Author: Hovhannisian John

Who is the president of Artur Aghabekyan’s “heart”?

Hovhannisian John
  • 06.02.2019

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  • Armenia:

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The former Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Artsakh Artur Aghabekyan addressed the question of the future president of Artsakh, stating who he sees in that position.


“Every time I am in the city of Stepanakert, I am constantly asked from the right and the left who will be the next president of Artsakh.

I publicly answer everyone. 2012 being the deputy prime minister of Artsakh and serving as prime minister Araik Harutyunyan knowing his ideas and vision about the future of Artsakh and its development, I believe that the next president of the country should be Arayik Harutyunyan, and now I declare that Arayik Harutyunyan has no alternative.


I will have many opportunities to talk about Araik Harutyunyan’s lack of an alternative in the near future,” he wrote on his Facebook page.


Let’s remind that yesterday the former commander of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armed Forces, hero of Artsakh Samvel Babayanannounced that he intends to participate in the 2020 presidential elections in Artsakh.

Soldiers’ security, everyday issues remain under constant spotlight of Artsakh’s top leadership

Hovhannisian John

Soldiers’ security, everyday issues remain under constant spotlight of Artsakh’s top leadership

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09:39, 6 February, 2019

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan on February 5 visited various sectors of the republic’s eastern borderline and got acquainted on site with the course of military service and current situation, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

He was accompanied by defense minister Karen Abrahamyan and other officials.

The President assured the servicemen that the security, everyday and social issues of the soldiers will remain under the spotlight of the country’s top leadership.

On the same day the President visited the Talish village of the Martakert region and convened a working consultation around the issues related to the restoration of the settlement.

Bako Sahakyan gave concrete instructions to the heads of the concerned structures towards proper solution of the issues under discussion highlighting the significance of the Talish restoration program for our country.

Defense minister Karen Abrahamyan, minister of municipal engineering Karen Shahramanyan and other officials participated in the consultation.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




‘Forever Saroyan’ is Looking for Archivist/Editor

Hovhannisian John
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10 hours ago

William Saroyan

Forever Saroyan is a privately owned and funded archive located in San Jose dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of 20th century writer William Saroyan. The organization is seeking to fill the vacant position of archivist/editor.

Under the direction of the managing director, the archivist is responsible for the oversight and maintenance of a collection of correspondence, rare books, original artwork and other media relating to Saroyan, in addition to the development of various historical and creative publishing ventures. This is an ideal position for an early career archivist, writer, or editor looking for experience in private archives and research. The candidate must be a strong self-starter who thrives on working independently and possesses excellent written communication skills.

Essential duties and responsibilities:

1. Archival (25%)

  • Processing, digitizing, and cataloging documents in Archivists Toolkit.
  • Performs original research on Saroyan and associated topics as needed, utilizing Internet sources, primary sources, and offsite research at institutional archives.
  • Communicates daily in person and via email with the director and other individuals associated with various ongoing projects.
  • Works to coordinate occasional outreach and public presentations.
  • Selects and purchases books, rare materials, and archival preservation supplies.

2. Editorial (75%)

  • Plans, designs, and develops creative projects based on materials in the archive and materials associated with Saroyan’s life and work.
  • Transcribes, proofreads, and annotates multiple ongoing projects.
  • Works closely with associated graphic designers, primary research sources, copyright specialists, and printers.

Required

  • Familiarity with Archivists Toolkit/Archives Space, Outlook, Dropbox, Microsoft Office, image manipulation software.
  • Experience with digitization and archival preservation practices. Comfortable operating a flatbed scanner and copy machine, familiarity with basic office equipment.
  • Knowledge of archival practices and processes.
  • Strong academic background in Library Science, Literature, Editing, Creative Writing, or combination. MLIS preferred.
  • Excellent written skills, research skills and the ability to self-organize.

Desired

  • Background in American literature and/or Armenian studies.
  • Experience in genealogy research.
  • Working knowledge of written and/or spoken Armenian.

 

To apply, please send resume and cover letter to

Turkish Press: Turks in Los Angeles targeted in new smear campaign

Hovhannisian John
Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Feb 2 2019


Unidentified man in Los Angeles caused tension between Armenian and Turkish communities, investigation underway

                                                                       Vakkas Doğantekin

ANKARA

Turks in Los Angeles slammed a smear campaign against Turkey and the Turkish community by the Armenian diaspora after an unidentified man hung Turkish flags on the premises of Armenian schools.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has been investigating the matter since Tuesday in a bid to find the masked man in black who erected the flags at Manoogian-Demirdjian School in Canoga Park, a small city in northern Los Angeles. 

Flags were allegedly also found at Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School, another Armenian school nearby.

Both schools are located in San Fernando Valley area which is close to the city of Glendale, a stronghold of Armenians with almost no Turkish presence.

The senseless act by the unidentified man has concerned both Armenians and Turks living in the U.S. state for decades.

The Armenian diaspora jumped to conclusions and rushed to blame Turks, even though the police has not yet identified the person’s ethnicity in the video footage.

Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted about the incident and urged the police to find the perpetrator as soon as possible.

Congressmen and state senators who rely on Armenian votes in their districts have also rushed to linking this act to the so-called Armenian genocide.

The Turkish community in Los Angeles has denied any involvement and rejected Armenian allegations.

The Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles in a statement to Anadolu Agency called the defamation campaign against Turkey “unacceptable”.

“Despite the history of terrorist attacks against our diplomats in Los Angeles and the subsequent hate incidents, which targeted the Turkish American interests, the Turks of this city have always acted with great restraint and refrained from acts that would undermine their relations with the Armenian community,” said the statement.

Armenian terrorist organizations like ASALA and Justice Commandoes for Armenian Genocide have committed 699 terrorist acts across the world against Turkish diplomats and civil servants.

One of the victims was Los Angeles Consul General Kemal Arikan who was killed in 1982 by an Armenian JCAG terrorist, Hampig Sassounian.

He is currently in an American prison serving a life sentence.

“Premature statements that prejudge the outcome of the ongoing investigation into the recent events are unsettling for the Turkish Americans, who have no interest in provoking any other community in Los Angeles. The recent joint statement issued by the members of the Turkish community articulates their reaction towards the recent events,” concluded the statement of the Turkish Consulate. 

A joint statement by the representatives of several Turkish civil society organizations also denounced Armenian allegations and called for calm.

“We firmly believe that what happened earlier this week was not an act of a Turkish-American. We condemn the person behind this provocative act which caused an unnecessary alarm in both communities,” said their statement.

Urging LAPD and other agencies to “investigate diligently and catch the perpetrator”, the Turkish community leaders extended an olive branch to the Armenian community:

“We wish and seek peaceful dialogue between the two communities, not hostile polarization and intimidation.”



Sports: Armenia top figure skaters competing in European championship

Hovhannisian John
News.am, Armenia
Jan 23 2019

Armenia has two representatives—Slavik Hayrapetyan and Anastasia Galustyan—at the 2019 European Figure Skating Championships which are held from Wednesday to Sunday in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus.

First, Anastasia Galustyan will enter the ice rink on Wednesday, and compete in the Ladies’ Short Program. The Ladies’ Free Skating competition is slated for Friday.

Slavik Hayrapetyan will start his campaign in Men’s competition with Thursday’s Short Program. Men’s Free Skating competition is scheduled for Saturday.

Blogger Lapshin: Karabakh conflict is more necessary for Aliyev`s authorities than for the people of Azerbaijan

Hovhannisian John
Arminfo, Armenia
Jan 22 2019
Ani Mshetsyan

ArmInfo. Apparently, the history of Azerbaijan is not too rich, and 3 factors have found significant place in it – the Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani Laundromat and  Alexander Lapshin. The blogger Alexander Lapshin said this in an  interview with ArmInfo correspondent.

He noted that today the solution of the Karabakh problem itself is  not so important for Baku as the frozen conflict itself, in order to  constantly focus public attention on the presence of an external  enemy. “Of course, Armenia’s external enemy is. And my arrest was  also artificially inflated in order to create an image of the enemy  for the people of Azerbaijan. Thus, the Azerbaijani authorities  divert the attention of citizens from existing problems, switching  them to the so-called enemies,” the blogger noted.

Lapshin also said that today protests are held in Azerbaijan  demanding the release of blogger Mehman Huseynov, which once again  demonstrates the dissatisfaction of Azerbaijani citizens with Aliyev  and his policies. “I think such protest actions will sooner or later  lead to a change of power, this moment is already brewing, but it’s  hard to say exactly when it will happen. The residents of Azerbaijan  see that the change of power has occurred in Armenia and they want to  repeat this scenario in their homeland. After all, in fact, the  country receives huge funds from the sale of oil, meanwhile, people  live very poorly, much worse than in Armenia, “Lapshin stressed.

The blogger noted that the change of power in Azerbaijan is  beneficial to the people, but it is unlikely to be in the hands of  Armenia. “Today, Aliyev does not pose a threat to Armenia, he is  predictable and not dangerous, besides, he is satisfied with Russia.  And it’s hard to say what the situation will be if a new government  comes in, a number of opposition representatives are very determined,  including in the Karabakh issue. There are two options – either to  intensify the negotiation process, or to start a war. It is very  difficult to say which scenario they prefer, “the blogger said.

To the question of ArmInfo correspondent, how much the people of  Azerbaijan are interested in the Karabakh issue, Lapshin answered:  “The Azerbaijani people as a whole want to live in a free country,  live better. They know perfectly well what is happening in their  country – they live in the country, they fear for themselves, they  are much more concerned about their children and all these problems  than the resolution of the Karabakh conflict and it is needed not so  much by the people as by the authority of Aliyev. Today, two Aliyev  and Pashayev clans have usurped power in the country, but there are  other clans want to take power into their own hands, ” said Lapshin. 

Thousands marched for slain journalist Hrant Dink in Istanbul

Hovhannisian John
Ahval News
Jan 20 2019
Thousands marched for slain journalist Hrant Dink in Istanbul

2019-01-20
           

Thousands of protesters marked the 12th anniversary of a Turkish-Armenian journalist’s murder on Saturday as outrage continues to grow over a trial which failed to shed light on alleged official negligence or even collusion, Turkish news site Diken reported. 

Jan. 19 marks the 12th anniversary of prominent Armenian-Turkish journalist, the editor-in-chief of Istanbul-based Agos newspaper Hrant Dink‘s murder. 

Protesters and human rights activists placed red carnations on the spot where Dink was gunned down in daylight by a teenage gunman in Istanbul, outside of his minority Agos newspaper. 

Many carried black banners that read “We are all Hrant, we are all Armenian” and “We want justice”, as they did in the previous eleven commemorations.

Filiz Ali, daughter of slain writer Sabahattin Ali, made a commemoration speech at the ceremony. 

“In 1948, on a snowy morning, my father Sabahattin Ali, took his way to Istanbul from Ankara after he shot a few photos of my mother and me. And he never came back. The killer, who said he murdered my father due to ‘nationalist feelings’, was not different from the man who posed with a Turkish flag after killing you,” Filiz Ali said. 

“Dear Hrant, despite all difficulties, we are not hopeless. There are still people who do not remain silent. We are not going anywhere, and we are not giving up…These lands, this country is ours!” Ali concluded.

Dink, a Turkish citizen of Armenian heritage, was outspoken about Armenian issues; he was prosecuted three times for violating Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, which makes it a crime to insult Turkishness, the Turkish nation, or Turkish institutions. Dink spent his career challenging the intolerance behind such statutes, becoming a champion of minority rights in a country where such causes are punishable.

At the doors of Agos offices, 12 years ago, on Jan. 19, 2007, teenager Ogün Samast shot Dink at close range as he was returning to work. 

The murder instantly became a symbol of the racism and ultranationalism grinding at the core of Turkish society, a war against freedom of _expression_, and the complacency of Turkey’s intellectuals.

Since Dink’s murder, the movement called “We Want Justice” which demands a fair trial for Dink’s murder case, has grown and become more complex, bringing together Turkish liberals, Armenians, journalists, Kurds and Alevis, and women and members of the LGBTI community—basically all marginalised minorities in Turkey. 

Bright Armenia faction head describes NA vice speaker election “shameful”

Hovhannisian John
Aysor, Armenia
Jan 15 2019

The election of vice speaker of parliament was a shame, Bright Armenia faction head Edmon Marukyan told the reporters, referring to the results of the voting.

“As to me, it was a shameful voting as I think the arguments we have presented for Mane Tandilyan to be vice speaker were not denied in any way,” he said.

As to the MP from other faction who voted for Mane Tandilyan, Marukyan said, more probably it is an MP from My Step bloc and did not exclude that he may be their former party mate Hayk Konjoryan.

Isfahan manifestation of solidarity among divine religions: Armenian archbishop

Hovhannisian John
IRNA, Iran
Jan 8 2019
Isfahan manifestation of solidarity among divine religions: Armenian archbishop

He said in a meeting with Armenian Archbishop in Isfahan province on Saturday.

In Isfahan province followers of all religions seek convergence and solidarity and try to live in peace and as the government representative we are to extend any type of cooperation with Armenian minorities, he said.

In the meeting, the Armenian archbishop, for his part appreciated local officials for extending cooperation with Armenian minorities residing in the province.

During the eight-years of sacred defense, devoted Armenians scarified their loves to prove their loyalty to their country, he said.

Some seven thousands Armenian minorities reside in the province.