyes to the struggles of people living in developing countries. These Armenian families have endured so much in a region where oppression has been constant since the time of the Ottoman Empire and before. Armenians have had to deal with corrupt political leaders influenced by historical Soviet policies. A country where 18 year old boys (some even younger) defend a border to protect their families from death or, in luckier circumstances, deportation. 

I also won’t forget the fate of those people, for it all changed only a year after our visit in August 2019. In September 2020, Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh, gaining control of Shushi (Artsakh’s strategically high location) and possibly planning to destroy it for good. Much of the capital and surrounding villages were bombed, children were killed in the shelling and families died not only by Azeri attacks but also from COVID-19, which raged through the community. Within six weeks, a generation of 18 to 20 year old boys, only a few years older than me, died on the battlefield, as Turkish suicide drones targeted them. And the world was silent.

The people I met and the sites we visited during my trip are now gone. The beauty and the villages are all gone. They have fallen into the hands of Azerbaijan—a country where killing Armenians is glorified and considered nothing more than a sport. A country where murdering an Armenian is celebrated and rewarded with national fame. A country where joining hands with Turkey to wipe out the Armenian race has been fantasized for ages. 

That one family in the mountains is gone—likely dead. My time on the mountain in Shushi is one of many moments that I should cherish more, for life is not guaranteed to anyone. I appreciate the life I enjoy in the US, where fear of invasion, deportation, loss of life, property and land is almost unimaginable. I have realized I live a life of luxury, where I don’t need to worry about death, losing my house or my next meal, and take so much for granted, such as my family, home, school, and even church (our ancient Armenian churches have been desecrated and, in many cases, destroyed by Azeris and Turks). That family in Shushi, on the other hand, appreciated every moment, as they knew that their happiness could be fleeting and their lives could be taken momentarily. In many ways, their example is one that I should embrace, as we all need to cherish moments, for you never know if you will ever get to experience them again.

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Aram Dombalagian is a junior in high school and the grandson of Weekly contributor Knarik Meneshian, who along with her late husband Murad Meneshian, taught Aram the importance of being Armenian. He attends Armenian school and enjoys playing baseball and soccer. Aram was the 2021 16U soccer champion for the state of Illinois. He is a member of the AYF Chicago “Ararat” Chapter.


Armenian Designers Put Spotlight on Azeri Attacks by Wearing ‘Stand With Armenia’ T-Shirts at Milan Fashion Week

Chatinian Lara
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Armenia, Latest, News, Top Stories
Armenian designers wearing t-shirts that read “Stand With Armenia” at the Armenia-Italy Textile Alliance Forum in Milan, Italy


The Armenia-Italy Textile Alliance Forum was held for the very first time, with the support of the Armenian Ministry of Economy. The event was held from September 22 to 24, during Milan Fashion Week, which saw several Armenian designers unveiling their new collections.

The new Fall/Winter collections of eight Armenian designers were displayed at the Visconti Palace on September 23 within the framework of the Armenia-Italy Textile Alliance Forum and Milan Fashion Week. The designers included: Sončess, Faina, RUZANĒ, Ariga Torosian, Nelly Serobyan, LOOM Weaving, Vahan Khachatryan, and Kivera Naynomis.

Before the show opened, the designers presented a video message to the audience. The message focused on the recent attacks and aggression by Azerbaijan on Armenia’s borders, including the torture and murder of female Armenian soldiers.

After showing the video, the designers made their way down the catwalk wearing t-shirts that read: “Stand with Armenia.” The thematic paintings on the t-shirts were painted by artist, Liana, who is from Artsakh.

The fashion show received wide acclaim by both local and international media, including Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Elle, Fashion Week Online, The Spinoff, as well as other magazines.

“2022 marks an important date in the history of the Republic of Armenia as exactly 30 years ago diplomatic relations with many countries, among them Italy were established,” noted Fashion Week Online. “During the last thirty years, Armenian-Italian relations evolved not only in diplomatic and social platforms, but also in the realms of culture, fashion and entrepreneurship. In particular, success stories have been registered in the eld of textile and clothing production. This is evidenced by a number of successful and stable collaborations.”

A representative of Armenia offering remarks at the event

According to the Ministry of Economy, business visits to Italian textile factories were organized on the same day.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Italy, Tsovinar Hambardzumyan, and the Deputy Minister of Economy of Armenia, Rafayel Gevorgyan, delivered remarks at the opening of the forum.

Honorary Chairman of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion Mario Boselli also delivered remarks.

Artsakh’s international recognition ‘has matured’, ombudsman says

Chatinian Lara
Panorama
Armenia – Aug 31 2022

The concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination include cases of gross human rights violations committed by Azerbaijan during the aggression against Artsakh in 2020 and beyond, Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Gegham Stepanyan said on Wednesday.

“We note with satisfaction that the concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on the fulfillment of the obligations undertaken by Azerbaijan under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination include cases of gross human rights violations committed by Azerbaijan during the aggression against Artsakh in 2020 and beyond,” he said in a statement.

“Concerns voiced by the Committee regarding the incitement of racial hatred and propagation of racist stereotypes against persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin, including by Azerbaijani government officials, as well as the lack of proper investigation, are the best evidence that discriminatory policies in Azerbaijan are implemented at the state level.

“All the other cases pointed out by the Committee, such as grave human rights violations committed by the Azerbaijani military forces against prisoners of war and civilians, including extrajudicial killings, torture, ill-treatment, and arbitrary detentions, as well as the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage are carried out in accordance with and in furtherance of the discriminatory state policy of Azerbaijan.

“The observations presented by the Committee are part of the systematic and large-scale discriminatory policy of Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh pursued for decades. The implementation of the discriminatory policy of Azerbaijan at the state level indicates that the path chosen by the people of Artsakh and the independent state-building have no alternative. We believe that the international recognition of Artsakh has matured as manifestation of fulfillment of the international community’s obligation to take effective measures to prevent gross human rights violations,” reads the statement.

​Listening to the Silence, Visiting Abandoned Factories: 10 Experiences from Inside Armenia

Chatinian Lara

Aug 23 2022
Listening to the Silence, Visiting Abandoned Factories: 10 Experiences from Inside Armenia

If you have ever dreamt of going to the forest just for listening to the silence, having dinner at reservoir shore, tasting the “wild” food of this or that region in the mountains and  gorges, or sharing the daily life of mountain people, then next year you will have these opportunities in Tavush, Lori and Shirak.

At the beginning of 2022, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between ONEArmenia and the EU ” Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia” project.  Within the framework of the latter, it was planned to develop through joint efforts experiential tourism in three northern provinces of Armenia.  As a result of cooperation “Inside Armenia. Developing Tourism Experiences” program kicked off, within the scope of which 10 experiences have been selected.Experiential tourism, unlike traditional tourism, involves all senses of the visitor, and in addition to classical tourist products, conveys the most important thing, i.e., the emotions.

 

Mediamax has talked about the project progress, expected experiences and experiential tourism with Narine Abgaryan, the coordinator of Inside Armenia program.

 

 What is Inside Armenia?

 

Inside Armenia is a tourism experiences enhancement program. Its long-term objective is the development of experiential tourism in Armenia, since the country has great potential in this context. As we claim in ONEArmenia we want to make Armenia number one experiential tourism destination in Caucasus in the upcoming years.

 

We carry out Inside Armenia in cooperation with the EU4Business “Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia” Project implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

 

The aim of the project is to identify and promote exciting touristic experiences in three northern provinces of Armenia, namely in Lori, Tavush and Shirak. When we started accepting applications, we received many interesting projects that were still at conceptualization stage, so it was necessary to work on them from scratch. As a result, we decided to give these projects a chance and to undertake the responsibility, supporting them from the ground up and developing jointly the conceptual approach.

 

What Is Experiential Tourism

 

Experiential tourism is the most candid way of offering tourist products. It is one of the branches of experience economy. Both concepts are relatively new. Experiential tourism implies visitors’ engagement, i.e., the tourist, the visitor is not in the role of a passive observer or consumer, but is fully engaged in the environment that is created within the frame of the experience.

One of the most important features that distinguishes experiential tourism from traditional one is the authenticity. In case of experiential tourism, any falsity, staging, playacting is rejected: the environment, the host, everything should be exactly as it actually is in the given region. Today, working with ten selected experiences, we are still developing the skills of hosts, creating the narrative behind the experiences, but we never change its background. We just seek to give some tips on how to introduce properly what we have into the tourist market.

 

If in case of traditional tourism, more attention is paid to visitor’s comfort as well as to functionality, then in case of experiences the main focus is on visitor’s emotions, creation of impressions and memories. There are languages into which the term “experience” has not yet been translated and the concept of “tourism of impressions, memories” is used instead. Experiential tourism works with all senses of а visitor, giving an opportunity to penetrate, touch, see and experience the authentic environment and become part of it.

 

Listening to Pine-Cones Popping Open, Enjoying the Wildlife

 

When we made an advertisement about the launch of the project, we received about 200 different ideas from three regions. The selection phase was very demanding. Now I can say that we have really made the right choice, because the authors of ideas are highly professional and open to cooperate. This encourages us a lot, suggesting that the end result will exceed our expectations.

We have selected 10 experiences from three provinces, 5 of which are gastronomic experiences. I must say that all five are extremely different from one another and are mostly implemented in the open air, combining the natural and cultural landscapes. Food culture is also very different in the provinces. As I have already mentioned, preservation of authenticity is one of our fundamental ideas, and in this context, we have started to cooperate with the National Institute of Ethnography and Archaeology. We will be working with ethnographers, to have everything scientifically confirmed.  Traditions of the region shall be studied, and only then it will be decided what dishes to introduce and in what form.

 

We have developed a new concept in ONEARMENIA- the “wild food adventures”, offering to taste local natural food in the open air with the help of mobile canteens.  

In Shirak, for example, we have chosen two gastro-experiences: one will introduce rural, traditional lifestyle, the other one will be more innovative and will give an opportunity to taste signature dishes on the banks of Akhuryan Reservoir. We have a gastronomic experience in Odzun, which will introduce the flora and fauna of Lori.

 

We have an exciting experience in Berd region, Tavush province, where the visitor will learn about the lifestyle of local mountain people. Of course, it will be combined with comfort and organized in compliance with all international standards. There will be a thin line between comfort and real life.

 

We have several experiences in “wellness” tourism. This field of tourism is just starting to develop in Armenia, even though we have great potential here. There will be “cold therapy” with a combination of a warm sauna and cold river water in the forest adjacent to Vanadzor. We have another wellness experience- all about honey and beekeeping. In this case, the visitor will take part in the creation of a new product in Armenia – honey wine (mead).

We have another completely new wellness experience: “silent tourism”. A natural site away from civilization will be chosen, where visitors will be offered comfortable armchairs, wine, plates with local snacks and an opportunity just to sit and “listen to the silence”. We have already tested it ourselves and it is amazing that in silence and peace it is possible to hear even the sound of pine-cones popping open. It is an experience cleansing completely the mind and soul.

 

We will introduce another interesting experience in Tavush province, in cooperation with “Darman” tea. There will be meditation in local mountains, accompanied by an Armenian tea ceremony developed in cooperation with specialists.

We have still another experience which is new in Armenia: “urban exploration”. This includes tours to abandoned factories, mines or other urban infrastructure. This approach allows to tap the “dormant” tourism potential of Armenia in full.

 

I think that the above-mentioned experiences will be available to visitors as early as next tourist season. We intend to use the autumn of 2022 as a pilot period and appear on the market next year.

 

Development of the Area Through Tourism

 

One of the cornerstones of experiential tourism is the background behind the experience. The visitor should realize what was special about this or that plant he tasted, why that particular place was chosen for the experience, how this or that tradition was shaped. So, along with the development of experiences, the most important task of ours is the storytelling, formation of a narrative. The story, indeed is built on reality, we just advise the host on what to make an emphasis on and how to present it properly.

 

Creating a story about each experience requires lot of research, which can be carried out through review of literature and study of other sources, as well as interviews with experts and locals.

Of high importance also is the ethics of presenting the cultural heritage. Before introducing the experience into the market, all our partners will undergo this training and we are very happy that the authors of the selected experiences espouse our ideas. They understand that they are not just starting a business, but they are responsible for representing the local history and traditions. They will be the bridge through which Armenian culture will connect with the world.

 

In general, the term cultural heritage is today most commonly used with reference to culture connotating the past. With our experiences, we rather seek to highlight the living, existing culture and also to create a new one: to enjoy nature leaving no footprints, to experience the culture handed down from the past applying new approaches.

 

We do not intend to promote tourism, but rather to use it for the development of particular area, culture. This is the approach that nowadays leads to success.

 

Traditional Tourism is Running Its Course

 

As much as theory is concerned, the experiential tourism is based on two main resources:  experiences that the given country seeks to preserve and to show to the world.

 

For example, Canada develops experiences showing the life of indigenous people, Kenya and Australia focus on showing their wildlife.

This is important for Armenia as well, because experiential tourism will allow to preserve intangible cultural heritage and at the same time to show it to the world. We have lot of potential here; we just need to put it on the right track.

 

Traditional tourism is fading ever more over the years, since people’s demands are changing. The visitor no longer seeks for conspicuous consumption, he needs to get emotional satisfaction. Tourist offers should be formed based on demand, and today people need impressions. Nowadays, people want to take emotions with them from their journeys.

 

Yana Shakhramanyan
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Discontent and "discomfort" for the new regulations of the Foundations. The Armenian Patriarch appeals to Erdogan

Chatinian Lara

Aug 27 2022
Saturday,
Istanbul (Agenzia Fides) – In a letter addressed directly to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople Sahak II Masalyan expresses the “discomfort” and growing dissatisfaction among Armenians in Turkey following the publication of the new electoral regulations for Foundations linked to non-Muslim faith communities and their governing bodies need to be renewed. This unique initiative aims to alert Turkey’s highest civil authority to the possibility that the growing unease among Turkey’s Armenian communities could lead to an outright boycott of the electoral procedures used to allocate managerial and administrative posts within each individual Foundation. In his letter – according to local media, most notably the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper “Agos” – Patriarch Sahak proposes to provide all foundations with clear guidelines setting out the criteria for submitting electoral lists on a regional basis in accordance with the approved regulations be unequivocally repeated.

The text of the new rules for the election of the governing bodies of the foundations was published in Turkey’s Official Gazette on Saturday 18 June. The publication of the new regulations was intended to end a long period of deadlock and legislative uncertainty that in recent years has hampered and partially prevented the normal fulfillment of the functions of these bodies for the benefit of non-Muslim communities in Turkey. Right at the first reading of the new regulations, representatives of the local religious communities of the minorities criticized the new provisions. In particular, the new territorial subdivision of the constituencies for the elections for the renewal of the boards of each foundation and the fact that the activities of the foundations that manage hospitals and other health facilities are subject to the control of the Ministry of Health have been criticized on a number of occasions.

The system of “foundations” is the legal instrument through which Turkish institutions regulate their relations with non-Muslim religious communities. Currently, 167 foundations associated with the Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Jewish, Syrian, Chaldean, Bulgarian, Georgian and Maronite communities in Turkey, commonly referred to as “minorities”, report to the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

In Turkey, the management of minority foundations is closely linked to the life of the local Christian and Jewish communities. These bodies are in fact charged with the management of places of worship (churches and synagogues), real estate and public facilities – such as cultural centers and hospitals – of the various non-Muslim communities.

The process of drafting new regulations, particularly for elections, has resumed in recent years after a long period of stalemate (see Fides, 27/1/2022). The previous election regulations for the top management of the foundations were suspended in 2013 after the government committed to introducing new procedures and justified the measure mainly with the intention of wanting to make the management of the properties entrusted to these institutions more functional and transparent.

The legal status of the foundations still dates back to the Peace Treaty of Lausanne signed in 1923 by Turkey and the Entente Powers (British Empire, France and Russian Empire) that emerged victorious from the First World War.

Sahak II’s letter to Erdogan also gains significance because the Patriarch always uses a cordial and respectful tone towards the President and the Turkish authorities. At the beginning of 2020, just a few weeks after his election as patriarch (see Fides, 3/1/2020),  Patriarch Masalyan told the Turkish media: “All minorities in Turkey are of the same opinion: under the government of the AKP party we live in the most peaceful and happiest time since the founding of the Turkish Republic”. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 27/8/2022)
http://www.fides.org/en/news/72698-ASIA_TURKEY_Discontent_and_discomfort_for_the_new_regulations_of_the_Foundations_The_Armenian_Patriarch_appeals_to_Erdogan

The body of the missing person in Surmalu shopping center may have turned into ashes – Rescue service

Chatinian Lara

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 17:54,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS. The search and rescue operations for the missing citizen in the “Surmalu” shopping center continue, there is 40 m2 of space left, where the rescuers still need to carry out search operations, ARMENPRESS reports deputy director of the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia, colonel Hovhannes Yemishyan said in a briefing with journalists.

“We worked for two days to reach the area where the missing person is supposed to be. We are looking at all possible places, we are not ruling out any part,” said Yemishyan.

According to the deputy director of the rescue service, there was a high temperature in the likely location of the missing person, and firefighting operations were carried out in that area for more than 20 hours.

“There is about 1-1.5 meters of ash there. The temperature during the explosion and fire was between 500 and 1000 °C. It is possible that the body has turned into ashes,” Yemishyan said.

The deputy director of the rescue service noted that, probably, search and rescue operations will be carried out for one more day, after which a conclusion will be made whether the citizen was found or not.

After the explosion and fire in the “Surmalu” shopping center on August 14, 16 bodies of citizens were found, all of them have been identified. Vanik Khachik Amirkhanyan is currently considered missing.