Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

Turkish press: Turkey gives US non-paper on roadmap to proceed on bilateral ties: FM – Turkey News

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
  • April 15 2021 11:55:00

Ankara has submitted a non-paper to Washington on a road map that outlined Turkey’s proposals to proceed with U.S.-Turkey bilateral ties, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on April 15.

“We talked about S-400s, FETÖ, and the support given by the U.S. to terrorist organizations. We talked about what we think and what we can do about Afghanistan, Syria, and regional issues. We agree that it is necessary to proceed on a road map in all matters. We are also working on this. We even gave a document that we call ‘non-paper’ to the U.S.,” Çavuşoğlu said, referring to his discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

So, we have given the U.S. a document stating the views of Turkey, telling what steps both parties can take,” he told NTV broadcaster.

“The U.S. is working on this document,” the minister stated.

Çavuşoğlu expressed optimism on the plans that the two countries would work together and said the road map aims to achieve progress in the solution of bilateral disagreements. “To solve other problems, we need to negotiate what we can do as a whole on the roadmap and then apply,” he stated.

“If the U.S. continues to support terrorist organizations, our relations will be negatively affected,” Çavuşoğlu also said.

Elaborating on the stance of U.S. President Joe Biden on Armenian allegations over the events of 1915, Çavuşoğlu said, “The U.S. presidents made this claim in the past. A country like the U.S. makes many reminders to other countries. If the U.S. considers international law, it will not make such a decision.”
“We think that the U.S. will not make such a statement on April 24. Let’s say he [Biden] agreed at worst. Such a situation would not be accepted just because a politician said such a thing. The U.N. made its decision openly in 1948,” the minister said.

Turkish delegation to visit Egypt

Turkey will send a delegation led by its deputy foreign minister to Egypt in early May, upon the invitation of Cairo, according to Çavuşoğlu.

He could meet his Egyptian counterpart as well after this visit, the minister also said.

Last month, Turkey said it had resumed diplomatic contacts with Egypt and wanted to further cooperation, eight years after a military coup staged by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Turkey and Egypt have recently released statements on bilateral ties, suggesting an expected restoration in relations after more than seven years of political estrangement.

Turkey not picking sides in recent Black Sea tension

Turkey is not picking a side in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Çavuşoğlu said.

“Of course, we want the Black Sea to be a sea of peace. There is a consensus reached by all riparian countries to come together and determine their maritime jurisdiction. If desired, the Black Sea can be turned into a sea of peace. We defend this. Currently, the Ukraine-Russia tension is preventing this,” he stated.

“Our relations with both Russia and Ukraine are in a good state. We make the same suggestions to both countries to solve their problems peacefully. Turkey’s stance is clear. We are pleased with this calming down,” he said, referring to the U.S. decision to cancel the deployment of two warships to the Black Sea.

Over the weekend, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for an end to “worrying” developments in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov subsequently said Turkey and other nations should not feed “belligerent sentiment” in Ukraine.

Turkish press: Canada accused of double standard in arms ban to Turkey

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Barry Ellsworth   |16.04.2021

TRENTON, Canada 

When Canada controversially announced the cancelation of military technology and arms exports to Turkey this week, it was a direct hit at an unlikely target.

Turkey is a NATO ally and the 30-country membership also includes Canada, so the ban pits one ally against another.

Turkey said it voiced its “discomfort” with the Canadian decision and it may respond by refusing to sell Canada armed unmanned aerial vehicles, causing Canada serious problems as Turkey is one of four countries that make battle-tested drones.

It also accuses Canada of employing a double standard, noting the UN has said Canada is fueling a war in Yemen by selling military hardware to Saudi Arabia.

Turkey has a lot of support for that charge, including from Canadian opposition political parties, human rights watch groups and others.

But Canada said its policy aim on exporting arms is to strive “to ensure that, among other policy goals, Canadian exports are not prejudicial to human rights, peace, security and stability in any region of the world or within any country,” according to a Government of Canada Report on Exports of Military Goods from Canada – 2018.

In announcing the cancelation, Canada claimed that a drone shot down by Armenian defense forces last fall was a combat drone equipped with a camera and target system made by Burlington firm, L3 Harris Canada, near Toronto.

Canada suspended military exports to Turkey while the incident was investigated.

Following a request from Anadolu Agency, Global Affairs Canada outlined how the investigation was handled.

“From October to December 2020, Global Affairs Canada, in consultation with the Department of National Defence, conducted a review of all suspended and valid export permits and pending export permit applications for all military goods and technology destined to Turkey,” it said in an emailed statement. “Partners from across government participated in this review, including bilateral relations, intelligence, human rights, terrorism and organized crime, and legal specialists within Global Affairs Canada.”

The government then took action.

“Following this review, which found credible evidence that Canadian technology exported to Turkey was used in Nagorno-Karabakh, today (Wednesday) I am announcing the cancellation of permits that were suspended in the fall of 2020,” Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister said in a statement obtained by the Turkish news agency.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous area and its illegal occupation by Armenian forces had been at the center of a dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia until Azerbaijan finally liberated the region last year. Turkey is Azerbaijan’s closest ally and the two countries describe each other as ”two states, one nation.”

The move was an irritant to Turkey – officials said they rigorously enforce all arms export conditions, including that of Canada. It took issue with the actions of one NATO ally against another.

“We expect our NATO allies to avoid unconstructive steps that will negatively affect our bilateral relations and undermine alliance solidarity,” said a statement on April 14 by the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa.

Turkey also wondered why its ally continues to supply arms to Saudi Arabia, which is clearly in violation of Canadian foreign policy as it uses those arms against Yemen and has a dismal human rights record.

Others wonder why, too, including the Lawyers’ Right Watch Canada, which has called for an end of arms sales to the Saudis.

Late last month a coalition of groups blocked a railway line near London, Ontario to protest the sale of military goods to Saudi Arabia.

While Project Ploughshares, a Canadian arms overseer group, backed Canada’s stance on the cancelation of military goods to Turkey, it sided with Turkey in noting that Canada is employing a double standard with Saudi Arabia.

“Instances of Turkey’s diversion were beyond dispute, and so Canada’s decision is consistent with its obligations under domestic and international law,” said the group’s executive director Cesar Jaramillo in an email to Anadolu Agency. “As to why Canada continues exporting weapons to other countries like Saudi Arabia where there are also grounds for cancelling relevant export permits is an open question that definitely merits further scrutiny.”

While the Canadian move is irksome, in reality, it will mean little to Turkey, the chief technology officer for aviation company, Baykar, told Anadolu Agency in a recent interview.

The camera components supplied by Canada are already being developed and domestically produced, said Selcuk Bayraktar.

Garneau told Canadian officials to talk with Turkey to regain trust.

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs has directed officials to initiate a dialogue with Turkey to build mutual confidence and greater co-operation on export permits to ensure consistency with end-use assurances before any further permits for military goods and technology are granted,” according to the statement from Global Affairs Canada. “Applications related to NATO co-operation programs will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.”

Festive but sombre Yazidi New Year in Armenia

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
The National, UAE

Armenia may be the world’s first Christian country, but today people with an even older religion are celebrating

A Yazidi woman prays at the altar of Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel – the primary deity in the Yazidis’ unique cosmology. Kiran Ridley
Neil Hauer

In the town of Aknalich, the Yazidi people are marking the New Year, as their calendar turns to 6771.

That is the traditional date of the birth of the world in their belief, which hails from modern-day Iraq where about half of the world’s one million Yazidis live.

Aknalich has always been a centre of Armenia’s Yazidi people who, with a population of about 35,000, are the country’s largest ethnic minority.

But it took on new significance in 2019 when the largest Yazidi temple in the world was unveiled there.

“Before Christianity, everyone worshipped the sun, like we do,” says Jon Namoyan, 35, a resident of the Yazidi-populated village of Shamiram.

“When the sun peers through the clouds, it’s like God looking down on his children.”

Cacophonous traditional music blasts continuously from a group on the stage.

The main temple, known as Quba Mere Diwane, towers off to one side.

A regular procession moves through it, removing their shoes at the entrance before entering to pray at the altar of Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel, who is the primary deity in the Yazidis’ unique cosmology.

Many also stop to pay respects at the grave of Mirza Sloyan, an Armenian Yazidi businessman who paid for the temple’s construction before dying just a month after its opening.

Behind the day’s upbeat artistic performances, though, there is a palpable melancholy.

Along with everyone else in the country, members of the Yazidi community fought in last year’s war between Armenia and its neighbour, Azerbaijan, over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In 44 days, at least 16 local Yazidis were killed.

“It’s different this year,” says Amad Shaykh, 36. “Coronavirus prevented many of our foreign friends from visiting and many families are at home, in mourning.

“The speeches were dedicated to seven local families who lost their sons and husbands [in the war].”

Yazidi women celebrate New Year in Armenia. Kiran Ridley

The Yazidi people are no strangers to tragedy. Their histories hold that they have been the victims of 74 genocides, most recently at the hands of ISIS in 2014, in northern Iraq.

Of the survivors, a few made their way through Armenia. Some settled with distant relatives, but “only a handful”, Mr Shaykh says.

Another of those genocides came at the same time as that of the Armenians, in 1915.

At the same time that Armenian villages in eastern Anatolia were being systematically killed by Ottoman troops, the nearby Yazidi populace was also suffering reprisals.

Many sought refuge in the lands that now form Armenia, laying the basis for much of today’s community.

The parallels between the two peoples are not lost on Mr Namoyan.

“When the Turks were slaughtering Armenians, they slaughtered us, too,” he says.

“They tried to force us to convert to Islam but we didn’t accept. Last year they tried it again.”

For the Yazidis last year, there was no question as to whether they would stand beside their Armenian neighbours on the battlefield.

“Of course we served in the army,” says Vital Sloyan, 48, another Shamiram resident.

“Armenia is our country too and it was under attack. We were proud to stand with our Armenian brothers.”

Yazidi people outside the Quba Mere Diwane. Kiran Ridley

The Yazidi members of Armenia’s army and associated volunteer militias were well publicised during the war, and well organised.

Temur Khudoyan, 28, director of the Yazidi TV channel Lalish TV, says that local Yazidis fought in their own units and in the Armenian army.

“When the war started, Yazidi community leaders started to organise those who wished to fight,” Mr Khudoyan says.

That was partly co-ordinated by Rustam Bakoyan, an Armenian MP who holds the Parliament seat reserved for the minority.

In all, three Yazidi volunteer detachments served on the front lines in Karabakh. Many fought in areas hardest hit by the fighting, including those captured by Azerbaijan.

The losses have not affected the local community’s appreciation for their homeland.

“We are an ancient people but we don’t have a state,” Mr Shaykh says.

“In the 2014 genocide (in Iraq), over 100,000 Yazidis became refugees. It makes you appreciate safe places like Armenia.”

Mr Khudoyan agrees.

“This is the only country in the world where Yazidis are taught at school in their own language,” he says.

“All our rights are protected here. We can preserve our culture, our religion, our identity. We have a future in Armenia.

As the festivities wind down, Mr Namoyan delivers the most optimistic outlook yet.

“There’s a story about a prophet in Greece,” he says. “This prophet foresaw that Constantinople would one day be Christian again.

“Turkey will be divided into three or four parts. The Greeks will take one part, the Armenians another, and we Yazidis will take ours. Everything will be great.”

https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/festive-but-sombre-yazidi-new-year-in-armenia-1.1203910

"Park" dedicated to Artsakh war in Baku a proof of Azerbaijani genocidal policy towards Armenians – Ombudsman

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

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 10:26,

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, ARMENPRESS. The so-called “park” dedicated to the Artsakh war in Baku is a proof of Azerbaijani genocidal policy and state supported Armenophobia, Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan said in a statement.

“A so-called “exhibition-park” related to the September-November 2020 war was opened in Baku today, on .

In the “park”, along with the Armenian military equipment, mannequins of the Armenian military servicemen have been displayed, all of which presented in a degrading manner, in a manner violating human dignity. This is done to ensure the widest possible publicity.

It is obvious from the published videos and photos of the “Park” that the exhibition was designed to increase and encourage hatred and animosity towards the population of Armenia and Artsakh, the citizens of Armenia. Exhibitions are with cynicism to publicly humiliate the memory of the victims of the war, the rights of missing persons and captives, to violate the rights and dignity of their families.

Personal belongings of the soldiers of Armenia and Artsakh are displayed with the same cynicism, and the helmets of the killed soldiers are displayed knowing that it will cause additional suffering to their families, to the Armenian and Artsakh society, and will generate new hatred in the Azerbaijani society.

The Azerbaijani authorities also showed scenes of Armenian prisoners in the opened “park”. This step is especially reprehensible against the background that in Azerbaijan, prisoners of war and civilians continue to be held illegally, in gross violation of international human rights requirements.

It is obvious to the Azerbaijani authorities that this sensitive issue would cause mental pain and suffering to the families of the missing persons and captives, as well as to the Armenian society in general.

Numerous complaints and alarms with this content have been addressed to the RA Human Rights Defender, as well as alarming posts on social networks were registered.

The monitoring of the Armenia’s Human Rights Defender’s Staff revealed posts on Azerbaijani social networks about the exhibition (we will publish the evidence separately), which only welcomed and encouraged the initiative of the President of Azerbaijan, and the comments testified to the obvious hatred and hostility towards Armenians.

The opening of such a “park” clearly confirms the fact of institutional hatred towards Armenians in Azerbaijan and existence of a state policy of propaganda of animosity. This policy has been consistently implemented for years, confirmed by concrete evidence.

The consequences of this policy are the atrocities and torture, killings of Armenian military servicemen and civilians by Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the 2020 September-November war; the 2016 April war or other Azerbaijani armed attacks on the.

State-sponsored hostility was the reason why the Azerbaijani military brutally tortured and killed Armenian servicemen and civilians, being with open faces and with exceptional cynicism, without even thinking about responsibility, and being confident that they would only be praised for that.

Therefore, the demonstrations in the “park” dedicated to the September-November 2020 war clearly reaffirm existence of the Azerbaijani genocidal policy towards the entire population of Armenia and Artsakh.

This absolutely vicious phenomenon proves once again that we must not allow ourselves to be intoxicated with false Azerbaijani peace building initiatives; they are just veils for the international community.

This statement of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender will be sent to international bodies, with a special note that these steps of Azerbaijani authorities are horrible phenomena leading to torture, cruelty, absolutely disturb peace and solidarity in the region”, the statement says.

Еvents in Maragha the logical continuation of regular genocidal actions committed by Azerbaijan against Armenians

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Public Radio of Armenia

The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Artsakh remembers and condemns the Massacre of the Armenian Population of Maragha Settlement

29 years ago, on April 10 the armed forces of Azerbaijan committed Genocide of the Armenian civilian population of Maragha settlement of the Republic of Artsakh.

The Azerbaijani troops invaded Maragha, tortured and killed the local civilian population, including women, children, and the elderly. Azeri soldiers beheaded 45 villagers, burnt others, took more than 100 women and children away as hostages.

Azerbaijani authorities awarded the perpetrators with high state awards. Their commander was conferred the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan. All it testifies that the Armenophobic and genocidal policy in Azerbaijan is encouraged at the highest state level.

The events in Maragha became the logical continuation of regular, systematic persecutions and genocidal actions committed by Azerbaijan against the Armenians.

Crimes against humanity have no statute of limitations and must be prosecuted and punished.

Amsterdam: Jacob, 13, faces deportation to Armenia, where he has never been

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Dutch News, The Netherlands
April 8 2021
Society April 8, 2021

Jacob (left) with school friends in the petition photo. Photo: Manon Veldhuis

More than 150,000 people have signed a petition calling on the justice ministry to rethink a decision to deport a 13-year-old boy to Armenia, even though he is a Syrian Christian and has never been in the country.

Jacob and his mother have lost their right to stay in the Netherlands because the immigration service IND has decided they can settle in Armenia with the help of distant relatives.

The problem has arisen because mother Tina got Armenian passports for herself and her son, so they could get a visa to travel to Europe, rather than escape war-torn Damascus with the help of people smugglers.

The final straw had come when Jacob was injured in a bomb blast which killed one of his friends, De Groene Amsterdammer reported.

However, stories about a visa for Armenians proved to be false and Tina, who was 26 at the time, and Jacob, who was eight, made the journey to Europe in a small boat over the Mediterranean Sea. But because Armenia is classed as a safe third country, she and Jacob have now been repeatedly refused the right to stay in the Netherlands.

Jacob, who is in his first year of secondary school, and Tina now face deportation to Armenia, a country where he has never been and which she visited for just four days.

MPs have asked junior justice minister Ankie Broekers-Knol a string of questions about the case, including if she is willing to try and ensure they do get a residency permit after all.

Changes to the rules for giving well-rooted refugee children residency rights mean that the minister no longer has the right of discretion in difficult cases.

Tina’s mother, grandmother and brother were all granted asylum in the Netherlands, RTL Nieuws reported.

Rep. Scott Peters urges Secretary Blinken to help secure Azerbaijan’s release of Armenian POWs

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Public Radio of Armenia
March 30 2021

San Diego, CA area Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50) urges U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to prioritize re-engaging the U.S. in the OSCE Minsk Group negotiations for Artsakh peace; providing U.S. humanitarian to help displaced Artsakh Armenians; help secure Azerbaijan’s release of Armenian POWs; demining of Artsakh and protecting cultural heritage sites throughout the Caucasus and Middle East

The full text of Rep. Peters’ letter to Secretary Blinken is below:

Congratulations on your recent confirmation. It is past time to re-emphasize the importance of our foreign diplomats and return to working with our international allies. I look forward to working with you to re-establish our nation’s role in building security and prosperity around the globe.

Over the past six months there has been a humanitarian crisis developing in the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) area between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The situation significantly deteriorated last September as fighting erupted between various military forces until a Russia brokered ceasefire ended combat in November. While this temporary reprieve gives residents a much needed break from hostilities, there are ongoing concerns over the continued detention of prisoners of war and civilians. On behalf of the United States, I urge you to prioritize reengaging the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group process in order to craft a long-term peace agreement which protects the interests of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the right to self­determination of those living in the region.

In addition, the United States should play a leading role in rebuilding through the provision of humanitarian aid and ensuring all parties protect innocent civilians. Independent estimates suggest more than 100,000 people were forced to flee their homes. Without proper intervention, a refugee crisis can quickly tum into security crisis. It is imperative people have access to shelter, food, clean water, and sanitation to contain the situation and avoid any possible negative externalities, especially in the midst of a global pandemic.

Similarly, there is urgent work to be done removing unexploded ordinances from the region, which indiscriminately harm civilians and provide a particular danger to young children. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) previously supported the HALO Trust whose work focused on this effort. Conflict cannot end until those who call this region home feel safe and secure in returning. Plus, an untimely explosion could result in a reignition of all out fighting.

Finally, I hope there is wide-spread agreement on the need to protect important cultural heritage sites. Recent conflicts throughout the Caucasus and Middle East have left many of these sites destroyed beyond repair, and buildings and artifacts which have existed since the dawn of civilization are now gone forever. There is a tremendous amount of history still left in this region; we must protect it.

Great strides have been made in building the United States-Armenia relationship since Armenian independence in 1991. We should continue our support for the Armenian people as they develop a stable democracy which can last far into the future.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email Jason Bercovitch of my staff at (858) 455-5550 or .

Kuwaiti investor to plant 350,000 almond trees in Armenian town

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

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 14:43, 1 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS. 350,000 almond trees will be planted in 2021-2022 in a mega-agricultural complex run by the Kuwaiti Al-Abdalyah Group in a $30,000,000 investment project in Armenia’s Armavir Province, the economy ministry said.

Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan personally visited the 1100 hectare area on March 31 and toured the facility.

“Preparations are underway at full swing, the first 55,000 trees will be planted in a month,” the minister said.

The investor is Khalife Al-Fadala, a businessman from Kuwait.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

No incidents registered along Armenian-Azerbaijani border – defense ministry

Vorskanian Yeghisabet

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 17:23,

YEREVAN, MARCH 19, ARMENPRESS. A stable operational situation with no incidents has been maintained along the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact of the Armenian state border overnight March 19-20, the Defense Ministry of Armenia told Armenpress.

According to the information provided by the Armenian National Security Service, the situation has also not changed in Vorotan-Davit Bek section of the Goris-Kapan inter-state road which is under the responsibility of the NSS border troops.

The Armed Forces of Armenia and the NSS border troops control the border situation along the entire length of the border zone and fulfill their tasks.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Sports: Judo: Proud Armenian Ferdinand Karapetian in the race for Tokyo

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Judo Inside
March 9 2021

PROUD ARMENIAN FERDINAND KARAPETIAN IN THE RACE FOR TOKYO

9 Mar 2021 17:35

 By Lusine Shahbazyan and JudoInside    

Ferdinand Karapetian of Armenia won the European senior title in 2018 in Tel Aviv. This weekend he showed his best judo with beautiful scores at the Grand Slam in Tashkent. Karapetian is maybe a lonely wolf, fighting in different countries as one of the few Armenian fighters. He travel by himself and trains in as many countries as possible if corona allows.

Karapetian (28) also competed for Russia in his early days where he won national medals as senior and U23. Later he took medals at European Cup level (Dubrovnik 2016) and moved up to medals at European Open level (Minsk 2017). Ferdinand took a bronze medal at the Grand Slam in Düsseldorf in 2018 and was in the final of Ekaterinburg in 2018.

Last weekend he was even twice in the Top 10 best ippons of JudoInside’s partner Judoheroes. Have a look at that video. He destroyed Rustam Orujov with a huge takeover. The victory over the Azeri in the quarter final was fundamental for Karapetian. In the semifinals, the Armenian athlete lost to Zhansay Smagulov from Kazakhstan but was able to win the bronze medal against Guillaume Chaine.Ferdinand Karapetian is the only Armenian judo champion who has a chance to win a ticket to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. “In the first rating tournament of the season, I did not achieve success, as I entered the tatami after a long break and injuries,” he noted. After Tel Aviv, he took part in the tournament, which was held in Tashkent.

“I prepared very well for this tournament and won a medal,” he said. “As an athlete, I must somehow inspire my people. Thanks to these victories, we can get back on our feet and look ahead. I am glad that with this victory I was able to please my people a little,” he reacted.