Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

France has welcomed the Bundestag vote on Armenian Genocide recognition.

“I welcome the Bundestag vote on recognition of the Armenian Genocide, State Minister for Europe Harlem Desir tweeted.

Je me réjouis du vote du Bundestag de reconnaissance du génocide arménien. (1/2)

— Harlem Désir (@harlemdesir)

“France will continue to fight for the universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” he added.

La France continuera à se battre pour la reconnaissance universelle du génocide arménien. (2/2)

— Harlem Désir (@harlemdesir)

Qatar Airways commences four-times weekly non-stop flights between Doha and Yerevan, thus connecting the Armenian capital to 150 destinations around the world. The airline promises high-quality services and a flexible price policy.

Qatar Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, Dr. Hugh Dunleavy told reporters in Yerevan they hope to operate everyday flights in the near future.

Passengers flying from Yerevan and onwards to any of Qatar Airways more than 150 destinations will enjoy a quick and convenient transfer at Hamad International Airport, the newest airport hub in the world.

The airline will fly the A320 aircraft direct to and from Yerevan on the four-weekly schedule, featuring a two-class cabin configuration comprising of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 Economy Class seats.

Services will depart the Qatari capital every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 2025 and arrives in Yerevan at 0040. The return flights will then leave the Armenian capital every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 0325 and arrive back in Doha at 0530.

A coalition of 14 national anti-genocide and human rights groups, led by the Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region (ANCA-ER), have called on The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, and The Philadelphia Inquirer to issue a formal apology for the placement of advertisements denying the Armenian Genocide in their publications and urged an advertisement policy review to prevent similar incidents in the future.

In letters sent to the publications this week, the coalition explains that “the website linked to in the advertisement clearly denies the Armenian Genocide in several ways, including by disputing the number of people killed, referring to the genocide as a ‘destructive conflict,’ or the ‘1915 tragedy.’  While the coded language used on the website may be unfamiliar to outsiders, we are all too familiar with the use of this language as a tool for denial.”  The letters went on to note that “the advertisement was run by an organization called the ‘Turkic Platform,’ a propaganda group that aims to distract conversation from Turkey’s role in the Armenian Genocide through the use of billboard and newspaper advertisements and other activities.”

ANCA-ER’s Armen Sahakyan thanked coalition partners for taking a “principled and unequivocal stance against the denial of the Armenian Genocide. We will continue our active work in further promoting the anti-genocide alliance to speak with one, united voice against all cases of genocide and/or their denial.”

Leaders of A Demand for Action; Armenian National Committee of America Eastern Region; Asia Minor and Pontos Hellenic Research Center; Carl Wilkens Fellowship; Darfur Interfaith Network; Genocide Watch; Hellenic American Leadership Council; In Defense of Christians; International Association of Genocide Scholars; Jewish World Watch; Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND); Stop Genocide Now; Together We Remember; and United to End Genocide co-signed the letters which outline three concrete requests:

• A formal apology to readers for running the ad, including to those who are victims or descendants of victims of the Armenian Genocide;
•  A policy review to ensure the newspaper will no longer accept advertisements which promote hate speech and genocide denial; and
•  A meeting with senior staff of the newspaper’s advertising department to better understand the policy under which the newspaper accepted the ad.

On April 20^th, the Istanbul-based Turkic Platform began a U.S.–wide advertisement blitz denying the Armenian Genocide,  spending millions on full page print newspaper ads, online news site ads and billboards. Backlash from the ad campaign has been significant with grassroots action leading to ClearChannel Outdoor first pulling its billboards in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco and then stopping the campaign nationwide.  Some newspapers, including the San Jose Mercury News, issued apologies and pledged a full review of their ad placement policy.

“Armenia and Artsakh are  not against the step-by-step solution of theteh Karabaakh conflict,” Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said.

The comments come after Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar mammadyarov’s stateemnt regarding the step-by-step solution.

Shavarsh Kocharyan stressed, that “within that framework Azerbaijan should first of all recognize the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, return the occupied territories of Nagorno-Karabakh and start negotiations with the NKR on the clarification of borders.”

NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow received today Armenia’s Deputy Defense Minister David Tonoyan.

Among other issues the parties referred to the Nagorno Karabakh issue.

“There can be no military solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict,” NATO Deputy Secretary General said.

“Nagorno Karabakh conflict urgently requires de-escalation and diplomatic progress under the auspices of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs,” Mr. Vershbow said.

Turkey’s any interference with the Karabakh conflict settlement can only harm the process, because of Turkey’s unilateral stance and its mania of supporting Azerbaijan at any cost, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said.

“The aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact and Turkey’s provocative statements are the best proof of it,” he added.

Speaking at the Islamic Cooperation Organization, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speculated the ‘Islamic solidarity,’ thus trying to present Azerbaijan’s military actions against self-determined Nagorno Karabakh as a religious conflict. Kocharyan labelet it a “dangerous attempt.”

“The current policy of the Turkish authorities is a consequence of the wave of instability, terrorism and bloodshed both inside Turkey and outside its borders. With the above-mentioned provocative statement the Turkish Foreign Minister actually reveals its plans to extend the wave to the South Caucasus,” the Deputy Foreign Minister said.

“We’re confident that aware of the real goals of Turkey, our traditionally friendly Muslim countries, will not give in to Ankara’s provocations,” Shavarsh Kocharyan concluded.

NKR Defense Minister, Lieutenant-General Levon Mnatsakanyan had a meeting with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs James Warlick, Igor Popov and Pierre Andrieu. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk was present at the meeting.

The Defense Minister referred to the recent developments along the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan and presented undeniable proofs of Azerbaijani military aggression, particularly the inhumane crimes committed against the civilian population.

The Co-Chairs, in turn, reiterated the importance of solving the issue through peaceful negotiations and discussed the future steps to be implemented in that direction.

Two prominent Turkish journalists are due to go on trial charged with revealing state secrets, the BBC reports.

Can Dundar and Erdem Gul, from the newspaper Cumhuriyet, were arrested in November over a report alleging that the Turkish government had tried to ship arms to Islamists in Syria.

They deny the charges but face possible life sentences if found guilty.

Supporters of the two men say the case is an important test of press freedom in Turkey.

The Turkish government has come under increasing international criticism over its treatment of journalists.

The leadership of ‪Azerbaijan names the Co-Chair states provocateurs only because they propose to create a mechanism for investigation of incidents,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said at a meeting with the faculty and students of the Artsakh State University.

“In fact, that criticism is directed not only against the Co-Chairs, but at least against the past and present participating states that presided over the OSCE, the United Nations, European Union, and in general all the states and institutions that have supported and support that proposal,” he said.

“The Azerbaijani leadership does not refrain from accepting, that it is behind the cease fire violations and escalation of the situation. It is even boasting of that fact. Leaving aside whether ‪‎Baku genuinely thinks there is something worth boasting of, or it is just a propaganda trick for the internal consumption, it should be once again stated that the Azerbaijani leadership has lost its sense of reality,” Minister Nalbandian said.

“This refers not only to the Nagorno Karabakh issue. They state, that Azerbaijan is no less than the most economically stable, the most democratic, the most tolerant state and the most secure place in the world in terms of the protection of human rights, that they may set an example for other states, while different international organizations, international HR institutions state the opposite. A kingdom of crooked mirrors is created in that country, the leaders of which, looking in those mirrors, admire themselves and call upon others to live in such a kingdom of crooked mirrors,” Edward Nalbandian stated.