South China Morning Post By Serkan Yolacan After an 86-year pause, Friday prayers will resume at the Hagia Sophia this week, following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decree to convert Istanbul’s iconic museum back into a mosque. The decision, which has been greeted with dismay around the world, has been interpreted by many as an Islamist attempt to undo Turkey ’s secularist legacy – Hagia Sophia’s status was changed from mosque to museum in 1934 by a cabinet order signed by the country’s secular founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. In Turkey, however, there has been little opposition to the move from Erdogan’s political rivals, even secularists. In fact, in a rare display of agreement with the government, all opposition parties save one have applauded it. This surprising response reveals a vein in Turkish politics that is more powerful than either Islamism or secularism, yet is overshadowed by both: the Turkish-Islamic Synthesis, a right-wing ideology which holds that Islam is indispensable to Turkish identity and that Turks have a privileged role in the spread of the religion. Hagia Sophia, known to Turks as Ayasofya, was inaugurated in 537 as the state church of the Roman Empire. It later became the patriarchal cathedral of the Eastern Orthodox Church before being ransacked by Latin crusaders in 1204. Some 250 years later, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II turned the majestic building into a mosque and built his seraglio, the Topkapi Palace, next to it upon conquering Constantinople. Until last week, these historic structures were by far the two most visited museums of Istanbul. No more – the church-turned-mosque-turned-museum is, once again, a mosque. Erdogan is not the first leader to open Hagia Sophia to Muslim prayer. That distinction belongs to Turgut Ozal, the former Turkish president whose centrist political legacy Erdogan openly embraced in carrying his party to power in the early 2000s. In 1991, Ozal dedicated the Sultan’s Pavilion, an 18th-century annex of the iconic building, to Muslim prayer without changing the Hagia Sophia’s status as a museum. Although this was a symbolic act, it went a long way towards showing how the long-held dreams of Turkey’s Muslim conservatives could be addressed without openly attacking Ataturk’s legacy. To walk this fine line, Ozal leaned on the Turkish-Islamic Synthesis. Although Ataturk and his secularist reforms sat uncomfortably within this ideology, its proponents, unlike the Islamists, did not take issue with the modern Turkish state’s founder. After all, he was the defender of Gallipoli, a major historical symbol for nationalists and Islamists alike, and saved Istanbul from allied occupation after the first world war. In their eyes, serving Turks meant serving Islam. Ataturk thus belonged to the pantheon of Turkish leaders who brought glory to Islam, never mind his secularist bent. The Turkish-Islamic Synthesis provided a bridge between Islamists and nationalists, and seeped into the mainstream over the past 30 years – nearly two-thirds of which has passed with Erdogan in a leadership role. It now defines the broad parameters of what passes as legitimate politics among both the right and left. Whether it is the conquest of Istanbul, the battle of Gallipoli, or the Hagia Sophia, such symbols of Turkish-Islamic Synthesis are now the cornerstone of majoritarian politics in Turkey. No political actor can openly defy the ideology without risking the chance to occupy the political centre – hence the broad acceptance of Erdogan’s move. But while this seems like a win-win situation for the president, it also signals trouble ahead for him. For one, Erdogan’s politics increasingly rely on polarisation, and consensus is not an advantage for him. The international opposition is also a worrying sign. The president has an image problem in the West, and this decision, if anything, will worsen it. More importantly, the country is reeling economically, and cannot afford any fallout. Erdogan knows this well. Last year, he dismissed suggestions to turn the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, saying it was a political trap. Yet he is now willingly entering the trap. Why? Of late, Erdogan has had nothing to offer but symbols. Some have come in the form of megaprojects, like the country’s biggest mosque in Camlica, Istanbul, completed and inaugurated in 2019. Another mosque is being completed in Taksim, the symbolic square of the republic which was the epicentre of the massive Gezi Park protests in 2013. The Hagia Sophia move is the latest example. In the meantime, the state he is running is tangled in webs of nepotism and is unable to arrest the economy’s free-fall. The patronage networks he has spearheaded have made Erdogan unpopular with the majority, and he is using symbols to touch base with his constituency and rally support. Erdogan knows he is on thin ice. In the past, as an unrivalled strongman leader, his favoured instrument of rule was the presidential decree. This time, instead of annulling Ataturk’s 1934 decision via this route, he chose to wait for the Council of State, the highest administrative court in the country, to act first. Although nobody mistakes the court’s decision for a legal proceeding independent of Erdogan, his decision to invoke the judiciary’s authority shows that he is uncertain of his ability to face down international pressures, and that he knows he does not have the political capital to take full responsibility for the move. Despite Turkish Islamists’ joy at the move, these are ever more uncertain times for Erdogan. When he was asked how he slept on the night of his historic decision, he said he could not sleep until first light. He did not say why. Dr Serkan Yolacan, a Turk, is a research fellow at the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore
Author: George Mamian
Ucom and Teach For Armenia partner to provide hundreds of students in Armenia with internet access
16:20,
YEREVAN, JULY 21, ARMENPRESS. Teach For Armenia (TFA) is partnering with Ucom to provide internet connectivity to hundreds of students across Armenia. Ucom, the fastest network operator in Armenia and both fixed and mobile services’ provider, has donated 370 data cards to power devices in 24 rural communities as part of the Digital Divide Campaign, an initiative seeking to connect all students in Armenia and Artsakh with the devices and internet access they need to keep learning as education goes online.
This summer, Teach For Armenia students are using their Ucom-powered devices to participate in the Virtual Student Leadership Camp. The three-week-long camp prepares students to be problem solvers by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to create innovative project proposals that will spark local ingenuity, civic responsibility, and global connectivity within their communities.
“Hundreds of Teach For Armenia students are spending their summer learning the fundamentals of civic engagement and how to be agents for change in their communities,” said Ruiz Clark, Chief Operating Officer at Teach For Armenia. “We’re grateful to Ucom, who recognizes that connectivity should not be a barrier to learning, in making our Virtual Student Leadership Camp a reality.”
“Ucom is excited to continue its long standing partnership with Teach For Armenia, this summer and beyond, in order to build a more equitable education system for all students in Armenia and Artsakh. By uniting our efforts, we believe that we can create impactful results for our students and communities”, said Ara Sergei Khachatryan, Director General at Ucom.
‘I stand with my fellow Armenians’ – Kim Kardashian condemns Azerbaijani attack on Armenia
10:41,
YEREVAN, JULY 17, ARMENPRESS. American-Armenian reality TV superstar Kim Kardashian West once again expressed her support for Armenia on the background of the recent escalation of tension on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
Kim Kardashain called on Senators and Representatives to support Armenia.
“Despite an ongoing global pandemic, Azerbaijan has violated the UN’s appeal for global ceasefire against the Republic of Armenia. Civilian structures in Armenia have been targeted, and Azerbaijan has now threatened to bomb the nuclear power plant in Armenia”, Kim Kardashian said on an Instagram story.
She noted that in the meantime, the US congressional amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act will be voted on next week to ensure that the US does not enable Azerbaijan with military aid that would be used against Armenia and Artsakh.
“The international community needs to pay attention and intervene now with such political and diplomatic measures to prevent unnecessary escalation and the loss of human life.
I stand with my fellow Armenians and pray for those that are involved in recent tensions on the border of the country”, Kim Kardashian said.
She urged for a peaceful resolution during this already very difficult pandemic.
“Please call on your Senators and Representatives to support Armenia”, Kardashian said.
Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
‘War is never an alternative’ – Uruguay MP on Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia
16:48,
YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS. Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay Pedro Jisdonian commented on the current situation in the Armenia-Azerbaijan border caused by the latest provocation of the Azerbaijani side.
“On the occasion of the attack of the Azerbaijani forces on the border with Armenia, we call for peace and respecting international commitments over the settlement of the Artsakh conflict. War is never an alternative. Peace and dialogue”, he said.
Today early in the morning the Azerbaijani side resumed shelling at the bordering villages of Armenia’s Tavush province. Aygepar, Nerkin Karmiraghbyur, Chinari, Movses, Tavush villages and Berd town were under the target.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Armenian army chief holds meeting with Russian Ambassador
18:51,
YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Lt. General Onik Gasparyan has held a meeting with Ambassador of Russia to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin and military attaché Colonel Andrey Grishchuk, the Defense Ministry said in a news release.
“During the meeting the issues related to the Armenia-Russia bilateral cooperation in the defense area were touched upon, future plans on military and military-technical cooperation and other issues on development were discussed”, the statement says.
The meeting comes amid heightened tensions at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border after Azerbaijan attacked an Armenian military base, using high caliber mortars and artillery.
Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
ANCA’s Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship Starts Second Summer
July 8, 2020
Roger Williams University International Relations and Philosophy student Tatevik Khachatryan has been named the 2020 ANCA Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Summer Fellow.
Program Celebrates Youth Leader’s Legacy of Service to Homeland and Heritage
WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America, for a second consecutive summer, has welcomed a Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellow into its signature summer leadership training program.
Selected through a competitive selection process, this year’s fellow, Tatevik Khachatryan, is a double major at Roger Williams University in International Relations and Philosophy. Her participation in the ANCA’s Leo Sarkisian Internship Program represents a living tribute to the memory of Maral Melkonian Avetisyan, a devoted youth leader whose community activism and commitment to the Armenian homeland continues to inspire new generations of young Armenian Americans.
“I am deeply honored and thankful for being chosen to serve in the memory of Maral Melkonian Avetisyan. The development of future professional endeavors through the opportunities and skills gained this summer, will allow me to live up to her goals to follow her aspirations and make myself as well as all Armenians proud. It is vital for me, as an Armenian ambassador, to advocate for the Armenian Cause and bring the experiences gained through the LSI to my local community and those around me.”
“We see, in Tatevik’s talents, intellect, and energy, Maral’s spirit, her contagious devotion to her homeland and heritage,” ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Maral – in her short time with us – touched so many lives, and continues to inspire so many spirits. We are blessed by her memory and the commitment of her entire family to the future of our community and cause.”
“We are, once again this year, deeply gratified to see Maral’s kind and caring spirit in a new generation of young Armenians – devoted to their homeland and committed to the proud heritage of our nation,” said Maral’s brother Raffi, on behalf of their father Ara, mother Haikanouche, and the entire Melkonian and Avetisyan families. “Tatevik – like Lucine last year – represents the very best of our Armenian tradition.”
Khachatryan has been an active member of the Providence, RI Armenian community since coming to the United States sixteen years ago – attending Armenian school, dancing with Hamazkayin, and serving in the Providence “Varantian” Armenian Youth Federation chapter and local Homenetmen scouting and sports groups. At school, she serves as vice president of the student body and president of the Model United National and Model Arab League teams. She took second place in the Rhode Island National History Day competition traveled to Washington, DC for a presentation on the Armenian Genocide.
The Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Summer Fellowship runs concurrently with the ANCA Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship Program, now in its 35th year.
Lifelong Armenian community advocate Maral Melkonian Avetisyan
Maral Melkonian Avetisyan: A Legacy of Service to the Armenian Cause
Born on Jan. 12, 1983, in Silver Spring, MD, Maral was always the delight of her parents Ara and Haikanouche Melkonian and older brother, Raffi. She attended St. Catherine Laboure from Kindergarten to 5th grade; St. Martin Catholic School from 6th through 8th grade; then graduated from Good Counsel High School and received her Bachelor of Arts in English language and literature in 2007 from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Maral was a proud graduate of the Greater Washington, DC area’s Hamasdegh Armenian School, and devoted her volunteer time to organizations including Homenetmen, Armenian Youth Federation (AYF), AYF Camp Haiastan, Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), Armenia Volunteer Corps (AVC), and Birthright Armenia.
She led by example from the very beginning, holding multiple executive positions in the AYF D.C. “Sevan” Juniors and “Ani” Seniors and attending Camp Haiastan both as a camper and a counselor. At just 13 years of age, her poem, “When I Wake Up,” published in The Armenian Weekly, encapsulated her commitment to helping the children of Armenia. “When I wake up, I look forward to tell people to help Armenia,” wrote young Maral, who continues “When I wake up, I hope a child from Armenia gets food.” She ends with a rallying cry to her generation, “I got up. I am ready to fight for Armenia.”
In Homenetmen, she inspired fellow Scouts as a khmpabed and traveled to Armenia in 1998 and 2002 to participate in the worldwide jamborees. In 2006, she would return to the Homeland, this time through the AYF, AVC, and Birthright Armenia, to spend the summer working with children at the Naregatsi Art Institute in Artsakh and the Khnko Aper Children’s Library in Yerevan. In 2007, she went back for a second consecutive summer, this time as director of the AYF Armenia Internship Program.
A picture of the Maral Melkonian Avetisyan outdoor sports facility in Arajamugh, Artsakh
Upon her return to the U.S., as she explored career opportunities, Maral interned at the ANCA. In time she met and married a true kindred spirit—Tigran Avetisyan—and they, together, embarked on a journey of faith and fulfillment that was sadly cut short on April 13, 2015.
In addition to supporting the ANCA’s educational and youth development programs, Maral’s family have shared her powerful legacy of devotion to community and cause through their support for her beloved Camp Haiastan and most recently through the establishment of a soccer field in the village of Arajamugh in the Republic of Artsakh.
Mr. and Mrs. Ara and Haikanouche Melkonian and Ara Melkonian’s sister, Seta Melkonian-Mangassarian, participated last year in the dedication ceremony for the outdoor sports facility, built through the efforts of the Armenian Cultural Association of America (ACAA) Artsakh Fund. Maral’s legacy and the sports facility in her honor were spotlighted in the ACAA online commemoration of the 28th Anniversary of the Shushi Liberation.
CivilNet: Armenia’s Constitutional Issues From an International Perspective
CIVILNET.AM
5 July, 2020 20:45
Anna Myriam Roccatello is the Deputy Executive Director and Director of Programs of the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) with over 25 years of international experience in rule of law, human rights and transitional justice. She spoke to CivilNet’s Emilio Cricchio about the importance of transitional justice, the issues surrounding the Armenian Constitutional Court, constitutional review processes and how to create a social contract in Armenian society.
Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 01-07-20
17:29, 1 July, 2020
YEREVAN, 1 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 1 July, USD exchange rate up by 0.16 drams to 482.52 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.32 drams to 540.76 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.02 drams to 6.79 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 6.37 drams to 598.08 drams.
The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.
Gold price down by 45.18 drams to 27429.2 drams. Silver price down by 0.83 drams to 276.84 drams. Platinum price up by 35.21 drams to 12627.89 drams.
Arshak Gasparyan appointed deputy chairman of State Revenue Committee
13:51,
YEREVAN, JUNE 25, ARMENPRESS. Arshak Gasparyan has been appointed deputy chairman of the State Revenue Committee.
The respective decision has been signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and is posted on the government’s website.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Government to create jobs in Armenia for citizens departing for seasonal work
20:40,
YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government should present 100 new projects in the capital construction sector, trying to create jobs for its citizens in Armenia during the current coronavirus pandemic so that they will not depart to foreign countries for work, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at online briefing today, in response to the question of ARMENPRESS.
Numerous Armenian citizens were unable to visit the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union for a seasonal work due to the closure of borders. Asked whether this issue has been discussed with the partners, when it would be possible to restore the regular passenger flows between Armenia and the EAEU states, in particular Russia, the PM said: “It depends on the coronavirus situation not only in Armenia, but also in Russia. But our main plan is to try to create jobs for our citizens in Armenia so that they will have a chance to work here, rather than outside Armenia”.
The PM said the government must present 100 new projects in the capital construction sector, tenders over some of these projects are already taking place. He expressed hope that this plan will be implemented in an effective way, and Armenians departing for a seasonal work will have a chance to work in their homeland. “In any case, this is our best desire, I hope we will be able to fulfill this goal at least to a great extent”, he added.
Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan