Author: Karapet Navasardian

General Staff is functioning normally, says Lt. General Artak Davtyan

Karapet Navasardian

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 12:03, 2 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. The situation at the General Staff of the Armenian military is resolved, the Chief of the General Staff Lt. General Artak Davtyan said.

“There is no problem. The General Staff is functioning normally. I am working very well with everybody and we are fulfilling the objectives set before us,” he said.

He refused to comment on the court’s verdict in his predecessor General Onik Gasparyan’s lawsuit who was disputing his dismissal.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Turkish press: Erdoğan to visit Shusha, Nagorno-Karabakh after Ramadan

Karapet Navasardian
 ISTANBUL DIPLOMACY 
MAR 31, 2021 3:14 PM GMT+3
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attends the National Security Council meeting in Ankara, Turkey, . (AA Photo)

We all have to continue to be there for Azerbaijan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at the Turkic Council meeting on Wednesday, adding that he will visit Nagorno-Karabakh’s Shusha following the holy month of Ramadan.

“It is important that we continue to be on the side of Azerbaijan with all our capabilities for the protection and recovery of Turkic structures in Karabakh,” Erdoğan stated, pointing out that 63 out of 67 mosques were destroyed in the region during Armenian occupation, while churches were also ruined.

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces liberated Shusha in November after 28 years of Armenian occupation. Shusha, known as the pearl of Nagorno-Karabakh, was occupied by Armenia on May 8, 1992.

The town has a significant military value since it is located on strategic high ground about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of the region’s capital over Khankendi (Stepanakert) and on the road linking the city with Armenian territory. Besides its strategic significance, the town is known as a symbol of Azerbaijani history and culture with many historic sites, the restoration of which has started. Many prominent Azerbaijani musicians and scholars were born in the city.

Azerbaijanis celebrated Shusha’s liberation with great enthusiasm.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in January declared Shusha the country’s cultural capital.

“I declare Shusha to be the capital of Azerbaijani culture. The city of Shusha deserves that. I think that it can be considered not only the cultural capital of Azerbaijan but also of the entire region,” Aliyev said during a videoconference with Culture Minister Anar Karimov.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions.

New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, when Armenia launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the six-week-long conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages.

The two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

The president further emphasized the need to continue to support Turkish Cypriots. “I believe that we can bring Turkish Cypriots to the level they deserve through combining our powers.”

Erdoğan also touched upon the growing significance of the Turkic Council, saying that the council needs to be called an international organization, the decision of which could be made during the upcoming summit in Istanbul.

“We hope to hold the eighth summit of the council in Istanbul on Nov. 12, 2021, as far as pandemic conditions allow,” Erdoğan added, stating that the importance of the council has enhanced in the face of the changes the world is undergoing.

Saying that the Turkic Council has finalized its institutionalization within 12 years, Erdoğan stated that there is rising demand to participate in the council as observers.

He also stated that Turkey allocated a historical building for the use of the council’s secretariat in Istanbul.

Kocharyan trial adjourned

Karapet Navasardian

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 14:10,

YEREVAN, MARCH 30, ARMENPRESS. Judge Anna Danibekyan of the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction adjourned the trial of former president Robert Kocharyan because the prosecutors were absent. Several other ex-government officials are also defendants in the case.

The judge said that all defendants have submitted motions requesting to drop criminal proceedings which are initiated under article 300.1 of the penal code (overthrowing constitutional order), because the constitutional court determined it to be unconstitutional and void.

Judge Danibekyan said the court had to discuss the issue of stopping the criminal proceedings, but the hearing can’t take place without the prosecutors.

The issue will be discussed at the next hearing set for April 2.

 

 

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Turkey’s participation in the 44-day War in Karabakh: Part 3

Karapet Navasardian
Razminfo
March 22 2021

Razm.info tried to analyze the participation of the Turkish Armed Forces in the hostilities in Artsakh since September 27.

In “Part 3”, we discuss the involvement of one of the high-ranking officers of the Turkish Armed Forces in the Operations Control Center of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces during the war, and his role in Azerbaijan after the war.

Read also:

  • Turkey’s participation in the 44-day War in Karabakh: Part 1: F-16s
  • Turkey’s participation in the 44-day War in Karabakh: Part 2: UAVs

Following the war in Artsakh, the Russian “Vzglyad” newspaper wrote about the involvement of Turkey in the coordination of work in the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces during the war against Artsakh. Referring to its anonymous official sources in Azerbaijan, the newspaper informed that the coordination was carried out by General Bahtiyar Ersay, Chief of Operations at the Command of Turkish Land Forces.

According to the source, Ersay personally took part in the organization of military operations against Artsakh and reported to the Turkish military-political leadership.

Briefly about Ersay:

He was appointed as the Chief of operations at the Land Forces in August 2019. Prior to that, since 2016, he was the commander of the 2nd Border Brigade in Turkey’s Hakkâri province, bordering Iraq. “Vzglyad” newspaper wrote that Ersay was the commander of the 2nd Commando Brigade, which was most likely a confusion. The 2nd Border Brigade operates within the 7th Corps of the 2nd Army of the Turkish Armed Forces and is involved in operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters in difficult mountainous conditions. Ersay is known for the operation in 2017 against the PKK near the Kale Hill in the mountains of Hakkâri.ahtiyar Ersay during the operation against the PKK in the mountains of Hakkari

Before becoming the commander of the 2nd Border Brigade, Ersay held various positions in the Turkish Armed Forces, served in the mission of the Turkish AF in Afghanistan, worked as the Military Attaché in Tunisia, where according to media reports, organized the evacuation of Turkish citizens during the Arab Spring, served in special forces, etc. In 2011 Ersay was arrested and sentenced to 16 years in prison for involvement in the 2003 military coup, however, after serving 31 months in prison, he was acquitted and returned to the Armed Forces.

Although the information in Vzglyad newspaper is based exclusively on their undisclosed sources, and there are misconceptions about Ersay in the article, the fact that he was in Azerbaijan and was involved in the Operations Control Center of the Azeri Armed Forces has been confirmed by open sources.

The visit of Ilham Aliyev to the Operations Command Center of the Azerbaijani AF on 26 October testifies that Ersay was present there during the war. Although in the published video, where the shots are as covert as possible, most of the officers present at the headquarters are not shown, and the faces of the 3 officers who appear in separate shots are closed and mainly shown from the back, however Ersay stands out with some physical features.rsay at the Operations Command Center of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on 26 October

It is noteworthy that during Aliyev’s speech, when he was talking about the fatalities during the war, which implied that the military should stand up, Ersay did so only after the officer sitting next to him gestured to him. This was probably due to the linguistic and pronunciation peculiarities.

The other significant episode took place on 31 December, when a delegation of the Turkish Armed Forces led by Defense Minister Hulusi Akar arrived in Azerbaijan. During the welcoming ceremony at the airport, Ersay was not part of the Turkish delegation that arrived with Akar but was among the welcoming group on the Azerbaijani side, together with the head of the Department of International Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. It is more remarkable that Ersay wore a uniform with the multicam camouflage pattern designed for the high-ranking officers of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, with the patch of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.ahtiyar Ersay welcoming the Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on 31 December

With his outfit, Ersay also “differs” from the delegation and the officers of the Turkish Armed Forces in the image showing officers from both countries taken during an event organized on the same day. The officers of the Turkish Armed Forces wear their uniforms, while Ersay is in the same uniform as the officers of the Azeri Armed Forces.ahtiyar Ersay at an event organized in the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan

However, Ersay’s presence in Azerbaijan did not end in December. The joint Russian-Turkish monitoring center opened in Aghdam on 30 January. High-ranking officers from Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkey attended the opening ceremony. Bahtiyar Ersay was among them: this time with a uniform and a patch of the Turkish Armed Forces.ahtiyar Ersay at the opening of the Russian-Turkish monitoring center

As of February 2021, Ersay was still in Azerbaijan. On 15 February, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar convened a video conference, during which the Minister was briefed on defense and security matters from various units of the Turkish Armed Forces, as well as military missions in various countries, including Libya, Cyprus, Kosovo, etc.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense published a photo from the consultations, which showed Bahtiyar Ersay joining online from Azerbaijan, with his window identified as “Command of the Turkish mission in Azerbaijan.” Next, Ersay appeared in similar consultations three months later, on 15 March.ahtiyar Ersay (in the center) at the consultations of the Ministry of Defense of Turkey

It is notable that formally Turkey has a military presence in Azerbaijan in the demining group and the joint Russian-Turkish monitoring center in Aghdam, where the representative of Turkey is not Ersay, but Brigadier General Abdullah Katrj.

It can be concluded that months after the end of hostilities, Bahtiyar Ersay is still in Azerbaijan, and judging by the consultations of the Turkish Ministry of Defense on 15 February and 15 March, he is coordinating the Turkish military presence on the ground as the “commander of the Turkish mission in Azerbaijan.”

Turkish press: Turkish court sentences former officers over killing of Hrant Dink – Turkey News

Karapet Navasardian
  • 14:13:00

A Turkish court handed down prison terms to former police chiefs, gendarmerie officers and others linked to FETÖ for a cover-up related to the murder of Hrant Dink, a prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist who was shot dead in front of his Istanbul office in 2007.

A separate trial will be held for FETÖ leader Fetullah Gülen and 12 other fugitive defendants including former prosecutor Zekeriya Öz, Ekrem Dumanlı and Adem Yavuz Arslan.

A total of 76 defendants were on trial, but only six were in custody while others were released previously pending trial.

Ramazan Akyürek, former head of police intelligence, was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on murder charges and an additional sentence of five years and seven months for destroying official documents on a charge related to the cover-up of intelligence tip-offs for murder.

Ali Fuat Yılmazer, former police chief, was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on murder charges and an additional sentence of four years and six months for destroying official documents in a charge related to the cover-up of intelligence tip-offs for murder.

Ali Öz, former Trabzon Provincial Gendarmerie commander, was sentenced to 28 years imprisonment. Ahmet İlhan Güler, former Istanbul head of police intelligence, and Engin Dinç, former Trabzon head of police intelligence, were acquitted of “murder by negligent behavior,” and the “neglect of public office” charges against them were dropped for statute of limitations.

While Ercan Gün was sentenced to 10 years in prison for membership in an armed terrorist organization, the case in which Celalettin Cerrah, former Istanbul Police chief, was charged with neglect of public office was dropped due to the expiration of statute of limitations.

Charges against Sabri Uzun, a senior police intelligence official, were also dropped for the same reason.

Yavuz Karakaya, a petty officer who was serving for the Istanbul Gendarmerie Intelligence at that time, was sentenced to life imprisonment for “violating the Constitution” and to 12 years and six months in prison for “helping to kill deliberately.”

Muharrem Demirkale, a former soldier, was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment twice.

With the conviction that the murder was committed in line with the purposes of FETÖ, the court decided to file a criminal complaint against Ogün Samast, Erhan Tuncel, Yasin Hayal and Tuncay Uzundal on charges of “FETÖ membership.”

In addition, an arrest warrant was issued for six more defendants.

On Jan. 19, 2007, Dink was assassinated by Ogün Samast on Halaskargazi Street, a busy thoroughfare in Istanbul’s Şişli district.

Fleeing the city after the murder, Samast was caught the next day by police in the Black Sea province of Samsun.

Through deeper investigation, Turkish judicial and security authorities discovered a FETÖ connection behind the assassination.

Turkish authorities thus started a new investigation into the role in the assassination plot of senior FETÖ terror group figures, including cult leader Gülen, Öz, and former senior police officers Yılmazer and Akyürek.

According to an indictment by Istanbul prosecutors, Dink’s assassination constituted an important milestone which sparked a series of events leading to the defeated coup of July 15, 2016.

Opposition BHK calls for signing new “military-political alliance” with Russia

Karapet Navasardian

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 12:03,

YEREVAN, MARCH 26, ARMENPRESS. The opposition Prosperous Armenia (BHK) party believes that given the current challenges it is time for Armenia to sign a new “military-political alliance” with Russia, the party’s lawmaker Naira Zohrabyan told reporters.

She also commented on the Artsakh parliament’s decision on making Russian an official language of the country.

“We must realize the delicacy of the situation. Armenian remains the state language there, while Russian becomes the second language. After the loss of 75% of Artsakh, let’s be honest, today Russia has an immeasurably big role also as the guarantor of Artsakh’s security,” she said.

Zohrabyan cited BHK leader Gagik Tsarukyan’s statement, saying: “Taking into consideration all the challenges that the region and namely Armenia are facing today, we believe that it is indeed the time to sign a new military-political alliance with Russia”.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

Pro-Azerbaijan posters removed from tube stations after protest from Armenians

Karapet Navasardian
The Standard, UK

TfL has removed the digital posters from 46 of its London Underground stations following complaints

The posters have been called ‘misleading’ by Armenian rights groups in the UK

 / Embassy of Azerbaijan London

By 

Tom Ambrose
T

ube station posters promoting a disputed enclave in the Caucuses as a tourist destination have been taken down following complaints from Armenians.

The digital adverts showed various cultural landmarks and included slogans such as “Shusha, Karabakh – Cultural Capital of Azerbaijan” and “Azerbaijan, centre of multiculturalism”.

They could be seen at up to 50 underground and mainline train stations across London last week but have since been removed after protests from the Armenian National Committee UK, which criticised them as “cultural revisionism” and “propaganda”.

In a Facebook post promoting the posters last week, the Azerbaijan Embassy in the UK said it had given financial and technical support for the adverts “within the framework of the campaign to deliver Azerbaijani truths to the world”.

A territorial dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh was reignited last year when Azerbaijani forces and ethnic Armenians fought in a war that claimed thousands of lives. The six-week conflict was ended by a Russia-brokered peace deal in November.

The region is internationally recognised as Azerbaijani but has been run by ethnic Armenians since 1994. It includes the city of Shusha – known as Shushi in Armenian – which dates back to the 18th century and was a mountain resort during the Soviet era.

The ANC complained about the letters to Transport for London’s (TfL) director for communication Vernon Everitt.

An ANC spokesperson said: “Their attempt to present themselves as a multicultural and tolerant society are absurd considering Armenians are not allowed into the country, and yet they are trying to appropriate Armenian culture as their own.”

TfL confirmed the posters were removed from 46 of its underground stations following the complaint made to them over the weekend.

A spokesperson said: “This digital advert was approved by our media partner Global on behalf of TfL, as being in line with TfL’s advertising policy.

“However, following feedback, it has now been removed from our network.”

It is understood the Armenian embassy in London has written to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about the adverts.

An ASA spokesperson said: “We received complaints over the weekend and are currently assessing them.”

The Standard contacted the Azerbaijani embassy in London for comment but has not yet received a response.

Former Chief of General Staff demands criminal persecution against Armenia’s PM and Defense Minister

Karapet Navasardian
Aysor, Armenia

Former Chief of General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Onik Gasparyan has applied to Armenia’s Prosecutor General Artur Davtyan, Armlur.am reports.

Gasparyan demands criminal persecution against PM Nikol Pashinyan and defense minister Vagharshak Harutyunyan under Point 2 of Article 308 of Armenia’s Criminal Code – abuse of power which negligently caused grave consequences.

Speaking to Aysor.am earlier today Onik Gasparyan’s lawyer Artur Hovhannisyan said they will report about crime to relevant bodies following the statement of the government issued today.

COVID-19: Germany confirmed over 16,000 new cases in past days

Karapet Navasardian

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 12:15,

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. The number of people infected with coronavirus in Germany has increased by 16,033 over the past days, reports TASS.

The death cases have increased by 207.

Germany’s confirmed COVID-19 cases have reached 2 million 645 thousand 783.

The death toll rose to 74,565.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Dissolution of parliament should be triggered in next 10 days, says opposition’s Edmon Marukyan

Karapet Navasardian

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 14:04,

YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. The opposition Bright Armenia (LHK) party says the process of dissolving parliament must begin in the next ten days. The party leader Edmon Marukyan stressed that early elections should take place by June 1, and therefore parliament must be dissolved within the next ten days.

“Elections must be concluded by June 1. This means that the process of dissolving parliament must begin in the next 10 days,” Marukyan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan