Author: Christine Harutyunian

NM: https://nordicmonitor.com/2023/06/turkish-intelligence-chief-planned-to-raise-a-political-islamist-youth-in-africa-secret-wiretap-reveals/

Christine Harutyunian
by Abdullah Bozkurt
June 19, 2023

Turkey’s spymaster İbrahim Kalın.

Abdullah Bozkurt/Stockholm

A secret wiretap obtained by Nordic Monitor reveals how Turkey’s spy chief, İbrahim Kalın, contemplated a decades-long plan to raise a political Islamist generation on the African continent, using Turkish government influence and affiliated Islamist groups.

The wiretap, secured by a court order as part of an investigation into an organized crime network in which Kalın was one of the suspects, details a confidential conversation between Kalın and the late businessman Abdullah Tivnikli, a leading Islamist figure.

The communication, intercepted on January 14, 2013 at 13:08 hours and later incorporated into a criminal case, showed Kalın briefing the businessman on then-prime minister and now president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visits to Gabon, Niger and Senegal as part of an Africa tour in January 2013. Kalın said he saw the schools as strategic assets that would be developed for the next 20 to 30 years.

During his time in Africa, Erdogan attended programs organized by Islamist schools run by the Aziz Mahmut Hudayi Foundation, a Turkish entity closely aligned with the Erdogan government. Tivnikli, who passed away in November 2018, was one of the founders of the organization. He was seeking a briefing on the phone about the visits to schools linked to Hudayi.

“It was quite interesting that he [Erdogan] visited only our schools,” Tivnikli told Kalın. “We have just started. For instance, I told [foundation staff] in Ghana that there are around 10,000 [students], like [MTTB] youths. … You should act,” Tivnikli said. “Good [projects] are being carried out, and more will be, Inshallah,” Kalın responded.

Wiretap that features the phone conversation of İbrahim Kalın with a known Islamist figure: 


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The National Turkish Students Union (Millî Türk Talebe Birliği, MTTB), which promotes an Islamic state in Turkey, has played an important role in Turkey in the political education of Islamist youth, including the founders of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), among them Erdogan, 11th president Abdullah Gül and former speaker of the parliament İsmail Kahraman. According to his official biography, President Erdogan was actively involved with the MTTB during his high school and university years.

Kalın was deputy undersecretary of the Office of the Prime Ministry and chief foreign policy adviser to Erdogan at the time of the Africa tour. He later moved to Erdogan’s palace as spokesperson and chief advisor before becoming head of Turkey’s notorious intelligence organization MIT earlier this month.

In the wiretapped conversation Kalın and Tivnikli discuss seeking the support of African leaders during the second Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in order to build new schools in their countries. The summit, which was scheduled for 2013 in Turkey, was postponed, and Erdogan and African leaders finally met in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, November 19-21, 2014. A declaration and 2015-2019 Joint Implementation Plan were adopted at the summit.

“That is great, Brother. We should discuss those later. The Turkey-Africa [Partnership] Summit will be held here [in Turkey]. We will host all the African leaders,” Kalın told Tivnikli. “Sure. All of them are asking for money [to facilitate the founding of schools in their countries],” stated Tivnikli. “Brother, you should give [money] since you will profit from [the schools],” said Kalın.

The Turkish government not only uses Islamist groups to expand its reach and influence on the African continent but also established an official government foundation called Maarif by a special law in 2014 and handed over its management to known Islamists who harbor jihadist views. Every year the foundation receives huge sums of money from the central government budget. Maarif runs schools in 26 African countries and has plans to expand it to all 54 in the future.

 

İbrahim Kalın, the new chief of Turkish intelligence agency MIT.

The Erdogan government also tried to tap into the network of schools owned and operated by the Gülen movement, a group that is opposed to the government, but US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, who inspired the movement, said the movement rejected the government offer. Then Erdogan turned against the movement, established Maarif and took over some Gülen-linked schools in African countries using bribes, political influence and promises of trade, investment and arms sales.

Today Maarif operates in 67 countries and runs 446 schools and 36 dormitories with a student population of 50,699. In addition to this, Turkish government-backed Islamist groups also operate hundreds of their own schools on the continent to help promote the political Islamist ideology of the Erdogan government. In every election period, African students have been featured in Erdogan government campaigns, portraying Erdogan as a sort of caliph revered by many in Africa.

With a new position as head of the intelligence agency with abundant funding and countless resources at his disposal, Kalın is expected to give a further push to raising an Islamist generation on the continent to use for political objectives and perhaps to employ this human resource as an asset for collecting intelligence and engaging in espionage for the intelligence agency.

 

A map showing the location of Maarif schools in Africa.

Kalın is grateful to Erdogan for saving him from serious criminal troubles and will do his bidding with no questions asked. In 2013 both Tivnikli and Kalın were suspects in an organized crime network that was involved in fraud, forgery and abuse of power in fixing government contracts, tenders and public property sales. Kalin was acting as an illegal lobbyist for Tivnikli in the Turkish capital, resolving problems in energy deals the businessman pursued. In exchange Tivnikli covered the education expenses of Kalın’s daughter, Rumeysa Kalın (Karabulut). The investigation was made public on December 25, 2013, but Erdogan stepped in and killed the probe before it went to trial.

Rumeysa Kalın Karabulut previously worked as a law clerk at US law firm Saltzman & Evinch. The Wall Street Journal had reported that the Turkish government used Saltzman & Evinch to gather information about Erdogan critics living in the US. Since 2019 Karabulut has been working as a reporter for Turkey’s state-owned TRT World broadcasting network, a government mouthpiece.

In total 41 people, including Erdogan’s son Bilal and Saudi businessmen Yasin al-Qadi, at one-time designated under sanctions by the UN and US for alleged financing of terrorism, were named as suspects in the major corruption case.

“Negotiations or pressure on Armenia?”: shelling in NK during negotiations in Washington

Christine Harutyunian
June 28 2023

  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Shelling during negotiations in Washington

“The situation can be defined as follows: either there are no negotiations, or the use of force is part of these ‘negotiations’,” political observer Hakob Badalyan believes.

During the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which began on June 27, Baku used a UAV in Nagorno-Karabakh, which killed four soldiers. The Armenian Defense Ministry reports that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces once again fired at the Armenian-American plant under construction in Yeraskh. In connection with these incidents, NK demanded that the Armenian delegation “immediately stop negotiations until a full-fledged truce is established both on the line of contact with NK and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.”

According to Badalyan, Azerbaijan cannot ignore the US, it can simply be sure that there will be a reaction to its actions or not. The analyst believes that the lack of reaction means “at least a loyal attitude towards the use of force by Azerbaijan.”

This is the second round of Mirzoyan-Bayramov talks mediated by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. It was scheduled for June 12, but was postponed at the request of Baku. The first round of negotiations took place on May 1-4. Following the meeting, a joint statement was not signed, the parties limited themselves to a press release, which stated that “positions on some key issues still diverge.”

  • Pashinyan speaks before parliamentary commission on the Karabakh War
  • Situation with Armenians in Karabakh has become even more aggravated
  • “Sixty telephone conversations with Putin” – Pashinyan on ending the 2020 war

The Armenian-Azerbaijani talks, mediated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will continue until June 29.

It is reported that on the first day the Blinken-Bayrams meeting, trilateral negotiations, as well as bilateral discussions of the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations took place.

During a conversation with Blinken, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister said that “for the successful completion of the peace process, it is important to avoid provocative steps.” But, on the first day of negotiations in Washington, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire on the Armenian-American plant under construction in Yeraskh, and later the situation escalated in NK.

The Prime Minister of Armenia called on the international community to “take practical steps” to ensure the rights and security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. On Twitter, he wrote about the “high risk of destabilization in the South Caucasus.”

The parliament of the unrecognized NKR adopted a statement demanding the Armenian delegation in Washington:

“Immediately stop the ongoing negotiations until a full-fledged truce is established on the line of contact with Artsakh and on the borders of the Republic of Armenia and documentary guarantees of its observance are provided. Otherwise, the continuation of negotiations will mean encouraging the aggressive behavior of the Azerbaijani side and privilege at the international level.”

The deputies called on the UN Security Council and the leaders of the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group

  • “to take concrete practical steps,
  • impose sanctions against Azerbaijan,
  • curb his aggressive tendencies,
  • not be limited to expressions of sympathy, appeals and recommendations.”

“I can’t imagine what negotiations can be like in a situation where one of the parties is negotiating simultaneously with the use of force or the threat of its use. And this circumstance is not worthy of a targeted assessment by any of the mediators in the negotiations, in general by the international community.

Are negotiations possible in such a situation, or is it just an attempt to dictate conditions, where Yerevan has only one thing left to do – resist?

Negotiations should involve a certain balance of power. I mean not only military strength, but also the atmospheric balance in general.”

“The shelling in Yeraskh has been going on for several days, by and large, they have not stopped. After the first shelling, when two workers were injured, the US expressed deep concern at the level of a tweet from a State Department spokesman.

But this did not bother Azerbaijan. The shooting in the direction of the plant continued even after its owners planted the flags of Armenia and the United States on the territory.

I think that Azerbaijan cannot ignore the US, it can only be sure whether the US will react or not. That’s why I’m talking about signs of loyalty. As an indicator of the effectiveness of efforts to achieve peace, I consider it important to call Azerbaijan to account for the use of force or its threat. When we do not see this, I strongly doubt the effectiveness of the peace process.”

How Yerevan evaluates the installation of the Azerbaijani flag on the Hakari bridge and the ban on movement along the Lachin corridor. Comments of the Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, MPs and Ombudsman of Armenia

“Let’s fix two significant circumstances between the first and second rounds of negotiations in Washington. On May 28 Aliyev made a well-known speech. He openly put forward an ultimatum to the leadership and people of Artsakh – “you will live as I propose, you will be forgiven.” After Aliyev’s speech, the representative of the US State Department welcomed the Armenian Prime Minister’s commitment to peace and Aliyev’s statement on amnesty.

Then there was a leak in the Russian press that the US was trying to organize a direct conversation between representatives of NK and Baku in a third country and was trying to put pressure on Artsakh. The message said that in the event of refusal, “the Karabakh leadership is threatened with an Azerbaijani counter-terrorist operation.”

After this leak, we did not receive an official denial or explanation from the United States that there was no such pressure on the representatives of Artsakh. Why was there no rebuttal?

These two circumstances – the reaction to Aliyev’s speech and the lack of reaction to the leak – allow us to say that the use of force by Azerbaijan is perceived at least loyally. This is worrying. And the question arises to what extent these negotiations are actually negotiations. Or is it persuasion or pressure on one side to agree to some terms.”

Russian media, citing a “diplomatic source”, reported that Washington is forcing representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh to agree to a meeting with the Azerbaijani side.

“If US mediation were unprofitable, unfavorable, Azerbaijan would simply not participate in these meetings. If Azerbaijan can go to negotiations and use force against Artsakh with the help of UAVs in a few hours, then it can afford not to participate in them. If he goes to Washington, then there is no content that he does not want, at least there is no pressure.

I repeat, we do not see a direct reaction of the United States to the actions of Azerbaijan. Yes, we don’t see this from Russia either, but we already know everything about Russia, there are no secrets. It is absolutely clear that Russia will by no means go against Azerbaijan. But we must understand that the United States will not go either.

For them, the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is just a means of solving their geopolitical problems, fighting for influence among themselves, and so on.”

“Azerbaijan’s goals are clear, it sets the task, so to speak, of the reintegration of Artsakh. They state this very clearly and openly.

When the Prime Minister of Armenia declares that he recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, which includes Artsakh, even this does not satisfy Azerbaijan. Instead of this statement, Baku demands to take very specific steps: the disbandment of the army of Nagorno-Karabakh, etc., in fact the disbandment of the unrecognized statehood of Artsakh.”

“The fact that someone raises the question of the Stepanakert-Baku dialogue does not mean anything in itself. Dialogue can be on different issues and in different formats. The same dialogue can be about reintegration into Azerbaijan. If any international actor says that dialogue is important, this does not mean that he says: it is important for Baku to recognize NK.

Naturally, Baku is offered to talk to the NK Armenians. Baku also says: I will speak on my own terms. Yerevan answers: these conditions do not satisfy us.

To think that Baku is being forced to negotiate with Stepanakert is a disconnect from reality. On the contrary we see, at least in the form of a policy of blackmail on the part of Baku, that Stepanakert is under pressure. In order for it to enter into a dialogue with Baku, within the framework of the logic that Baku puts forward.”


The Armenia-Azerbaijan Disputes: We Need a Peace Treaty That Will Bring Peace

Christine Harutyunian

Published

 14 hours ago 

on

 

By

 Dr. Vasif Huseynov

The agreement reached by conflicting parties to sign a peace treaty following violent wars is a significant turning point and has the potential to create a more positive and cooperative framework. However, history is replete with examples where painstakingly negotiated peace treaties failed to bring about lasting peace, often leading to the resumption of conflicts. It is crucial to thoroughly consider this aspect in the present peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We need a peace treaty that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict, minimizes, if not eliminates, the chances for the resumption of hostilities, and, towards this end, includes monitoring mechanisms that should be established to ensure compliance and accountability from the parties.

Trust: once broken, it’s hard to restore

The relationship between Armenians and Azerbaijanis was not always marked by hostility. For a significant part of history, these two peoples lived in a state of friendship, often sharing familial ties. These friendly relations persisted during the period of the Soviet Union, serving as a testament to their shared past of coexistence.

A similar situation existed in the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) and surrounding regions of Azerbaijan, including the Kalbajar region where my family lived until 1993, when the region was occupied by Armenia. Despite the fact that the Armenian population in the region was less than 1 percent of the total population during the Soviet era, local Azerbaijanis maintained amicable relations with the Armenians. I remember my parents recounting stories of how the Armenian craftsmen were highly regarded among the Kalbajaris, who frequently invited them to construct their homes and other structures.

These historically-rooted connections were the primary factors that led Azerbaijanis to be caught off guard by the Armenian nationalists who, first in 1987-1988, advanced a territorial claim to NKAO and then in 1992 launched a full-scale war to invade Azerbaijani territories. Indeed, most of Azerbaijanis in Karabakh and surrounding regions, including my parents in the Bashlibel village of Kalbajar, were not prepared to the Armenian assaults.

The residents of Bashlibel were uninformed of this situation in the first days of April 1993, because the villagers had not had a stable means of communicating with the outside world since the electricity supply was cut by Armenians more than a year ago in January 1992. Nor did they believe that their Armenian neighbors would take up arms, launch a war, and forcefully expel them from their homes. This was part of the reason that local Azerbaijanis continued to live in Kalbajar as if nothing had happened, even after the blockade of the Kalbajar region in the wake of Armenia’s 1992 occupation of the former NKAO and the cities of Shusha and Lachin.

On April 2, 1993, Kalbajar’s residents, then approximately 60,000 people, woke up to the horror of being surrounded by the Armenian armed forces. The Armenians gave local Azerbaijanis only ten hours to leave the area. The alternative was being killed or, worse, taken hostage. Not everyone managed or wanted to leave their homelands. Hundreds of people were killed, tortured, or taken hostage. The Kalbajaris paid a rather high price for their miscalculation of the intentions and territorial ambitions of Armenia.

“Duality of the Armenian consciousness” and security threats it poses to the neighboring countries

30 years passed since the occupation of the Kalbajar region by Armenia. The region was liberated in November 2020 in accordance with the outcomes of the Second Karabakh War. Soon after this war, Baku and Yerevan launched peace talks and started negotiations on a peace treaty which is going to be oriented around the principle of mutual recognition of each other’s territorial integrity.  It is, however, imperative that the peace treaty goes beyond mere words on paper and has a practical impact on the ground. Thus far, too much attention is given to the rights and securities of Armenians in Karabakh rather than to concerns of Azerbaijanis. It is therefore essential to address the legitimate problems and security anxieties of the Azerbaijani people, particularly those who were displaced from the formerly Armenia-occupied territories.

One major reason for the security concerns of the Azerbaijani people is related with what the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan calls “duality of the Armenian consciousness”. Making critical comments about the coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia in a speech at the parliament on the 15th of June, he highlighted the irrelevance of some elements (e.g., the picture of the Mount Ağrı/Ararat [Armenian name of the Mount Ağrı] that is located in Turkey) on the coat of arms and the implications of such a discourse and public thinking for Armenia’s political future. “Looking at the center [of the coat of arms], there is Noah’s ark on Mount Ararat, today’s territory of the Republic of Armenia is under flood, a lion that has not lived here in natural conditions in Armenia for a long time. And this issue that we are discussing is actually about each of us, about that duality that exists in each of us, historical Armenia and real Armenia”, the Armenian premier said.

It is an apparent attempt by him to wake up the nation and urge them to discard dreams for territorial expansion of the modern Republic of Armenia to what they believe the boundaries of historical “Greater Armenia”. The reactions to his statement by some members of the Armenian public and expert community, however, demonstrate that these territorial claims to Azerbaijan and Turkiye are deep-rooted in their consciousness and run the risk of taking over the political rule in the Republic of Armenia at an opportune moment in the future. In particular, those from the Armenian diaspora, who called Pashinyan’s statement “anti-constitutional”, look for an opportunity to bring “more nationalistic” leader to the governance of the country.

In my personal exchanges with the Armenian political experts at international events, none of those experts dared to acknowledge or endorse the statement of the Armenian premier that Karabakh is part of the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan. Some of them do not shy away from publicly recommending the Armenian leaders to delay the peace negotiations as long as possible and wait for a better geopolitical situation emerge – in which Armenia’s bargaining power would be stronger. One senior member of the former Armenian government once told me at an international event in the presence of mediators from the EU and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that “tell your government upon your return that we will abolish all the deals you now reach with the incumbent government in Armenia as soon as they are removed from power”.

Needless to say that almost no Armenian, including Nikol Pashinyan, who boasts his endeavors to build a democratic society, speak about the return and restitutions of the rights of Azerbaijanis who lived in Armenia before the conflict. Though, the mutual exodus of the Azerbaijani and Armenian populations from the respective countries occurred during 1987-1991, the fair and just resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conundrum requires the comprehensive approach.

If no demilitarization, then robust monitoring mechanisms and security guarantees

History can suggest some insights into how to deal with the polities with territorial ambitions and records of violent aggressions while ensuring  the practical implementation of the peace treaty.  For example, following World War II, at the initiative of the Allied leaders, both Germany and Japan underwent demilitarization as part of broader efforts to promote stability and prevent future aggression. In the case of Japan, the demilitarization process involved the dissolution of the country’s imperial armed forces and the adoption of a new pacifist constitution, known as the
Article 9 Constitution,” which renounced war as a means of settling international disputes.

Demilitarization of the Republic of Armenia would have been surely the policy options of the Allied leaders if they were in the present situation Azerbaijan is in. Under the present circumstances and due to the biased support of some countries, such as France, to Armenia, such measures are not on the agenda, though they would have been decisive with a real contribution to regional peace and security.

Nevertheless, a peace treaty should still address the security concerns of the Azerbaijani side. Above all, it should make sure that the territorial claims to Azerbaijan and Turkiye in the legislative documents and state symbols of the Republic of Armenia will be removed. The treaty should be built on the fact that the deep-rooted territorial ambitions in the consciousness of the Armenian nationalists and their threats against Azerbaijan necessitate robust security guarantees. Such a treaty should include provisions that not only facilitate the return of displaced Azerbaijanis to their homes, amongst others, by urging Armenia to cooperate in demining the region, but also guarantee their safety and security with assurances that no aggression will take place in the future. Additional mechanisms should be established to ensure compliance and accountability with the provisions of the peace treaty.

Dr. Vasif Huseynov is a senior fellow at the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2023/06/29/the-armenia-azerbaijan-disputes-we-need-a-peace-treaty-that-will-bring-peace/

Pashinyan congratulates Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu on taking office

Christine Harutyunian

 11:16,

YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has congratulated new Romanian Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu on taking office.

“On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, I cordially congratulate you on your election as Prime Minister of Romania and wish you endless vigor and continuous achievements,” Pashinyan said in a letter to Ciolacu. “Armenia highly values the development of cooperation with Romania in both bilateral and multilateral platforms, especially within the framework of the EU and in the area of connectivity. I express my readiness to work with you for the benefit of further expanding and deepening partnership between our two friendly countries. I am convinced that your tenure will be marked by the development of the interstate relations and multi-sector cooperation between our two countries which is based on common values, cultural similarities and strong historic friendship, with the Romanian-Armenian community bridging us being an important conducive factor.”

Former President of Armenia salutes Gladstone’s legacy during Flintshire library visit

Christine Harutyunian
In Your Area, UK


Dr Armen Sarkissian visited Gladstone’s Library to mark its Founder’s Day celebrations

PAYING HIS RESPECTS: Dr Sarkissian gave a one-hour talk, held in the library’s world-famous Reading Rooms(Image: Geoff Scotland/@himynameisgeoff)

The former President of Armenia visited a Flintshire library to pay respects to its founder, William Gladstone. Dr Armen Sarkissian, who was President of Armenia from 2018 to 2022, visited Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden on May 22, to mark the Library’s Founder’s Day celebrations.

Dr Sarkissian and his delegation were hosted by the library team, led by Warden Andrea Russell, and trustees of the library, including Patrick Derham, former headmaster of Westminster School, and Charles Gladstone, a direct descendant of the Victorian statesman William Gladstone. During a one-hour talk, held in the library’s world-famous Reading Rooms, Dr Sarkissian thanked the library, which is a registered charity, for welcoming him, and emphasized the need for strong leaders like William Gladstone, four times British Prime Minister, and for learning spaces like Gladstone’s Library.

He said: “It is a great privilege to be here for me, Gladstone is a special figure in Armenian history and for the millions of Armenians living worldwide. My grandmother was born in what was Western Armenia and she was one of the survivors of the Armenian genocide.

FOUNDER’S DAY: Dr Sarkissian and his delegation were hosted by the library team, led by Warden Andrea Russell, and trustees of the library (Image: Geoff Scotland/@himynameisgeoff)

“There were stories about her life during the massacres, and there were two distinguished names that came up in her stories, President Wilson of the United States and William Gladstone. William Gladstone was respected by Armenians as he returned to the public eye in his twilight years to advocate against widespread attacks on the Armenian people, which took place in the Ottoman Empire in the late 1800s.”

Gladstone died on May 19, 1898, less than 20 years before the Armenian Genocide was carried out in 1915. The recent Founder’s Day event marked the 125th anniversary of his death.

Patrick Derham, chair of trustees of Gladstone’s Library, said: “All of us who are privileged to have a connection with the library are walking in the footsteps of history. We’re just trying to preserve something that is unique, that is very, very special for future generations.”

LEARNING FOR ALL: The recent Founder’s Day event marked the 125th anniversary of Gladstone’s death (Geoff Scotland/@himynameisgeoff)

Warden Andrea Russell said: “It was so good to share this day with so many people who are passionate about the Library – giving thanks for all that has been, and looking forward to developing and widening the Library’s reach.”

Among those invited to the event were Friends of the Library. As a charity, it has recently refreshed its Friends programme and is actively recruiting more supporters who share its vision to encourage and enable learning for all. Find out more about Gladstone’s Library at gladstoneslibrary.org.

The California Courier Online, June 22, 2023

Christine Harutyunian

The California
Courier Online, June 22, 2023

 

1-         Prime
Minister Pashinyan Disparages

            Armenia’s Coat
of Arms & National Anthem

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

           
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

2-         Armenian
Basketball Classic: Nat’l Teams of Armenia,
France
Face Off in LA

3-         French-Armenian
Resistance hero Missak Manouchian to enter France’s Panthéon

4-         Jerusalem Armenians Fear
Shadowy Land Deal Marks ‘Beginning Of The End’

 

************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

1-         Prime
Minister Pashinyan Disparages

            Armenia’s Coat
of Arms & National Anthem

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher, The California Courier

           
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

 

With each passing day, the situation is getting worse in Armenia and Artsakh because of Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinyan’s endless compromises to Azerbaijan
and Turkey,
his defeatist attitude and incompetence.

Coming to power, he misrepresented himself as a democrat,
but soon turned out to be a dictator. Five years ago, Pashinyan promised at a
huge public rally: “If in the result of the process of [Karabagh] negotiations
there will be an option for settlement that I would personally consider to be a
good option, let no one think that I will sign any confidential paper or take
any secret action. If I see that there is an option that really needs
discussing, I will come, stand here and present to you all the details, after
which you decide whether to accept that settlement option or not. If you decide
to do it, we will do it. If you decide that we are not, we will not do it. You
are the supreme authority and you will have the final say. There can be no
doubt.” However, ever since that solemn pledge in 2018, he has not asked the
people to make a single decision on any issue.

Pashinyan:

— Made threatening statements against his political
opponents, jailed his party’s rivals in local elections, had protesters
arrested, and banned prominent Diaspora Armenians from entering Armenia because
of their criticism of his regime;

— Divided Armenia’s
population into two hostile camps and alienated the Diaspora from Armenia;

— Completely mismanaged the 2020 disastrous war resulting in
the deaths of thousands of young Armenian soldiers and the loss of most of
Artsakh;

— Failed to secure the release of Armenian prisoners of war
from Azerbaijan;

— Was unable to protect Armenia’s borders from repeated Azeri
attacks in the last two years;

— Was unable to open the Lachin Corridor blockaded by Azerbaijan for
six months, resulting in the deprivation of 120,000 Artsakhtsis from food and
medicines;

— Repeatedly criticized Armenians’ yearning for Mount
Ararat, saying that it is no longer in Armenia’s territory.

— Weakened Armenia’s
military;

— Dismissed Armenian claims to Western Armenia by announcing
that Armenia
has no territorial demands from any of its neighbors;

— Traveled to Ankara to
attend Pres. Erdogan inauguration, embarrassing himself and Armenia;

— Gifted Artsakh to Azerbaijan. Contrary to Pashinyan’s
misrepresentation that Armenia’s
former leaders have given away Artsakh, Josep Borrell, High Representative of
the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said last week:
“For the first time… Armenia
has recognized Karabagh as part of Azerbaijan.”

No wonder, Aliyev and Erdogan are pleased with Pashinyan.

Last week, while addressing the Parliament, Pashinyan made
questionable statements about Armenia’s
coat of arms and national anthem, both of which are enshrined in Armenia’s
Constitution. In other words, Pashinyan’s criticisms were anti-constitutional.

Here is how Pashinyan described Armenia’s coat of arms: “What is
depicted there? Noah’s ark on Mount Ararat;
the emblems of the four thrones, dynasties, kingdoms…. Moreover, what has
that emblem to do with the state founded in 1991? Looking at the center [of the
emblem], Noah’s ark is on Mount Ararat; today’s territory of Armenia’s
Republic is under floods; and a lion that has not lived here for a long time
under normal conditions.” This is “about the duality that exists in each of us,
historical Armenia and real Armenia….
Should real Armenia serve
historical Armenia or should
historical Armenia serve
real Armenia?
… After all, six of the 12 capitals of historical Armenia
are located in the territory of the Republic
of Armenia. And when was
the last time you were in those capitals. Did you see their condition? Did you
assess their condition? We are talking so much about traditions; we are talking
about the values; our capitals. Our historical symbols are in ruins today.
Forgive me, this is also not something to say, but certain [historical]
capitals located outside Armenia
may turn out to be in better condition than those located in the territory of
the Republic of Armenia.”

Closing his remarks, Pashinyan did not miss the opportunity
to also complain about another one of Armenia’s
state symbols—the national anthem—on the very day that Armenia celebrated
the Day of State Symbols. He said: “Today, the official words of our anthem end
as follows: it ends in ‘sacrifice.’ The ideology itself is correct, so I don’t
have any problem with the text, but it ends with a ‘sacrifice’ line and
‘sacrifice’ scene. I’ve been thinking a lot lately, of course, it may not be
easy to implement from a purely esthetic, poetic point of view, but I think it
would be very correct from a political point of view for the anthem of the
Republic of Armenia to end with the following lines: ‘Look at it, our sacred
sign in three colors, let it shine against the enemy, let Armenia be always
glorious.’”

Pashinyan was suggesting shortening the anthem by cutting
its last four lines: “Death is the same everywhere, a man will die but once,
but blessed is the one who is sacrificed for the freedom of his nation.” This
is yet another attempt by Pashinyan to weaken the nationalistic feelings of
Armenians to appease Armenia’s
enemies. The lyrics of the anthem were written by well-known poet Mikayel
Nalbandian in 1861. The anthem was adopted by the first Republic of Armenia
in 1918. It was readopted by the current Republic of Armenia
with minor wording changes.

What will Pashinyan suggest next: Changing Armenia’s flag
and the country’s name? Yet, this is the same man who self-righteously
declared: “I can’t imagine a man who can love my homeland more than me. Such a
thing is not possible. It is out of question.” Even the Soviets kept Mount Ararat on Soviet Armenia’s coat of arms. How can
the Prime Minister of independent Republic
of Armenia be less
nationalistic than the leaders of Soviet Armenia?

   

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2-         Armenian Basketball Classic:
Nat’l Teams of Armenia, France
Face Off in LA

 

By Jenny Yettem

 

Armenia’s
National Basketball Team and the French National Basketball team played two
friendly games on Friday, June 16 and Saturday, June 17 at the California State University,
Northridge (CSUN) Premier America Credit Union Arena.

The players arrived in Los
Angeles on Monday, June 12 and Tuesday, June 13, and
intensive, daylong practices with the whole team began immediately, as this
roster had never played with one another prior to this week. It’s also a major
milestone as these games mark the first time the Armenian National Basketball
Team—winners of the 2016 and 2022 FIBA European Championship for Small
Countries—played in the United States.

The roster for the two friendlies vs France National Team on
June 16 at 17, comprised: Guard Ronald March, Jr.; guard Corey Silverstrom;
forward Zach Tavitian; forward-center Ryan Kiachian; guard Connor Essegian;
forward Evan Manjikian; forward Tigran Mkrtumyan; guard Hassani Gravett; guard
Avand Dorian; guard Makani Whiteside; guard-forward Albert Tatevosyan; shooting
guard Andre Spight; guard Gabriel Ajemyan; guard Anto Balian; and center Davit
Khachatryan. Assisting head coach Rex Kalamian were Mikael Pogosyan and Vardan
Khachatryan.

The team is being coached by Rex Kalamian, who is also the
assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons. Kalamian previously had coaching terms
with the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves,
Sacramento Kings, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Toronto Raptors.

Friday night, the arena saw a capacity crowd of 2,500
people—the first in the history of the gym. Emotions were running high in the
stands and on the court, as fans enthusiastically cheered for the Armenian team
who seemed to be struggling to get their bearings.

It was very much a David and Goliath game—the 87th-ranked
and untested underdogs against a team that has won numerous EuroBasket; FIBA
World Cup; and Summer Olympics medals including most recently the silver in
2021. But the Armenian team didn’t disappoint with the effort to defend against
guys who physically outmatched them, and they made more quick attacks to avoid
being blocked by the taller France
players.

France
took advantage of its size and stature, as well as the Armenian team’s
burgeoning chemistry and ball control, and made a lot of driving plays that
ended in slam dunks. Armenia
nonetheless ably navigated the court with Hassani Gravett, Albert Tatevosyan,
Andre Mkrtchyan-Spight, Gabriel Ajemyan and Connor Essegian making a lot of
fast breaks, and sinking three-pointers. Avand Dorian came in during the fourth
quarter and immediately made a dagger shot, giving the capacity crowd renewed
optimism that Armenia
could close the gap.

But between Armenia’s
nerves not under control and France’s
century-long playbook, the game ended 74 – 107—France
running away with a 33-point lead that Armenia couldn’t overcome.

After Friday’s game, Dorian told The Courier that he had
been nervous before the game, but nonetheless kept his cool when Coach Kalamian
put him in. Eighteen-year-old Dorian, who is headed to USC after recently
graduating from AGBU
Manoogian-Demirjian High School, said he was “ecstatic”
making the shot within seconds of being subbed in. Dorian acknowledged the
challenges Armenia faced in
the game: “We only had four days of prep and we knew the France team was
taller, bigger and more experienced—but we still had confidence going in. And
we are optimistic about doing better, or even winning, on Saturday.” 

It was a sentiment echoed throughout the stands and on the
bench. Former NBA player and coach Derek Fisher joined Kalamian on Friday night
in a show of support for the Armenian team. Fisher, who played for the Oklahoma
City Thunder in 2012 when Kalamian was the assistant coach, told The Courier
that Armenia would improve with time and chemistry—as well as national pride.

Media director Richard Elmoyan, himself a former national
basketball team member and assistant coach, told The Courier that Fisher
delivered a 20-minute pep talk after the game and encouraged the team to think
about “the front of their jerseys and how they represent Armenia” to
crystallize their confidence and chemistry.

Elmoyan also said that despite what might look like a
lopsided match-up, it’s important that Armenia plays teams that are better
in ranking and skills because it challenges the team to improve. Elmoyan, too,
was confident that the Saturday game would unfold far better than Friday’s
debut. He said the unwavering support of the capacity crowd had a deep impact
on the team.

Coach Rex Kalamian told The Courier “what defines us is the
people who came out to cheer us on—the packed gym and fans. Moving forward it’s
about giving Armenians and the diaspora a sense of being among the best in the
world.” Kalamian and Elmoyan both acknowledged that France was much more
experienced—having had over a century of national basketball—and also outsized
Armenia. But they were both certain that Armenia could effectively counter
with their guard play, pace of play, and shooting three-pointers.

Connor Essegian told The Courier he and the team had
practiced nonstop since their staggered arrivals, and they learned from
Friday’s game about how to play as a cohesive team against a formidable
opponent. Essegian said they were looking forward to applying their insights to
the second game.

On Saturday, an even greater level of enthusiasm filled the
arena with fans cheering and using noisemakers to bolster the Armenian team.

And between their settled nerves and increased chemistry,
the Armenian team made significantly more decisive plays and defended much more
effectively. Their court-spreading three-point strategy worked, as they held
the France
defense at bay.

France
took note of the challenge—they made far less drives to the basket, drew more
fouls, and fumbled a number of passes.

The game was even-keeled and Armenia played hard, trailing just
by a small margin throughout—40-55 at the half, and 59-73 at the end of the
third quarter. The game ended 83-98. International games are 40 minutes long,
with 10-minute quarters. Quite a few people said that if this were on NBA time
with a 48-minute game of 12-minute quarters, Armenia’s momentum would have
catapulted them to victory.

Les Bleus shooting guard Juhann Begarin told The Courier
that Armenia
is “a good team. We didn’t know what to expect with a new team—we just played
our best. It was challenging and fun. Hopefully Armenia will enter the European
league.”

Elmoyan was elated after the game, having rightly predicted
his team would silence any naysayers. He said the level of enthusiasm from the
community was unparalleled, and that he hopes other Diaspora strongholds like Argentina and Canada will receive the team with
the same welcome. With the way the Armenian team upped their game literally
overnight, Elmoyan said he is confident about their upcoming international
tournaments scheduled for November of this year and February 2024.

 

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3-         French-Armenian Resistance hero
Missak Manouchian to enter France’s
Panthéon

 

(France
24)—“Manouchian carries a part of our greatness,” Macron said in the statement
issued by the Élysée Palace, adding the French-Armenian poet and communist
embodied France’s
“universal values” of liberty, equality and fraternity. 

Macron said Manouchian will be inducted into the
Panthéon—which already honors eight other French Resistance heroes, including
Jean Moulin—on February 21, 2024.

According to the wishes of his family, his wife Mélinée will
join him in the mausoleum, although she will not receive the “pantheonisation”
of her husband—the rare tribute reserved only for those who have played an
important role in French history, such as Victor Hugo, Voltaire and Marie
Curie.

Manouchian arrived in France in 1925 as a stateless
refugee after fleeing the Armenian genocide with his brother, and joined the
country’s communist Resistance movement in 1943 during World War II. He led a
small group of fighters that carried out a string of successsful attacks
against the occupying Nazi forces.

In 1944, the group, which included a number of Jews, was put
out of action when 23 of its members were rounded up and sentenced to death by
a German military court.

Manouchian was shot by a Nazi firing squad on February 21,
1944.

The collaborationist Vichy
regime later tried to discredit the group and defuse the anger over the
executions in an infamous red poster depicting the dead fighters as terrorists.
By entering the Panthéon, Manouchian will become both the first foreign and
communist Resistance fighter to be awarded the honour.

In his tribute, Macron also pointed to the “bravery” and
“quiet heroism” of Manouchian and other foreign Resistance fighters. Macron
decorated Robert Birenbaum—part of the foreign Resistance fighter group
alongside Manouchian—at the Mont Valerien site where Manouchian and other
resistants were executed by the Nazis.

 

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4-         Jerusalem Armenians Fear
Shadowy Land Deal Marks ‘Beginning Of The End’

By Amos Chapple

 

(RFE/RL)—A secretive real estate agreement by the Armenian
Patriarchate of Jerusalem has signed away some 25 percent of the Armenian
Quarter of Israel’s holy city. Now residents are fighting to hold on to their
historic land.

When Khachik Yeretsian, a former priest of the Armenian
Patriarchate of Jerusalem fled his residence in disgrace on May 10, Israeli
police had to bustle the defrocked priest to safety through an enraged crowd of
his fellow Jerusalem Armenians. As protesters hurled insults at Yeretsian, one
waved the flag of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Bedig Giragosian was among the crowd that night and says the
flag of Nagorno-Karabakh symbolized the parallel crises unfolding in the
Caucasus and in Jerusalem.

“The same thing that’s happening in Artsakh is happening
here,” Giragosian said, using the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh and
referring to fears that blockaded Karabakh Armenians could soon be forced off
land their people have lived on for centuries. “If this deal goes through it
will be the beginning of the end of our community in Jerusalem. The story of 1,600 years will
finish.”

The deal Giragosian refers to is a secretive real estate
contract signed by the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem that recently came to
light. The explosive agreement hands a quarter of the Armenian sector to an Australian-Israeli
investor for 99 years.

The patriarchate has blamed former priest Yeretsian alone
for the deal, while Yeretsian, who now lives in California, says he is being
punished “for an act that the patriarch signed and now I am being accused,”
adding that “one day the truth will be revealed.”

No one outside those directly involved has seen the secret
land deal, but when signage for XANA Capital was erected at the entrances to a
carpark known as the Cow’s Garden, it confirmed the parking lot—named for its
historic use as a grazing area for livestock—as slated to be leased out. A
low-rise luxury hotel is reportedly planned for the site.

But the contract apparently goes further. Setrag Balian is a
Jerusalem Armenian who has been working alongside lawyers to try to overturn
the lease agreement. Balian says draft development plans he saw while meeting
with the Jerusalem
municipality “include five residential homes” belonging to ethnic Armenian
families, raising the specter of forced evictions.

Armenians first established a presence in Jerusalem in the fourth century after the
nation became the first to officially adopt Christianity. Ethnic Armenians have
lived within the walls of the holy city ever since, making the Jerusalemite
community the oldest living diaspora outside Armenia.

Jerusalem Armenians today number around 2,000, down from a
peak of some 25,000 a century ago when the sacred city served as a refuge for
those who fled the Ottoman-era massacres that are widely referred to as the
Armenian genocide.

Treasures inside the Armenian Quarter, which is largely
closed off to the public, include a gnarled olive tree where Jesus is said to
have been bound as he awaited his trial. Armenian couples who are unable to
become pregnant are instructed to eat one olive from the tree each day for
seven days while praying for the miracle of a child.

Some in the Armenian community fear geopolitical interests
may be behind the land deal. “I cannot state it with proof, but there is
obviously a political aspect to it,” Setrag Balian says of the lease agreement,
adding that as the highest point of Jerusalem’s ferociously contested Old City,
the Armenian Quarter “has been eyed by many passing empires and occupation
forces.”

Ripples from the land controversy have already reached
regional powers of the Middle East. In May,
Palestinian and Jordanian leadership formally withdrew their recognition of Jerusalem’s Armenian
patriarch for signing away the territory. The Arab leaders accused the church
head of making the deal, “without consensus and consultation with the relevant
parties.”

Apo Sahagian, a Jerusalem-Armenian musician, says the
looming fight over the Jerusalem land may serve
as a bellwether for wider struggles to come for the Armenian people amid
lingering shock over the 2020 war with Azerbaijan.

“Right now in Armenia there’s a bit of
uncertainty, people are confused, their spine is broken. And maybe a glimpse of
resilience and audacity by the Armenian Jerusalemites would give some morale
boost to the Armenians in Armenia,”
he told RFE/RL while sitting in a courtyard of Jerusalem’s
Old City. “The Jews have a saying that ‘the
redemption comes from the east.’ I wouldn’t mind if the Armenian redemption
comes from Jerusalem,”
he said.

 

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Azerbaijani Forces Continue to Fire at U.S.-Affiliated Company in Yeraskh

Christine Harutyunian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

GTB Steel that operates the U.S. affiliated company targeted by Azerbaijan raised the American and Armenian flags at the construction site on June 20


Azerbaijani forces on Tuesday continued to fire at a construction site operated by an American-affiliated company in Yeraskh in Armenia’s Ararat Province. The site was targeted by Azerbaijan last week and as result of its attack two Indian nationals employed by the company were injured.

The ongoing attacks, however, will not deter the project, company officials said when they raised the U.S. and Armenian flags at the construction site during a ceremony on Tuesday.

Azerbaijani forces opened fire at the company’s facilities at 4:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, continuing their almost week-long attack on the site.

Official Baku has claimed that the company, GTB Steel, which is building a steel mill in Yeraskh, is violating environmental standards and once operational, it will impact Azerbaijanis living in Nakhichevan.

GTB officials held a ceremony on Tuesday and raised the American and Armenian flags at the construction site.

GTB officials said that by raising the flags it is unequivocally expressing that despite the Azerbaijani cross-border gunfire and provocations they will continue the construction as planned.

The company’s executive Tiran Hakobyan told reporters after the flag raising ceremony that he and his colleagues realize that the flags are not a guarantee that the Azerbaijani military would stop the shooting.

“This is the stipulation of the decision of our Board of Directors which was made after long discussions. By [raising the flags] we record that we will not leave this place and we will continue to build the plant,” Hakobyan said, reported Armenpress.

He added that only the government of Armenia has the authority to allow or ban the construction, and that it has granted permission.  GTB Steel has all the required documentation for the construction, Hakobyan stressed.

Azerbaijan’s disinformation campaign seeks to misrepresent own provocations as Armenian aggression, warns minister

Christine Harutyunian

 16:55, 14 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 14, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan’s intensified disinformation campaign seeks to misrepresent the reality and falsely accuse Armenia of aggression, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan has warned.

“By constantly spreading disinformation over the past week, Azerbaijan is creating the foundation to be able to misrepresent its own provocations as attacks by the Armenian side,” Papikyan told lawmakers during question time in parliament.

Minister Papikyan said the Ministry of Defense of Armenia is constantly releasing reports on the border situation.

“The reasons of this all is Azerbaijan’s goal to accuse the Armenian side of seeking aggressive actions. There is no such thing, in line with all our statements, the Armenian side will continue to advance the peace agenda around the negotiation table, certainly also by defending the sovereign territory of our country,” Papikyan said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Azerbaijani forces shot and wounded two Indian construction workers at a construction site of a steel plant in Yeraskh, a village in the Ararat Province. 

Sports: Crew’s Lucas Zelarayan scores twice in Armenia’s upset win in Wales

Christine Harutyunian
COLUMBUS CREW

by: Orri Benatar



CARDIFF, Wales (WCMH) — The Columbus Crew’s superstar attacking midfielder put together his first dominant performance on the international stage on Friday afternoon.

Lucas Zelarayan is spending the week with the Armenian national team and was the man of the match in the team’s huge upset win 4-2 over Wales in Cardiff. The Black & Gold’s No. 10 scored his first two international goals and provided an assist in the nation’s second game in the UEFA Euro qualifiers.

Homophobic chants force US-Mexico soccer match to end early in Las Vegas

The 30-year-old was born in Argentina but decided in 2021 to represent Armenia after being invited to represent the European nation. Zelarayan is of Armenian descent through his father and all soccer players are allowed to switch which country they represent in international play one time.

Zelarayan and Armenia will host Latvia on Monday in its last qualifying game until September. The top two teams in Armenia’s group will qualify for next summer’s European Championships in Germany. Armenia, Wales, and Latvia are in a group with Turkey and Croatia.

He is expected to be back with the Crew for the team’s June 24 home match against Nashville SC at Lower.com Field.


Foreign ambassadors visit Yeraskh village to get acquainted with consequences of Azerbaijani gunfire

Christine Harutyunian

 12:19,

YEREVAN, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Foreign ambassadors visited on Thursday the village of Yeraskh to get acquainted with the border situation following the June 14 Azeri cross-border shooting which left two civilians wounded in a construction site.

Colonel Sasun Badasyan, the Commander of the 5th Army Corps of the Armenian Armed Forces, told the representatives of the diplomatic corps that the two foreign nationals wounded in the June 14 shooting were immediately taken to a hospital. The aftermath of the shooting can be seen in the construction site of the steel plant, which was the target of the gunfire.

“This is where the two citizens of India working on the construction site of the factory were wounded,” Colonel Badasyan told the ambassadors, emphasizing that military personnel are not involved in the construction of the plant.

“The adversary is constantly violating the ceasefire, and we continue our service in protecting the state border,” the military official added.

The steelworks construction site targeted by the Azeri forces is a $70 million Armenian-American project in Yeraskh. The steelworks, often referred to as a “metallurgical plant”, is expected to produce 180,000 tons output annually after being launched.

On June 14, two workers at the construction site of the plant were shot and wounded by Azerbaijani forces. The victims are nationals of India. Both were successfully operated on and are in moderate condition.

Photos by Hayk Manukyan