Author: Ophelia Vardapetian

EU-Turkey cooperation on migration should be uncoupled from the EU accession negotiating process, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday. MEP praise Turkey for hosting the largest refugee population in the world, and note that it remains a “key strategic partner for the EU” but nonetheless call for progress on rule of law and fundamental values and “a structured and more frequent political dialogue on key thematic issues”.

“The overall pace of reforms in Turkey has not only slowed down but in some key areas, such as freedom of expression and the independence of the judiciary, there has been a regression, which is particularly worrying”, said rapporteur Kati Piri (S&D, NL). In this report “we also express our concern about the escalation of violence in the southeast of Turkey, which caused almost 400,000 people to leave their houses,” she added.

“Outsourcing the refugee crisis to Turkey is not a credible long-term solution to the problem”, say MEPs who add that “it is crucial to put in place safe and legal routes for refugees”. They believe that the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan on refugees and migration management should be implemented immediately, but only as “part of a comprehensive cooperation agenda based on shared responsibility, mutual commitments and delivery”. Furthermore, “EU-Turkey cooperation on migration should not be linked to the calendar, content and conditionality of the negotiation process”. “Only a political solution to the Syrian crisis can provide a lasting response to this humanitarian crisis”, says the text.

The resolution was passed by 375 votes to 133, with 87 abstentions.

Serious backsliding on fundamental freedoms

MEPs urge Turkey to act against intimidation of journalists in all its forms, condemn its violent and illegal take-over of several newspapers including Zaman most recently and highlight its serious backsliding, over the past two years, on freedom of speech, expression and opinion, both on-line and off-line.

To match the EU’s commitment to the rule of law and fundamental values, which are core European values, reforms of the judiciary and fundamental rights and of justice, freedom and security are urgently needed in Turkey, says the text.

Kurdish peace process

MEPs call for an immediate ceasefire in southeast Turkey and the resumption of the peace process. They urge the Turkish government to shoulder its responsibility to resume negotiations for a negotiated, comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Kurdish issue. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), on the EU’s list of terrorist organisations, should lay down its arms, abandon terrorist tactics and use peaceful and legal means to voice its expectations, they add.

Cyprus reunification talks

Welcoming the considerable progress made in the Cyprus reunification talks, MEPs pledge support for the evolution of the Republic of Cyprus into “a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality between the two communities and equal opportunities for all its citizens”. They urge both parties to implement all agreed measures without further delay, emphasing that non-settlement of the Cyprus issue affects the development of EU-Turkey relations.

The Armenian Community of Barcelona held a memorial service for the soldiers and the innocent civilians who were killed during the recent Azerbaijani offensive against Nagorno Karabakh.

Also there was special Prayer Service for the Steadfast Peace in Armenia and Artsakh, the Armenian Cultural Association of Barcelona informs.

Photo: Getty Images

 

Turkey has illegally forced thousands of refugees to return to Syria, a report by Amnesty International says, the BBC reports.

The group says about 100 Syrians have been sent back to their war-torn country every day since mid-January in breach of international law.

Amnesty says its report exposes the flaws in a recent deal between the EU and Turkey aimed at stemming the flow of refugees arriving in Greece.

Turkey has denied sending back any refugees against their will.

The Amnesty report comes just days before Turkey is expected to receive the first migrants returned from Greece under the deal with the EU.

The group says its research in southern Turkey suggested that authorities had been rounding up and expelling groups of about 100 Syrian men, women and children almost daily since the middle of January.

Under the “non-refoulement” principle of international humanitarian law, a state is prohibited from deporting individuals to a war zone.

Amnesty said one case involved three young children forced back into Syria without their parents, while another saw the forced return of an eight-months’ pregnant woman.

It said many of those returned appeared to be unregistered refugees but it had also documented cases of registered Syrian refugees being sent back while not carrying their papers.

President Serzh Sargsyan received today Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze. President Sargsyan hailed the intensified high-level contacts and political dialogue between the two countries based on traditional good-neighborly relations and friendship between the two nations.

The parties agreed that despite being part of different integration processes, Armenia and Georgia have a huge potential to exchange experience and implement joint programs.

The Georgian Foreign Minister said, in turn, there are good perspectives for developing the bilateral economic cooperation parallel to the political relations.

Serzh Sargsyan and Mikheil Janelidze attached importance to the balanced policy of the two countries on sensitive issues and the effective Armenian-Georgian cooperation within the framework of international organizations.

During the meeting reference was made to regional security, the existing problems and challenges, the negotiations on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has been convicted of genocide and war crimes during the 1992-95 war, and sentenced to 40 years in jail, the BBC repots.

UN judges in The Hague found him guilty of 10 of 11 charges, including genocide over the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

Karadzic, 70, is the most senior political figure to face judgement over the collapse of Yugoslavia.

His case is being seen as one of the most important war crimes trials since World War Two.

He had denied the charges, saying that any atrocities committed were the actions of rogue individuals, not the forces under his command.

The trial, in which he represented himself, lasted eight years.

His lawyer said he would appeal, a process that could take several more years.

Massis Post – Abril Bookstore’s Armenian Film Society will present a screening of Ravished Armenia, with a special lecture by film historian, Anthony Slide and book signing reception on Friday, April 1,  at Abril Bookstore in Glendale, CA.

In 1918, Oscar Apfel directed the silent film Ravished Armenia for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which became the first genocide film ever made. Ravished Armenia is based on the autobiographical book by Arshaluys (Aurora) Mardiganian, who also plays the lead role in the film. The film depicts the 1915 Armenian Genocide by the Ottoman Empire from the point of view of Armenian survivor Mardiganian. Only 24 minutes of the original 90 minute film currently exists. The rest has been lost.

Anthony Slide has authored more than seventy books on the history of popular entertainment and is noted for his pioneering and groundbreaking efforts to document lesser-known areas of film history.

The Armenian Film Society is a monthly event that meets on the first Friday of each month at Abril Bookstore. Lead by Armen and Mary Karaoghlanian, the evenings will be composed predominantly of film screenings and discussions, with occasional lectures, workshops, classes, and other types of activities relating to film with an element of Armenian culture and/or involvement. The purpose of the film society is to bring together people of all backgrounds and expose them to the rich cinema of Armenia, as well as talented filmmakers with an Armenian background.

An army plane with 22 people on board has crashed in Ecuador’s Amazon region, the BBC reports.

“There are no survivors. Our embrace of solidarity to the families and the armed forces. It is a tragedy,” President Rafael Correa said on Twitter (in Spanish).

Nineteen of the people on board were Ecuadoran soldiers travelling for a parachuting exercise.

The Israeli-built Arava plane crashed at 14:30 local time (19:30 GMT) in the eastern province of Pastaza.

The cause of the accident is unknown.

There were also two pilots and one mechanic on board, EFE news agency reported.

Defence Minister Ricardo Patino and rescue teams are travelling to the area.

 

 

 

The Armenian community has not suffered as a result of the Ankara blast, Ara Gochunyan, editor-in-chief of the Istanbul-based Jamanak daily, told .

“First of all, there are not many Armenians living in Ankara. According to our information, there are no Armenians among those killed and injured,” Gochunyan said.

He dismissed the concerns that in times of trouble Armenians face double threats – both for being Armenian and because of the unsafe situation in the country.

“Being exemplary citizens of Turkey, members of the Armenian community do not have such concerns. Besides, officials also call for cold-bloodedness and internal unity,” Gochunyan added.

He stressed that the Armenian community is saddened by and worried about the terrifying events in the country, especially considering that yesterday’s blast was the second in a month. Ara Gochunyan did not rule out that such developments could lead to radicalism and extremism, but added that “there are no such concerns among the Armenian community.”

Armenians of Turkey share the pain of the people and the country, he said.

The blast in Ankara’s key transport hub of Guven Park left 36 killed, and more than 100 injured.

Armenia said immediately after that it deplores the attack and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

President Serzh Sargsyan sent today a congratulatory message to the renowned author, expert in Armenian studies, translator and intellectual Kim Bakshi and wished him excellent health and new creative achievements.

“Dear Mr. Bakshi,”

On behalf of the grateful Armenian people, I congratulate you on the occasion of your 85th birth anniversary.

Your creative journey is closely connected to the history and culture of the Armenia people. Through the decades your diligent and vigorous work translated into travel notes, books, and scripts for documentary movies. Ancient marvels of the Armenian culture, which by a twist of history appeared in different corners of the world, in all their splendor and charm present themselves in your works.

Your activities encouraged numerous sons and daughters of our nation to look thoroughly into our rich historical heritage and made the Armenian culture recognizable all over the world,” reads the congratulatory letter of the President of Armenia.

“The principles of the Helsinki Final Act are of equal importance and all OSCE member states, including Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed that the settlement of the Karabakh conflict should be based on the principles of non-use of fore, the right of peoples to self-determination and territorial integrity,” Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE Arman Kirakosyan said, as he addressed the OSCE Permanent Council.

He said “Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian policy has not changed in the course of the past 25 years. “Azerbaijan refuses to recognize the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to self-determination, which has been recognized by the Minsk Group co-chairing countries as one of the basic principles of settlement. The determination of the final status of Nagorno Karabakh through legally binding expression of will lays in the basis of the resolution,” Arman Kirakosyan said.

The Armenian Ambassador said “the people of Nagorno Karabakh have gained de facto independence, thus realizing its inalienable right to self-determination in compliance with the USSR legislature and the norms of international law.

“Azerbaijani claims to sovereignty over the people of Nagorno Karabakh are baseless,” Kirakosyan said. He reiterated Armenia’s support for the OSCE Minsk Group format. He expressed concern over Azerbaijan’s questioning of the long-term experience of the co-chairing countries and their efforts towards a peaceful settlement.

The Armenian Ambassador further noted that “Azerbaijan’s requirements connected with the expansion of the Minsk Group format are destructive and negatively affect the peaceful settlement process. Hailing the mediating efforts of the three co-chairing countries, Arman Kirakosyan noted that “as a Minsk Group member state, Turkey has adopted a contradicting approach, trying to manipulate the Karabakh issue for the benefit of its geopolitical interests.”

Arman Kirakosyan said “Azerbaijan has turned down the proposals to withdraw snipers from the frontline and create a mechanism for investigation of border incidents. He reconfirmed the principled approach of the Armenian side that “the reinforcement of the ceasefire regime will create preconditions for a peaceful negotiated settlement, while through escalation of the situation Azerbaijan carries responsibility for the maintenance of the status quo.”

The Armenian side dubbed Azerbaijan’s efforts to take the Karabakh issue to platforms not involved in the settlement of the issue as “non-constructive” and said it does no good to the negotiation process.

To conclude with, Ambassador Kirakosyan reiterated Armenia’s resoluteness to continue to work with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to further the peace proves.