Author: Emma Jilavian

Armenia calls for international action to end Azeri blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh

Emma Jilavian

 19:43, 8 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan has stressed the need to implement international calls and statements and reopen the Lachin Corridor.

“Among others, we appreciate targeted [statements] by European Parliament, voice of EU citizens, which got stronger in course of Nagorno Karabakh blockade &violation of ICJ Orders by Azerbaijan. Now international efforts should be directed at the implementation, with relevant tools, & reopening of Lachin Corridor,” Badalyan posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 26, Armenia sent a humanitarian convoy carrying emergency food and medication for Nagorno-Karabakh, but Azerbaijan blocked the trucks at the entrance of Lachin Corridor.

Turks boycott Disney Plus after Atatürk series cancellation

Emma Jilavian
Aug 2 2023

Sally Shakkour

ALBAWABA – A campaign to boycott Disney Plus was released on social media after the famous American streaming service decided to remove the Turkish series “Atatürk” from its content.

Local media outlets revealed that Disney Plus’s decision has caused wide controversy among Turks who called to stop subscribing the platform taking into consideration the position of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, in the hearts of Turks.

The head of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), Ebubekir Şahin announced that the council will be launching a probe into Disney Plus’s cancellation of the Atatürk series.

“Based on the information circulating in the public that the digital media service provider, Disney+, decided not to broadcast the domestic content series ‘Atatürk’ on its platform, the defense of the institution will be heard, and an investigation will be initiated. Our founding father, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, is the most crucial social value of the Republic of Türkiye. Allegations of interference by the Armenian lobby, as reported in the press, are being meticulously investigated,” Şahin posted.

A social media user said: “Atatürk is not a documentary; It is history that has challenged imperialism.” Claiming that Armenia was the one behind pressuring Disney Plus to remove the Turkish series.

Another person commented: “Disney obviously confused Atatürk with others and could not understand that he was an immortal leader and that he had a unique place in the hearts of the Turkish Nation.”

According to Daily Sabah, the Atatürk series tells the story of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and was expected to be released in 2023, specifically to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the republic.

Turkish actor Aras Bulut Iynemli was announced to play the role of Atatürk in the cancelled series.

https://www.albawaba.com/node/turks-boycott-disney-plus-after-atat%C3%BCrk-series-cancellation-1529035 


First President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan, United States Ambassador discuss Nagorno-Karabakh humanitarian crisis

Emma Jilavian

 17:21, 31 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 31, ARMENPRESS. First President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan has held a meeting with United States Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien, Ter-Petrosyan’s office said in a statement.

The meeting lasted more than an hour and focused mostly on issues related to the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to a readout issued by Ter-Petrosyan’s office.

Armenia expects international pressure on Azerbaijan to lead to reopening of Lachin Corridor

Emma Jilavian

 18:27, 3 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. The visits of the representatives of the international community are aimed at showing the real situation in the Lachin Corridor and debunking the fake news by the Azerbaijani government claiming that the corridor is open, Davit Knyazyan, the Head of the Department of Multilateral Policy and Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, told ARMENPRESS.

“This is highly important in order to show that Azerbaijan’s claims that the corridor is open are untrue, and that Azerbaijan is not implementing the binding obligations stipulated under international humanitarian law and the well-known rulings of the International Court of Justice.  As you can see, today we organized the visit of representatives of the UN Armenia office to Kornidzor, so that they ascertain with their own eyes that Azerbaijan has imposed a total blockade against Nagorno-Karabakh with all subsequent consequences which we are witnessing today,” Knyazyan said.

He said that the foreign ministry has great expectations that international pressure on Azerbaijan will allow to reopen the Lachin Corridor and deliver the humanitarian aid.

“We have positive developments in this regard. There’ve been numerous statements from the EU, the Council of Europe, most recently the UN and partner countries. The issue is widely covered by the international press. We continue to work to strengthen the international community’s pressure on Azerbaijan, to achieve our goal, which is exclusively humanitarian,” he added.

The visit of international partners also allowed debunking the Azerbaijani fake news accusing Armenia of preparing a provocation, Knyazyan said.

“There’s no such threat, the humanitarian convoy trucks are parked at a safe distance, and the Armenian side has properly notified the Russian peacekeeping forces on its request, and through them also the Azerbaijani side in advance, prior to the convoy arriving here. The fact that the cargo is here for over a week and there hasn’t been a chance to transport it shows Azerbaijan’s destructive approach and its genocidal policy of subjecting the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to ethnic cleansing,” Knyazyan said.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. The ICJ reaffirmed its order on 6 July 2023.

Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno-Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 25, the Government of Armenia said that it will try to send over 360 tons of flour, cooking oil, sugar, and other foodstuffs and medication to Nagorno-Karabakh to mitigate the humanitarian crisis resulting from the blockade of Lachin Corridor. Armenia requested the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh to escort the aid but Azerbaijan has blocked the convoy at the entrance of the Lachin Corridor.

Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan rebuilds homes in Lachin area

Emma Jilavian
Aug 1 2023
By Anelise Borges  with wires  •  Updated: 01/08/2023 – 17:24

In western Azerbaijan, the city of Lachin feels like a vast construction site. Everywhere you look, efforts to erase the scars of the last all-out war between Armenia and Azerbaijan are evident.

In 2020, Azerbaijan regained most of that surrounding territory and pieces of Nagorno-Karabakh itself in a war which killed about 6,800 soldiers. 

Under a Russia-brokered armistice, transit along the Lachin Corridor was to continue under the guarantee of Russian peacekeepers.

According to Armenian media, trucks and foreign diplomats are currently in the village of Kornidzor on Armenia’s border with Nagorno-Karabakh, which is at one end of the Lachin Corridor.

Euronews’ international correspondent Anelise Borges spoke to people who are returning to the city, some for the first time since the first war from 1988-1994. 

Watch her report in the video player at the link below.

https://www.euronews.com/2023/08/01/nagorno-karabakh-azeri-forces-rebuild-homes-in-disputed-city-of-lachin

Iranian FM: Tehran welcomes peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, 3+3 format

Emma Jilavian
IRAN FRONT PAGE

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian says Iran welcomes peace talks between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Amirabdolalhian added that the Caucasus should not turn into a battlefield for big powers.
He was speaking at a press briefing with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Tehran on Monday. Amirabdolalhian noted that if the Caucasus becomes a field for competition between big powers, peace in the region will be delayed.

“We believe that the age of war-based order is over and now is the time for peace-based order in the Caucasus region” the top Iranian diplomat added. Amirabdollahian said unfortunately, some foreign players are looking for alignments and for taking advantage of the situation in the region.

He stressed that Iran welcomes the so-called 3+3 dialogue format between regional countries and that Tehran will continue its efforts to hold a meeting where Armenia and Azerbaijan will attend.

The 3+3 format is comprised on Iran, Russia, Turkey, the Azerbaijan Republic, Armenia and Georgia focusing on unlocking economic and transport communications in the South Caucasus region.

Amirabdollahian further told journalists at the press briefing that he and the Armenian foreign minister discussed bilateral ties and ways of expanding them at their meeting.

The top Armenian diplomat said he extended an invitation to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to again visit Yerevan.

Armenia launches exports control mechanism to help companies avoid risk of sanctions

Emma Jilavian

 14:38,

YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Economy of Armenia Vahan Kerobyan has said that the government is doing everything for Armenian companies not to appear under secondary sanctions in conditions of the Western sanctions against Russia.

“The government has announced that although it’s not joining the sanctions, it is doing everything so that Armenian companies don’t come under secondary sanctions,” Kerobyan told reporters.

He said that the government is making numerous decisions in this direction to help businesses not circumvent sanctions.

“We’ve also introduced a certain mechanism of export control, according to which the exports of products of some categories is carried out only under our supervision. With this, we’ve basically cemented the borders of our exports in a way to not allow any company to come under that risk,” Kerobyan said.

In Memory of Prof. Richard G. Hovannisian

Emma Jilavian
 Guest Contributor Obituaries, Diaspora 0

Prof. Richard G. Hovannisian, 1932-2023

On July 10, the Society for Armenian Studies, the academic world, the field of Armenian Studies and the Armenian nation lost one of the most prominent icons of the modern period: Prof. Richard G. Hovannisian. Hovannisian was a monumental figure in the field of Armenian Studies. Considered as the Dean of Modern Armenian History, he established the field of Modern Armenian History in the western hemisphere. He supported the establishment of some of the most important chairs in Armenian Studies in the United States. Hovannisian was the child of Genocide survivors. His father, Kaspar Gavroian, was born in the village of Bazmashen near Kharpert in 1901. Unlike others, Kaspar survived the Genocide and arrived in the U.S. He changed his last name from Gavroian to Hovannisian after his father Hovannes. In 1928, Kaspar married Siroon Nalbandian, the child of Genocide survivors. They had four sons: John, Ralph, Richard and Vernon. Richard was born in Tulare, California, on November 9, 1932. Being the son of Genocide survivors played an important role in his academic path. In 1957, he married Dr. Vartiter Kotcholosian in Fresno and had four children: Raffi, Armen, Ani and Garo. Raffi would become the first Minister of Foreign Affairs (1991-1992) of the Modern Republic of Armenia. 

Hovannisian began his academic life in 1954 by earning a bachelor of arts in history, followed by a masters degree in history from the University of California, Berkeley. In 1966, he earned his doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His dissertation was published in 1967 with the title Armenia on the Road to Independence which was the precursor to the four-volume magnum opus The Republic of Armenia. Hovannisian played an important role in establishing the teaching of Armenian history at UCLA. In 1987, he became the first holder of the Armenian Education Foundation Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA, which after his retirement was named in his honor as the Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History, with Prof. Sebouh Aslanian as its first incumbent. 

Hovannisian was a Guggenheim Fellow and received numerous prestigious national and international awards for his service to the field and civic activities. He served on the board of directors of multiple national and international educational institutions and was a member of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences. After finishing his four-volume The Republic of Armenia, he dedicated his research and career to battling denial of the Armenian Genocide, resurrecting the history of Armenian towns and villages of the Armenian provinces of the Ottoman Empire and writing textbooks on modern Armenian history. Although not a scholar of the Armenian Genocide, he contributed more to the discipline than many others in the field. He edited multiple volumes on different facets of the Armenian Genocide, including historical, literary and artistic perspectives. Hovannisian also spearheaded a monumental project to preserve the eyewitness accounts of Armenian Genocide survivors. 

In the 1970s, he launched the Armenian Genocide oral history project. He and his students interviewed more than 1,000 Armenian Genocide survivors in California. In 2018, Hovannisian donated the collection to the USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive to be available to scholars around the world. He single-handedly edited and published 15 volumes with Mazda Press as part of the UCLA Armenian History & Culture Series. The 15 volumes covered the history of Armenians in Van/Vaspourakan, Cilicia (with Simon Payaslian), Sivas/Sepastia, Trebizond/Trabzon, Baghesh/Bitlis, Taron/Mush, Smyrna/Izmir, Kesaria/Kayseri and Cappadocia, among other places. The final book in the series, The Armenians of Persia/Iran, was published in 2022. Hovannisian also edited the two-volume The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times, which is considered a classic Armenian history textbook. 

Hovannisian came from a generation that fought against the stifling of Armenian voices within the fields of Middle Eastern and Ottoman Studies, which had relegated Armenian Studies to second-class status. He fought for the relevance of Armenian Studies within these fields and tirelessly fought against the efforts to marginalize Armenian issues and to deny the Armenian Genocide.

Besides his contributions to the field, Hovannisian also mentored and educated multiple generations of scholars and thousands of students. He was a strict mentor who demanded that his students work to reach their full potential. He wanted to ensure that they would survive and thrive in the tough terrain of the academic job market. 

In his lifetime, Hovannisian was especially influenced by two people: his wife Vartiter and Simon Vratsian (the last Prime Minister of the First Republic of Armenia). Vartiter was his life’s partner for more than half a century. Her dedication to Richard and the field of Armenian Studies played an important role in shaping who he became. Vartiter was an intellectual companion who read and reviewed every piece that he wrote. She was also a constant presence at every conference he planned or attended. In the early 1950s, Vratsian, the author of a major book on the First Republic, became Hovannisian’s mentor when he studied Armenian language at the Hamazkayin Nishan Palanjian Jemaran in Beirut, Lebanon. This influence led Hovannisian to write the first academic work on the First Republic of Armenia and created the first step for his academic career.  

In 1974, Hovannisian, along with Dickran Kouymjian, Nina Garsoïan, Avedis Sanjian and Robert Thomson, spearheaded the project to establish a Society for Armenian Studies (SAS). Considered as the pillars of Armenian Studies, the main objective of this group was the development of Armenian Studies as an academic discipline. With access to very limited resources, this group of scholars was able to establish the foundations of a Society that would play a dominant role in developing Armenian Studies in North America and beyond. From a handful of chairs and programs that supported the initiative at the time, today Armenian Studies as a discipline has flourished in the United States with more than thirteen chairs and programs providing their unconditional support to the Society. Hovannisian was the president of SAS for three terms (1977, 1991-1992, 2006-2009). During his tenure, the Society thrived and achieved major accomplishments in the field. 

In 2019, the Society for Armenian Studies awarded Hovannisian with its “Lifetime Achievement Award” in recognition and appreciation for his outstanding service and contribution to the field of Armenian Studies.

Hovannisian’s legacy will remain for generations to come.

Our hearts go out to his family and beloved ones. 

—Bedross Der Matossian
Past President of SAS (2018-2022)

***

Condolences

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Eastern USA Central Committee and the editors and staff of the Hairenik Weekly and Armenian Weekly extend their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Prof. Richard G. Hovannisian. 

The Armenian National Committee of America, Eastern Region, also extends deepest sympathies to Dr. Hovannisian’s family and friends.

Dr. Hovannisian’s legacy as the father of Armenian Studies, editor of many volumes, and a renowned scholar and author will continue to reverberate in the global Armenian nation.




Pashinyan congratulates Biden on July 4, lauds U.S. support to Armenia’s territorial integrity,sovereignty and democracy

Emma Jilavian

 11:29, 4 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 4, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory message to the President of the United States of America Joe Biden on the occasion of Independence Day.

The letter reads as follows,

“Honorable Mr. President,

On behalf of the Republic of Armenia and myself, I warmly congratulate you and the friendly people of the United States on Independence Day.

The United States and its people have gone through the difficult task of building a state by uniting around the idea of independence, forming a vision of a democratic future, and overcoming difficulties together. Continued US leadership in democracy contributes to the promotion of the fundamental values of freedom, equality, and inalienable human rights in many countries.

Active Armenian-American bilateral relations in recent years are promising, especially in the areas of democratic reforms, strengthening the rule of law and fighting corruption. I am happy to record that we have cooperation based on mutual trust between our governments, which gives an opportunity to effectively address the existing challenges and further strengthen the connection between our states and peoples.

We highly appreciate the position of the United States in supporting the territorial integrity, sovereignty and democracy of the Republic of Armenia, which was demonstrated in practice during the years 2021-2022. We also highly appreciate the efforts of the USA in the direction of establishing long-lasting and sustainable peace in the South Caucasus, normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, and addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Republic of Armenia continues to adhere to the peace agenda for the sake of the inviolability of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, for the sake of independence, sovereignty and long-term peaceful development in the region.

Mr. President, I once again congratulate you on Independence Day and wish you and the American people prosperity, peace and continued progress.”

CoE: Turkey Using Sweden’s NATO Membership Bid To Extend Repression

Emma Jilavian
Hamdi Firat Buyuk
Sarajevo
BIRN

June 23, 202314:57

Council of Europe report says Turkey’s government uses many tactics to repress its critics abroad – and they include blocking Sweden’s NATO membership bid.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson attend a press conference after their meeting in Ankara, 8 November 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/NECATI SAVAS

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s latest report, “Transnational repression as a growing threat to the rule of law and human rights”, says Turkey employs various strategies to hound its critics abroad, including an attempt to trap Sweden over its NATO membership bid.

“The Assembly specifically calls upon Turkey to end its intimidation of Bulent Kenes, to recognise and respect the decision of the Swedish Supreme Court and curtail its policy of using its veto on Sweden’s membership to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as a tool of transnational repression,” the report written by Christopher Chope, a British member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, PACE, said.

Kenes was a former editor-in-chief of Today’s Zaman newspaper in Turkey, a paper affiliated with exiled government critic Fethullah Gulen. Following a failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016, Kenes, like tens of thousands of others, found refuge abroad in Sweden, obtaining political asylum there.

Gulen, a Muslim preacher living in the US, denies any connection with the coup attempt but Ankara defines his network as the “Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation”, or FETO for short, a classification Western countries do not accept.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government recently pushed Sweden to extradite political refuges including Kenes in return of its approval for its NATO membership bid.

Despite all calls and warnings, Erdogan still has not approved Sweden’s membership bid amidst Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine.

“This behaviour is unacceptable to all those who support the rule of law and serves as an example of the type of pressure which some countries seek to exercise over others to pursue what is essentially another aspect of transnational repression. Even prior to the Turkish Government’s statement a pro-government newspaper had revealed Mr Kenes’s home address and published secretly taken photos in November 2022. Bulent Kenes is one of the founders of the Stockholm Centre for Freedom,” the report added.

Emre Turkut, a postdoctoral researcher at the Hertie School’s Centre for Fundamental Rights in Berlin, said the West should be prepared for autocrats’ unprincipled tactics.

“Erdogan’s pursuit of political interests that undermine human rights in return for Sweden’s NATO membership shows that the right plans must be made against authoritarian regimes. Authoritarian regimes do not have principles. Turkey has already lost its consciousness of being a democratic state that respects human rights,” Turkut told BIRN.

While the CoE report calls on Turkey to stop using Sweden’s NATO membership in its international repression, Turkish members of the PACE objected to the link being made.

“Sweden’s NATO membership is not related to the report. Negotiations for Sweden’s membership continues on the basis of a trilateral memorandum signed by Turkey, Sweden and Finland. Negotiations for Finland’s membership were successfully finalised. Sweden’s membership is expected to be concluded successfully in the near future,” Turkish parliamentarians from Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development party, AKP, wrote.

Former editor-in-chief of the Turkish daily ‘Cumhuriyet’, Can Dundar, in Berlin, Germany, 28 September 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN

Turkey’s strategy to use NATO membership issues forms only part of Erdogan’s government’s campaign to repress critics abroad.

“Reportedly, the number of incidents of physical transnational repression committed since 2014 reached 854 by the end of 2022. These acts were committed by 38 governments in 91 countries around the world. The most prolific perpetrators of transnational repression are, according to the non-governmental organisation Freedom House, the governments of China, Turkey, Russian Federation, Egypt and Tajikistan,” the report added.

Other tactics of Turkey listed by the report include manipulation of Interpol’s red notice system, manipulation of counter-terrorism financing mechanisms as well as renditions.

“The Turkish campaign has been found to rely on renditions, abuse of extradition proceedings, Interpol Red Notices and anti-terror financing measures, and co-opting other States to deport or transfer persons unlawfully,” the report noted, using examples of Kosovo and Moldova from which Turkey brought several Turkish citizens who are alleged members of Gulen’s network.

Turkut said transnational repression is nothing new for Turkey.

“The government has been using different transnational repression tools especially since the 1990s. After 2015, it became a very common systematic,” Turkut said, underlying Turkey’s backward trend in democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

According to Turkut, Turkey uses three major tactics in its transnational repression.

“First, by signing anti-terrorism agreements or security cooperation agreements with the countries it was able to … create… a legal infrastructure for the extradition of wanted dissidents. Secondly, in countries that are usually democratic countries, where this infrastructure could not be provided, legal applications were made for the extradition of the dissidents, and these applications were rejected in many countries such as the UK, the US and Belgium,” Turkut said.

Turkut said the third tactic includes various forms.

“Turkey has used various strategies to conduct a massive transnational repression across borders to supress dissidents. These include passport cancellations, Interpol notices, forced abductions and similar. All of these are fundamentally against human rights,” Turkut added.

According to a Freedom House, quoted by the report, Turkey has so far rendered 58 people including alleged Gulenists, Kurdish fugitives and other critics from 17 countries.

Turkish journalists who live abroad are also specifically hunted by the Turkish government.

“NGOs have also highlighted the role of the Turkish intelligence agency in threats and intimidation of Turkish opposition members and journalists in exile and called on States to prevent any co-operation with the Turkish secret service,” the report underlined, citing the case of a senior Turkish journalist, Can Dundar.

Dundar, then editor-in-chief of the daily Cumhuriyet, left for Germany in June 2016 after being sentenced to prison for leaking national security information.

“Since going into exile, he has faced numerous threats. He and other Turkish journalists in Germany have received protection from German authorities,” the report added.