Author: Talar Tumanian

Erdogan: corridor through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran must be completed

Talar Tumanian
ARAB NEWS
Sept 27 2023
  • President says Menendez resignation from Senate committee boosts Turkiye’s bid to acquire F-16s

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the so-called Zangezur trade corridor passing through Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran must be completed, broadcasters reported on Tuesday, a day after he met Azerbaijan’s leader.

Speaking to reporters on his return flight from the Azeri exclave of Nakhchivan, where he met President Ilham Aliyev, Erdogan said that if Armenia does not allow the trade corridor to pass through its territory then Iran was warm to the idea of allowing it passage through its territory.

Following Azerbaijan’s rout of Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz in Nagorno-Karabakh last week, Baku has raised hopes of opening a land bridge between Nakhchivan and the rest of Azerbaijan, known as the Zangezur Corridor.

Erdogan said Turkiye and Azerbaijan would “do our best to open this corridor as soon as possible.” 

The Zangezur corridor aims to give Baku unimpeded access to Nakhchivan through Armenia. Both Turkiye and Azerbaijan have been calling for its implementation since the Second Karabakh War in 2020.

Erdogan also said all materials required by civilians in the Karabakh region were being provided by trucks after Azerbaijan’s lightning offensive to retake control of the region last week.

Meanwhile, Erdogan said in remarks published on Tuesday that Turkiye’s chances of acquiring F-16 fighter jets from the US have been boosted by Sen. Bob Menendez stepping down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Menendez, the senior Democratic senator for New Jersey, has been a vocal opponent of Turkiye receiving aircraft to update its fighter fleet. 

He stood down from the influential role last week following federal charges that he took cash and gold in illegal exchange for helping the Egyptian government and New Jersey business associates.

“One of our most important problems regarding the F-16s were the activities of US Sen. Bob Menendez against our country,” Erdogan told journalists on a flight back from Azerbaijan on Monday. 

His comments were widely reported across Turkish media.

“Menendez’s exit gives us an advantage but the F-16 issue is not an issue that depends only on Menendez,” Erdogan added.

Ankara has been seeking to buy 40 new F-16s, as well as kits to upgrade its existing fleet. 

The request was backed by the White House but ran into opposition in Congress, where Menendez raised concerns about Turkiye’s human rights records as well as blaming Ankara for fractious relations with neighboring Greece.

Referring to talks between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in recent days, Erdogan said: “It would be beneficial to turn this situation into an opportunity and meet with (Blinken) again.

“In this way, we may have the opportunity to accelerate the process regarding the F-16s. Not only on the F-16s, but on all other issues, Menendez and those with his mindset are carrying out obstructive activities against us.”

Erdogan also openly linked Turkiye’s F-16 bid to Sweden’s application for NATO membership, which is expected to be debated by the Turkish parliament after it returns from summer recess on Oct. 1.

He said Blinken and Fidan had discussed Sweden’s NATO bid, adding: “I hope that if they stay true to their promise, our parliament will also stay true to its promise.”

Questioned on whether the bid was tied to Turkiye receiving the F-16s, Erdogan said: “They are already making Sweden dependent on the F-16 … Our parliament follows every development regarding this issue in minute detail.”

Erdogan also raised the prospect of a visit to Turkiye by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in October or November. 

The Turkish president also addressed the issue of Cyprus, divided between ethnic Turkish and Greek communities for 49 years.

He reiterated his support for a two-state solution, with international recognition for the Turkish administration in the island’s north. 

Turkiye is the only country to recognize the breakaway entity. The international community broadly supports the unification of the island under a federal system.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2381041/middle-east

Armenia urges UN to monitor human rights in Nagorno-Karabakh

Talar Tumanian
DW – Deutsche Welle, Germany
Sept 24 2023

While Azerbaijan has promised to safeguard human rights in Nagorno-Karabakh, ethnic Armenians left behind are fearing persecution.

Armenia on Sunday called for the deployment of a UN mission in Nagorno-Karabakh to monitor human rights and ensure the safety of ethnic Armenians in the region.

The call for a UN mission comes after Azerbaijan launched a military operation to take full control of the disputed enclave, forcing Armenian fighters there to surrender. A cease-fire deal was agreed on Wednesday.

Azerbaijan has said it is committed to protecting the rights of ethnic Armenians Nagorno-Karabakh. But fear of persecution is soaring high among the civilian population left behind in the breakaway region.

“The international community should undertake all the efforts for an immediate deployment of an interagency mission by the UN to Nagorno-Karabakh with the aim to monitor and assess the human rights, humanitarian and security situation on the ground,” Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in a speech to UN delegates in New York.

While speaking at the UN, Azerbaijan’s foreign minister said the government would continue with efforts towards “advancing post-conflict peace-building, reintegration, and peaceful coexistence.”

The flare up in the region has prompted a strong response from members of the UN Security Council who have condemned the military operation by Azerbaijan and called for peace.

Russia had been a traditional ally of Armenia, but their relations have deteriorated recently. Armenia also held military exercises with the US this month, angering Moscow.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Sunday that his country’s current foreign security systems “ineffective,” a veiled criticism towards Russia.

“The systems of external security in which Armenia is involved are ineffective when it comes to the protection of our security and Armenia’s national interests,” Pashinyan said.

Russia had peacekeeping troops deployed in the region under a 2020 cease-fire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, to prevent fresh violence from breaking out.

Moscow was also overlooking the disarmament of ethnic Armenian separatists.

The latest conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh left some 200 people dead, according to Armenia. It has also sparked protests in Armenia against Russia, which had been tasked with ensuring the truce after the 2020 fighting.

Dismissing its role in the conflict, Russia has instead accused Western leadership of “pulling the strings” to undermine Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that, “Unfortunately, the leadership of Armenia from time to time adds fuel to the fire itself.”

Armenpress: Chancellor of Germany emphasizes importance of respecting Armenia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty

Talar Tumanian

 18:06,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, during their September 22 phone call, spoke about the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the issue of supplying urgent humanitarian aid for the locals, including through Lachin Corridor, the German government said in its readout.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected the use of military force and emphasized that the German federal government is resolutely committed to a negotiated solution and sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He also expressed full support to the efforts of President of the European Council Charles Michel.

The German Chancellor said that the rights and security of the population of Karabakh must be guaranteed for a sustainable resolution to the conflict.

“Transparent humanitarian supplies and security for the people in Karabakh is now Azerbaijan’s responsibility,” the German government said in the readout.

The German Chancellor also emphasized the importance of respecting Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Prime Minister Pashinyan and Chancellor Scholz agreed to maintain close contacts.

Armenpress: Pashinyan accuses Russia of failing peacekeeping mission, warns of int’l legal order crisis, Ukraine cause-and-effect

Talar Tumanian

 23:44, 2 September 2023

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has expressed serious concern over Russia’s failure to implement its peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In an interview with the Italian La Repubblica newspaper, Pashinyan said that one of the main objectives of the presence of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh was to ensure the security of the civilian population.

“In this case security involves the freedom of movement, and this right is not implemented, which is a matter of concern,” Pashinyan said.

He warned that there will never be peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan if the two countries fail to recognize each other’s territorial integrity on the basis of the Alma-Ata declaration.

Pashinyan reiterated the Armenian government’s commitment to advancing the peace agenda.

The Armenian Prime Minister said that the Nagorno-Karabakh humanitarian crisis is a “crisis of the international legal order”, because Azerbaijan is disregarding the ICJ rulings ordering it to open the Lachin Corridor since February 2023.

“International Court of Justice has issued a binding ruling ordering Azerbaijan to ensure bilateral transit from Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia and from Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh for persons, vehicles and goods. But this ruling was passed on February 22, 2023 and was reaffirmed on July 6, 2023 is not being implemented. This comes to prove following the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh that, if we can say so, this is a crisis of the international legal order, if a binding ruling of the ICJ is not being implemented, such a conclusion may follow,” Pashinyan said.

Asked on the Russian peacekeepers, Pashinyan said that the mission has failed.

“I cannot make evaluation in this respect, except for agreeing with the formulation, that in fact, yes, it tuns out that the peacekeepers of the Russian Federation failed to implement the mission they have assumed under the tripartite statement and this is a matter of serious concern. Essentially, one of the main objectives of the presence of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh was to ensure the security of the civilian population. In this case security involves the freedom of movement, and this right is not implemented, which is a matter of concern,” he said.

The Armenian Prime Minister said that the processes which resulted in the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict actually started in the Caucasus in 2020.

“I am of the opinion that the processes which resulted in the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, those processes had actually started much earlier, in 2020, in this region. There is serious and deep causality here,” Pashinyan said.

PM Nikol Pashinyan said that the peace architecture should feature guarantees around two issues – the reciprocal recognition of each other’s territorial integrity between Armenia and Azerbaijan and addressing the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinyan also talked about the normalization with Turkey, Western efforts in the NK conflict settlement and Russia.

[see video]

Two Armenian servicemen suffer fatal gunshot wounds in unclear circumstances

Talar Tumanian

 11:28,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 28, ARMENPRESS. Two Armenian servicemen suffered fatal gunshot wounds on August 27 in unclear circumstances, the Ministry of Defense of Armenia said Monday.

The deceased servicemen were identified as Artyom A. Haykazyan and Armen H. Khachatryan.

Their duty stations and ranks were not immediately available.

The defense ministry extended condolences to the families and friends of the servicemen and said that an investigation is underway to fully reveal the circumstances of how they sustained the gunshot wounds.

UPDATES:

12:28 – Investigators they suspect murder–suicide.

"Reflection of Infinity" urban installation will become one of the signature landmarks of Gyumri

Talar Tumanian

 13:20,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 25, ARMENPRESS. At the international MEDS (Meeting of Design Students) workshop hosted in Gyumri, over ten projects were created for the city of arts and crafts. The 13th in history workshop brought together 150 architecture and design professionals from 28 countries to work on diverse projects encompassing modest architectural structures, urban installations, and other creative pursuits.

The PROFAL GROUP, a leading manufacturer of aluminum doors, windows, and glass constructions in Armenia, supported the “Reflection of Infinity” project by Alberto Collet and Daniele Meloni as part of its social responsibility programs. Specialists from Armenia, Bulgaria, Italy, Poland, Russia, Ireland, Egypt, India, and Turkey have united their efforts to create this piece of art.

Alberto Collet, making his first visit to Armenia, yet well-acquainted with our nation through his Armenian friends, said, “MEDS presents a unique platform for collaboration, wherein professionals from various cultures and perspectives get a chance to exchange ideas and work on the same project. The project that we successfully implemented is a landmark covered with a reflective surface that frames nature by creating an amazing masterpiece.”

“Reflection of Infinity ” was installed in the area adjacent to the Mother Armenia monument in Gyumri, which, according to the project’s author, will capture the attention and arouse the curiosity of anyone be it citizens or visitors of Gyumri.

Edgar Avetisyan, the Chief Executive Officer of PROFAL GROUP, underscored the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting such initiatives that foster international collaborations. “We firmly believe that design is the language that speaks to our emotions and connects people across cultures and boundaries. And we are delighted to support one of the projects carried out by young and talented professionals worldwide. And what is the most important, PROFAL consistently seizes every occasion to make substantive contributions to the community development of Armenia”, said Edgar Avetisyan.

The MEDS Gyumri workshop spanned from August 6-20, during which the contributors of the “Reflection of Infinity” project were hosted by PROFAL. Edgar Avetisyan welcomed the guests, providing insight into the company’s trajectory, its achievements, and its ambitious forthcoming ventures. The participants toured the company’s facilities encompassing aluminum, glass, and furniture workshops, thereby gaining insight into the entire production workflow. The guests also visited the O₂ Gardens, PROFAL’s new project of landscape design, which was a profoundly impressive experience.

Armenpress: Azerbaijani disinformation campaign again falsely accuses Armenia of border shooting

Talar Tumanian

 10:17,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan continues its disinformation campaign with false accusations targeting the Armenian military, the Ministry of Defense warned Tuesday.

The Azerbaijani authorities once again falsely accused the Armenian Armed Forces of opening gunfire across the border.

“The statement of the [Ministry of Defense] of Azerbaijan that the units of the Republic of Armenia Armed Forces opened fire on the Azerbaijani combat positions located in the southwestern and southeastern parts of the frontier zone between 22:50 p.m. and 02:05 a.m. on August 21 and 22 does not correspond to reality,” the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Gendale Group provides training in Armenia for responding to emergencies, disasters

Talar Tumanian
Aug 14 2023
By Carlos Granda
Monday, 3:11PM 
GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) — They come from all over the world to Armenia. Training for those who might be involved in the next conflict that Armenia has with Azerbaijan.

Not direct battle necessarily, but battle support such as first aid, CPR and rescue.

Mike Leum, a Los Angeles County sheriff search-and-rescue team member, leads the training.

“Not everybody in a conflict has to be a trigger-puller and actually be engaging in the fighting,” Leum said. “They can be behind the scenes receiving wounded soldiers and treat them. Give them first aid and get them to a hospital.”

He’s part of the American Armenian National Security Institute, which was founded and is based in Glendale.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been engaged in a border conflict since 2021.

Azerbaijan occupied an area known to Armenians as Artsakh. Armenians say access roads are shut down, blockading the region and causing hardship to more 120,000 people, including 30,000 children and elderly.

“If that blockade is ever removed, we can provide humanitarian assistance to include provisions, medical supplies, medical equipment,” said Mark MacCarley with AANSI.

“Quite a few of Armenians in Armenia, and Artsakh this uplifted their spirit,” says Appo Jabarian who is also a member of AANSI.

Jabarian says they don’t know exactly what’s happening on the other side of the blockade but they know the need is great. With this training they will be ready whether it’s war or an earthquake or flood.

“Hopefully when the blockade is lifted, AANSI humanitarian support brigade can continue its mission by taking the spirit of making a difference,” says Jabarian.

There are 47 people training this week. In a few months another 100 are expected. The goal is to have 500 prepared for any emergency.

https://abc7.com/amp/american-armenian-national-security-institute-armenia-first-aid-training/13631054/ 

Visiting U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff heard valuable first-hand perspectives on security situation

Talar Tumanian

 19:05,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Staff members Sarah Arkin and Damian Murphy heard valuable first-hand perspectives on the security situation in Armenia and the prospects for peace during their visit to the country, U.S. Ambassador Kristina Kvien said on social media.

“Important visit by U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Staff Sarah Arkin and Damian Murphy this week. In their meetings with stakeholders, including in the regions, they heard valuable first-hand perspectives on the security situation in Armenia and the prospects for peace,” Ambassador Kvien posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan lead to humanitarian crisis

Talar Tumanian
Aug 2 2023

Conflict & Justice

Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh are seeing shortages in basic necessities and are calling on the US and EU to step in.

August 2, 2023 · 4:15 PM EDT
  • By Daniel Ofman

Over the last month, Armenians living in the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh say they are suffering from a shortage of basic necessities. 

The Lachin Corridor is the only road connecting them to Armenia, and that’s where Azerbaijan has set up a military checkpoint, essentially cutting them off and isolating them. 

“The life for the past month it is disastrous, the situation is close to starvation,” said Nina Shahverdyan, a schoolteacher in her 20s who lives in Stepanakert, the largest city in Nagorno-Karabakh. 

“We don’t have any medicine, we don’t have any fuel, we barely have electricity, when we don’t have electricity we don’t have internet as well. We don’t have any food supplies coming in. People right now are struggling with what to put on the table,” she said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought for decades over the disputed territory of  Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenians who live there are now calling on the US and EU to step in to assist with a growing humanitarian crisis. 

Last week, thousands of people in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, came out to protest Azerbaijan’s blockade.  

They chanted, “Artsakh,” the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh.

The next day, Armenia tried sending humanitarian aid to the region, but a convoy of dozens of trucks filled with food and other goods were stopped by Azerbaijan at the Lachin Corridor checkpoint. They’ve been held up there for a week, still waiting to enter.

Shahverdyan said that a big portion of her day is spent trying to get some food.

“There are huge lines in the city, like, to buy just one or two loaves of bread, and my brother yesterday, he stood for 1 1/2 hours and it’s only just to get the bare minimum bread,” she said. 

Shahverdyan said that people who have gardens have begun growing fruits and vegetables themselves to supplement their diets. During the last six weeks, she said she has lost nearly seven pounds, and her brother has lost nearly nine pounds. 

“If measures are not taken in the coming weeks or months, an actual famine could start,” said Tigran Grigoryan, head of the Regional Center for Democracy and Security based in Yerevan.

He said that Russia and Azerbaijan share responsibly here.

In 2020, Russia brokered a ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers were supposed to manage the Lachin Corridor.

In the years since, Azerbaijan has taken control.

“This is a direct consequence of the war in Ukraine, because of which, the influence of Russia has significantly decreased in the region, and also the interest of Russia has been shifting. That’s why Azerbaijan has been testing Russia’s red lines on the ground,” he explained. 

Azerbaijan considers Nagorno-Karabakh to be part of its sovereign territory, and Azerbaijan has tried to justify its Lachin Corridor checkpoint as a security measure.

Meanwhile, as this crisis continues to unfold, Armenia and Azerbaijan are still holding peace talks.

“In my understanding you cannot just ignore the elephant in the room, the blockade and humanitarian crisis in the Nagorno-Karabakh and move forward with these so-called peace talks,” Grigoryan said. 

Zaur Shiriyev, a Baku, Azerbaijan-based analyst with the Crisis Group, said that until now, the United States has played a key role in keeping the peace talks alive.

“The expectation now is that the agreement should be signed by the end of the year, the key date in the process. And many worry that if it doesn’t happen by the end, the US will enter its preelection period, potentially decreasing its focus and intervention,” Shiriyev said. 

He added that many issues remain unresolved like the status of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, future security arrangements, and the freedom of movement through the Lachin Corridor.

But despite that, Shiriyev believes that ongoing dialogue between the two sides can be productive, even if a deal doesn’t resolve all these questions.

“Even if [both] sides succeed in signing an agreement, what will happen the day after peace agreement is reached?” 

Back in Stepanakert in Nagorno-Karabakh, Shahverdyan, the schoolteacher, said she doesn’t trust that Azerbaijan would uphold a future peace agreement with Armenia.

“This is not just our local issue here, this is an international issue, this is a humanitarian crisis. And I’m thinking that the way the West pressures Russia to stop the war in Ukraine, the same tactics can be applied to Azerbaijan to stop this. The bare fact that the blockade continues, is proof that they don’t do enough,” she said. 

Over the weekend, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev.

Blinken expressed “deep concern for the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Nagorno-Karabakh,” and urged all sides to continue dialogue.

Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh though are looking for more than just words, and are hoping that the blockade is lifted as soon as possible.