Author: Chmshkian Vicken

Turkey will send troops to Armenia on Oct. 11 in compliance with an international treaty, the Turkish General Staff has stated, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

A Turkish inspection team will be sent to Armenia, with whom Turkey has no diplomatic ties, for a three-day inspection period as part of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, the General Staff announced.

“Within the context of the CFE Treaty, CFE inspection will be held in Armenia under the leadership of Turkey between Oct. 11 and Oct. 14, 2015. During the Turkish inspection, a guest inspector from Slovakia will also be present along with the Turkish inspectors. Our CFE Inspection Team will return home on Oct. 14 after fulfilling the inspection,” the statement said.

Armenian Armed Forces regularly

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, angered by Russian incursions into Turkish air space, has warned Russia there are other places Turkey could get natural gas and other countries that could build its first nuclear plant, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

“We can’t accept the current situation. Russia’s explanations on the air space violations are not convincing,” the Turkish daily Sabah and other media quoted Erdogan as telling reporters as he flew to Japan for an official visit.

Russia is Turkey’s largest natural gas supplier, with Ankara buying 28-30 billion cubic meters (bcm) of its 50 bcm of natural gas needs annually from Russia. Other major suppliers are Iran and Azerbaijan, with a small amount planned from Turkmenistan.

Turkey commissioned Russia’s state-owned Rosatom in 2013 to build four 1,200-megawatt reactors in a project worth $20 billion, although a start date for what will be Turkey’s first nuclear power plant has not yet been set.

Erdogan said he was resentful over the Russian intervention in Syria, which Turkey sees as its own backyard, but did not currently plan to speak to President Vladimir Putin.

“These are matters for Russia to think about. If the Russians don’t build the Akkuyu (nuclear plant) another will come and build it,” he was quoted as saying.

“We are Russia’s number one natural gas consumer. Losing Turkey would be a serious loss for Russia. If necessary, Turkey can get its natural gas from many different places.”

Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) along with thirty five of his colleagues sent a letter to the Nobel Committee to nominate Pope Francis as the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.  The letter, which was circulated to Members before His Holiness’ address to Congress on Thursday, highlights the Pope’s commitment to peace, his leadership in taking on the challenges facing our planet, and his courageous stand for human rights, his pleas on behalf of refugees, and his condemnation of all genocides, Adam Schiff’s Press Office rports.

Joining Schiff were Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), André Carson (D-IN), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), James McGovern (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Brad Ashford (D-NC), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), Ted Lieu (D-CA),  José Serrano (D-NY), Sam Farr (D-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) John Garamendi (D-CA), Gregorio Sablan (D-NMI), Ed Perlmutter (D-OR), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), John Conyers Jr. (D-MI), Lois Capps (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU), Gerry Connelly (D-VA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), James Langevin (D-RI) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA).

The full letter began circulating today, and is below:

Dear Nobel Committee:

As Members of the United States Congress and supporters of the historic mission of the Nobel Foundation, we write to nominate Pope Francis as the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. With unsurpassed eloquence, humility and compassion, the Pope has used his pulpit to exhort people and nations around the world to conduct their affairs with spirituality, morality and integrity. Pope Francis is an articulate and effective voice for fundamental human rights and is highly deserving of recognition by the Nobel Committee.

Pope Francis has been a powerful advocate for peace, urging an end to conflict and support for constitutive ties among nations. He has called on the world to use diplomacy and discussion to solve disputes, rather than military force, coercion or intimidation. This commitment to nonviolence, which the Pope has put into practice every day through his words and actions, is at the core of the principles behind the Nobel Peace Prize.

Pope Francis has also worked to galvanize the international community to take on global problems, such as the changing climate and environmental degradation. Pope Francis has brought together at the Vatican policy makers from around the world to build support and consensus around the need for a global response to the challenges facing our planet. Through his stature as a spiritual figure, Pope Francis casts the issue of an unhealthy earth in religious terms, emphasizing our joint duty to care for the world and to pass on an unspoiled environment to future generations.

Finally, Pope Francis has distinguished himself through his courageous stand for human rights and his condemnations of all genocide, both past and present. Most recently, in condemning the persecution of Christians and other minorities in Syria and Iraq, the Pope has spoken out against the darkest chapters of human history made possible “by general and collective indifference.”

As the world struggles to cope with a flood of refugees not seen since the end of World War II, the Pope has emerged as perhaps the leading advocate for relief. The Pontiff has called on the international community to respond meaningfully to this devastating humanitarian disaster. His compassion has also taken the concrete form of inviting a Syrian refugee family to reside in his residence at the Vatican.

For all these reasons and many more, we thank you for your consideration of our nomination of Pope Francis for the Nobel Peace Prize. The receipt of such an award would be a profound recognition of the Pope’s commitment to furthering the cause of peace around the world.

 

 

 

It’s high time for the international community, and first of all the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to understand that the blurred and ‘balanced’ statements they make  result in human losses, said MP Karen Bekaryan, President of the “European Integration” NGO.

According to him, the international community has levers to influence Azerbaijan in case of escalation at the border, but it fails to make effective use of them.

“The reason is simple; interests are being placed above values,” Bekaryan told a press conference today.

He said this position is dangerous, especially considering that no one wins anything here, not even those who place certain interests above values.

Karen Bekaryan considers that by keeping silence on border incidents the international community assumes responsibly for the bloodshed and human losses.

“I think this perception is gradually maturing, but too slowly. Unfortunately, this slow pace leads to more losses,” he said.

The MP reminded the shooting down of an Armenian helicopter by Azerbaijan last November, when the international community once again failed to give a proper response, forcing us to recover the bodies of the pilots through military actions.

“Azeri soldiers were killed as a result of the operation. But did anyone ask why we did so? No, because it was clear to everyone that this was the only option left.”

Referring to President Serzh Sargsyan’s address to the UN General Assembly, Karen Bekaryan said there was a serious focus on the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and this could be considered one of the most essential achievements of the centennial year.

“The speech highlighted the main targets of the pan-Armenian agenda in this centennial year. Naturally, it was stressed that there can be no essential progress on issues of security unless such crimes are recognized and condemned,” Bekaryan said.

A local court in Istanbul held a new hearing on Sept. 29 in a case opened upon a complaint from the leader of Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate about a man who allegedly identified himself as a Prime Ministry inspector and then requested a bribe of 6,000 Turkish Liras, the reports.

In July, Aram Atesyan, the acting head of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, filed the complaint against Kemal Tayfun Nargin, who identified himself as an inspector of the Prime Ministry’s General Directorate of National Estates.

At the Sept. 29 hearing at the Istanbul 16th Heavy Penal Court, Nargin denied that he identified himself as an inspector and said he was expelled from the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in March 2012.

Nargin admitted that he, along with three other people, visited Atesyan and asked for documents about the historic Sansaryan Han building in Istanbul’s Eminönü district. The building was set to be given to the Armenian community as part of the ongoing return of various properties, and Nargin said he was with the group because the other three – one of whom is a MIT official – did not speak Armenian.

He also said Atesyan handed over the documents but denied that he had taken any money from Atesyan. He also claimed that footage on security cameras of their meeting was deleted immediately after the meeting.

The court ruled to ask the MIT whether Nargin was employed during or before the date of the alleged crime and postponed the hearing.

Nargin is charged with “aggravated fraud” and faces up to seven years in jail.

Atesyan alleges that the suspect arrived at the patriarch demanding a “gift” to finalize the return of the Sansaryan Han to the Armenian community. Nargin called the patriarch to arrange a meeting and had Atesyan fill out a form bearing the Prime Ministry logo before asking for a “gift” from the religious leader.

Atesyan said he gave him 3,000 liras, but Nargin found this amount inadequate, so Ateşyan gave a further 3,000 liras.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had a meeting with his Belgian counterpart Charles Michel.

The Resolution the Belgian Parliament adopted on the occasion of the Armenian genocide Centennial was high on the agenda, Ermenihaber.am reports, quoting Turkish TRThaber.com.

According to the source, the Belgian Prime Minister said the bill is of political importance and does not imply any legal consequences.

Davutoglu, in turn, expressed his discontent with sanctions against MPs that voted against the bill, meaning Mahinur Ozdemir, who is of Turkish descent.

Davutoglu added they are ready to discuss any issue, including the one of expelling the lawmaker from his party.

Yerevan will host the first European Universities Chess Championship October 6-11.

During today’s working consultations Armenian Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan instructed members of the organizing committee to prepare the event on due level in cooperation with the Chess Federation and relevant state agencies.

“We have to do our best to ensure that every young player feels he’s visiting a chess superpower,” Minister Ashotyan said.

Thirty teams from 15 European countries have applied for participation in the championship. Armenia will be represented by three female and three male teams.

o cap sewers in the town of Malkara, 190 kilometers west of Istanbul,  reports, quoting a report published on Friday by the Turkish-Armenian weekly newspaper Agos.

TESKI employees made the discovery while carrying out excavations as part of repair work along Zulfikaraga Street in the city’s Hacievhat neighborhood. The workers found seven tombstones at the site and informed the municipality.

According to the report, Malkara Mayor Ulas Yurdakul has acknowledged the findings, and the tombstones have been given to the Tekirdag Archeology Museum for inspection and preservation.

Hagop Kevorkian has been waiting for the same train for 22 years. He used to work as a conductor on services crossing the Turkey-Armenia border, but now he is the sole watchman at the decaying Akhuryan Station, in northern Armenia, 2 kilometers from the border, according to

“Trains came to the station loaded with all kinds of things. We would do customs checks and then unload the goods. One hundred fifty people used to work here. They were all from Akhuryan village. The trade supported the whole village,” Hagop said, sitting at his table in the gloomy station office surrounded by yellowing technical diagrams of train lines and wagons. “Now there’s nothing. I just sit here every day.”

Service between Akhuryan and Dogu Kapi (East Gate) in Kars province was halted in March 1993, after Turkey closed its border with Armenia in solidarity with its ally Azerbaijan amid the Nagorno-Karabakh War. It has not resumed. Today, Akhuryan Station, which sits outside Armenia’s second largest city, Gyumri, is a symbol of the human cost of the bitter impasse in relations between Turkey and Armenia.

“I have been here for 33 years. For 22 of those years, I have had nothing to do. There’s nothing here anymore,” Hagop said. Currently, he spends his days sitting alone, waiting, wearing the same uniform that he had worn during the Soviet era, smoking cigarettes and occasionally watching an ancient black-and-white television perched atop a filing cabinet.

Hope last came to Akhuryan Station in 2009, when the two countries signed diplomatic accords. The comprehensive deal foresaw the opening of the border and an exchange of ambassadors. With momentum building after the ratification of the protocols, steps were taken to reopen the station and resume cross-border rail links. Hagop said the station building was partly renovated, the platform spruced up and a new track laid. Then the agreement collapsed in 2010 after Turkey made it conditional on an Armenian peace deal with Azerbaijan.

President Serzh Sargsyan, who has paid a working visit to the Kingdom of Belgium, today took part in the Summit of the European People’s Party (EPP) in Brussels. It was presided over by EPP President Joseph Daul and was joined by the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, as well as by heads of state and government representing EPP member parties from EU and Eastern Partnership countries.

The participants discussed the current developments in the Eastern Partnership process after the Riga summit, as well as the approaches to dealing with the agenda items during the upcoming European council meeting.

The Armenian president will return to Armenia late tonight.