Category: 2018

World War I ended with the Ottoman Empire vanquished and facing imminent collapse, its doomed alliance with Imperial Germany costing hundreds of thousands of Ottoman lives and dealing a death blow to the already creaking empire.

But 100 years after the surrender of the Ottomans to the Allied powers at Mudros on October 30, 1918, the Great War is in no way seen as a pointless waste or even a defeat by modern Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Rather than focusing on the four years of devastating conflict that ended in the capitulation and eventual dissolution of the empire, Turkey remembers key individual battles where Ottoman forces, often against huge odds, defied the Allies and helped forge a new Turkish national identity.

Chief among them is the 1915-1916 Battle of Gallipoli, but other episodes like the siege at Kut al-Amara in modern Iraq and the Battle of Sarikamis against the Russians are also marked with increasing emphasis.

Gursel Goncu, the editor-in-chief of the monthly Turkish history magazine #tarih, said the empire’s defeat was not something that existed in the memory of contemporary Turkey.

“We, the Turks, remember and talk about that period through the Gallipoli victory and the triumph of the siege of Kut al-Amara. The devastating defeat of 1918, on the other hand, is still being interpreted as the ‘treason’ of the authorities at the time,” he told AFP.

– ‘Rising from the ashes’ –

Erdogan increasingly gives these brief triumphs prominence, tracing a line of continuity through the centuries of great events in Turkish history from the pre-Ottoman era into the modern republic right up to the defeat of an attempted coup against him in 2016.

The president sees these battles as a defiance of the West and defence of territory which was historically in Turkey’s natural sphere of influence.

The Ottoman resistance at Gallipoli prevented the conquest of Constantinople and helped lay the foundations of the modern state that would be formed in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a key commander at Gallipoli.

Erdogan, who refers to the battle as the Canakkale Victory, has urged Turkish soldiers to remember the heroism of their forebears as they prepare for battle.

“The aim is the same, the spirit is the same and the faith is the same,” Erdogan said in March as he sent troops on a cross-border mission into Syria to help seize the Afrin region from Syrian-Kurdish militia.

“At Canakkale, a nation filled with a history of victories awakens from a centuries-old sleep, and rising up from the ashes, embraces the spirit of unity,” he added.

There is no room in this narrative for the fate of the empire’s Armenian citizens, whose leaders and prominent intellectuals began to be rounded up in 1915 just as the Gallipoli campaign started.

Armenians contend they were the victims of the first genocide of the 20th century at the hands of Ottoman forces but Turkey rejects this, insisting far smaller numbers perished in a conflict that saw atrocities on both sides.

– ‘Defeat, agony forgotten’ –

Every January, thousands of Turks brandishing national flags brave freezing temperatures to march through snow in the northern Kars region to mark not a victory but a famous retreat of Ottoman forces in 1915 after a disastrous defeat inflicted by better-prepared Russian forces at Sarikamis.

The retreat is seen as another act of defiance, though Western historians lambast the Ottoman commander Enver Pasha for needlessly sending troops to their deaths. Enver is despised by Armenians, who see him as the instigator of the 1915 massacres.

“For the sake of a higher and more meaningful victory, our army did not give in to the enemy or to nature,” Erdogan said this year, revealing his own grandfather has been “martyred” at Sarikamis.

However the 1916 siege in Kut al-Amara was successful, ending in the surrender of thousands of British and Indian soldiers. It is regarded as one of the most humiliating Allied defeats of the war.

“We try to understand World War I through rare victories such as Gallipoli, epic tragedies or personal heroic stories, without considering the reasons for such failures,” said Tuncay Yilmazer, a WWI researcher and editor of the website Geliboluyuanlamak.com.

“We need to review our understanding of such a great event that led to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and transformation into a modern nation state,” he told AFP.

Goncu noted that WWI was part of more than a decade of devastating warfare endured by the Turks that began with the Balkan Wars of 1912 and ended with victory in the War of Independence in 1923.

“We have recalled and commemorated the victorious moments and the heroes of this 10-year long struggle, and we still do,” Goncu said.

“As regards defeat and agony, well, they are to be forgotten!”

Alina Hovhannisyan. Starting next year, the Armenian Trinity Canyon Vineyards Winery, which is the beneficiary of the The Organic Agriculture Support Initiative (OASI) program, funded by the EU, will start exporting organic wine. The executive director of the plant, Hovakim Saghatelyan, told journalists about this as part of a study tour with the EU delegation to Vayots Dzor region.

Answering the question of ArmInfo, H.. Saghatelyan noted that since the time of its foundation, an organic wine has been produced at the winery, but production has received certification only this year. The vast majority of products is exported to a number of European countries – Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, and is sold in specialized stores in the domestic market. On average, the total production is 30 thousand bottles per year.

“Organic farming is the future of Armenia. And our most important task is to return to our sources and produce organic wine, which our ancestors produced more than 6 thousand years ago. Today we are trying to establish a niche in the market under the conditional name historical wines, which we hope to fill with other producers in the region – Georgia and our other neighbors. And then a European will want to taste the wine from which the history of the wine began, “he said.

To note the vineyard “Trinity” was founded in 2009 in Areni on the territory adjacent to one of the oldest wine regions in the world. The production process itself has been launched since 2013.

To note Karine Sargsyan, marketing specialist of the OASI (The Organic Agriculture Support Initiative ) program of the Austrian Development Agency, said earlier that in the GDP structure the share of agriculture is 20%, of which only 0.01% is organic. The expert attributed low production volumes to the lack of public awareness about the benefits of organic production, which certainly affects the level of consumption. At the same time, K. Sargsyan noted that Armenian organic products are ahead of the quality of producers in European countries, taking into account the climatic conditions and the number of sunny days.

OASI was launched in Armenia in January 2015 and is being implemented by the Austrian Development Agency with EU funding. The initiative is aimed at the development of organic agriculture and the sale of organic products in Armenia both in the domestic and foreign markets. The total program budget is 3.3 million euros.

According to the latest data of the RA Customs Service, in 2017 Armenia exported 2.8 million liters of wine, with an annual growth of 50.5%, while the customs value grew by 81% to $ 10.78 million. -0-

Alina Hovhannisyan. “In the European markets, Armenia should promote the traditional varieties of Armenian cheeses – Chanakh and Lori,” he said during a press tour in Yelpin (Vayots Dzor region), where the cooperative for the production of high-grade cheeses is located: EU Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Armenia Piotr Switalsky.

After tasting, the European diplomat noted that he was impressed with the taste and quality of the cheeses produced in the cooperative. At the same time, he expressed the hope that cheeses will find their consumers in the markets of the EU and EAEU countries. “Any market is good. But in the European there should be exclusively traditional Armenian cheeses, “he stressed.

Meanwhile, production today satisfies only the domestic market, and is represented on the shelves of metropolitan supermarkets. From next year, according to a preliminary agreement, the cooperative will begin to export a large batch of cheeses to the Russian Federation. “Every year, we provide about 35 tons of cheese from the produced milk with a tonnage of 250-300 tons of milk. From next year we want to increase production. In addition to Russia, we also think about deliveries to the markets of European countries, since we are in no way inferior in terms of quality indicators, “said the head of the cooperative.

To note, the cooperative was established in 2016 as part of the ENPARD program (European Neighborhood Program on Agriculture and Rural Development), which includes 18 farmers. The cooperative provided work for 7-8 people.

To recall the ENPARD program aims to assist Armenian cooperatives in the processing of agricultural products, and its implementation. The main partner of the program is the Ministry of Agriculture of Armenia. The project started in January 2015 and will end in November 2018. The ENPARD program was implemented in the Lori, Shirak, Gegharkunik, Aragatsotn, Kotayk and Vayots Dzor regions of the republic. -sh–

Marianna Mkrtchyan. In Armenia, 28% of respondents believe that the Amulsar deposit should be closed. Director of the Gallup International Association office in Armenia Aram Navasardyan reported this on October 31 in Yerevan, presenting the results of a survey conducted from September 3 to 11 of this year.

At the same time, Navasardyan stated that another 26.5% of respondents are convinced that the field should continue production, presenting more benefits to surrounding communities, another 18.9% believe that Amulsar should continue activities under intensive monitoring of local communities, 5.2% are convinced that the field should be exploited local companies, another 19.4% found it difficult to answer.

At the same time, on the question of what problems in their opinion could damage the ecology of Armenia, 43.6% of respondents were convinced that these are problems of garbage removal and disposal, 41.2% pointed to the problem of Lake Sevan, 37.8% – deforestation in Dilijan, 35.5% – the operation of the Amulsar deposit, 23.9% – the operation of the Kajaran copper-molybdenum combine, 10% found it difficult to answer the question, another 12% named other reasons.

To the question of how they relate to the draft law on the closure of betting offices and casinos in the country, 62.7% answered positively, another 14.2 responded positively, and only 13.8 negative, 9.2% of respondents could not answer this question.

When asked to express their attitude towards the movement “New Armenia, new spiritual leader” – 16.8% of respondents said they were negative about the movement, 26.9% said they support the goals of the movement, but against the methods, 38.3% supported the initiative and methods of their actions, another 18 % found it difficult to answer.

1106 people took part in the survey all over Armenia – 33% in Yerevan and 67% from the regions. The fault of the pulling is 3%.

Tatevik Shahunyan. Today, processes are taking place in Armenia that pose a clear threat to traditional values and family foundations. This was during a round table on the topic “Traditional values as the basis of statehood: the role of the church in ensuring national security, political stability and social cohesion” said Arman Gukasyan, chairman of the NGO “International Humanitarian Development”.

According to him, the proof of this is the fact that the LGBT Christians forum will be held in November 15-18 in Yerevan. The main organizer of the event is the European LGBT Forum public platform. The projects of this platform are funded by American and European funds. The LGBT Christians Forum is supported by the American foundation Arcus, and in Armenia its New Partner and Forum organizer is New generation”, which is also funded from Western sources, in particular, by the Soros Foundation, the European Commission, USAID and others, “said Ghukasyan.

The “Arcus” Foundation itself, he continued, is the largest keeper of LGBT organizations in the world. This is a private foundation that was founded in 2000.

year in USA in Michigan. It has offices in New York and Cambridge (Britain). The founder and president is John Stryker, whose fortune is estimated at $ 2.9 billion, and he is also the head of Stryker Corporation. Activities – support and funding of LGBT organizations, as well as the protection of great apes.

According to Ghukasyan, the foundation is conducting an aggressive campaign aimed at the destruction of religious ethics and morality in the sphere of sexual relations, family and marriage. He urged the relevant authorities of the Republic of Armenia to carefully study the activities of those local organizations that work and are funded by Western grants and are co-sponsors of such events in Armenia. He also expressed concern over the silence of the political circles of Armenia on the organization of the LGBT forum, and on the intensification of propaganda of a non-traditional orientation. According to him, this represents a real threat to the national security of Armenia.

Naira Badalian. UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Shombi Sharp welcomes policy of the new government of Armenia, which focuses on a person. Sharp said this on the sidelines of the three-day conference on the “Role of social protection in the sustainable development agenda: leaving no one behind in Armenia’‘ that started on November 31.

According to the UN representative, today more than 1 mln people in Armenia live in poverty, 2% of them are extremely poor. Despite a number of events, over the past 10 years the republic has failed to solve the problem of the poverty of the country’s population. At this stage, according to Sharp, the Cabinet of Ministers of the country, aimed at protecting the interests of all its citizens, will be able to fulfill the task if it primarily makes social support more targeted.

As UNICEF representative in Armenia Tanja Radocaj pointed out, perhaps over the past 10 years, steps have been taken to reduce poverty, but they were obviously not enough. One third of children in Armenia live below the poverty line, and in the Shirak region more than half. This, she said, is fraught with negative consequences for the future development of the country. Today, without paying due attention to this potential, the country is undermining its long-term economic development. To this end, according to Radocaj, the organization, in close cooperation with the Armenian government, is looking for more effective ways to overcome poverty. One way is to ensure access and quality education for children. “From time to time we face a shortage of quality education in rural areas of Armenia. Thus, we consider the possibility of obtaining quality education and relevant skills as one of the most efficient methods in improving the well-being of the population in the future,” she said.

Sylvie Bossoutrot, Country Manager of the World Bank in Armenia, in turn, believes that social security can protect citizens from external negative shocks. And poverty and unemployment also lead to lower fertility rates. As a result, Armenia, like many developing countries, will face the problem of an aging population in the future.

To note, the level of poverty in Armenia in the conditions of last year’s economic growth of 7.5% and with 220 thousand unemployed people makes up more than 30% of the population. At the same time, Acting Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Mane Tandilyan answering the question of ArmInfo stated that Armenia aims to reduce poverty by 0.5% or more annually. Today, Mane Tandilyan believes that the social protection system needs to be revised, first of all, to improve the targeting of financial support from the state.

According to the latest official statistics, the poverty rate in Armenia in 2015 was 29.8%, which is 0.2% less than in 2014. The total number of poor people in Armenia was 900 thousand people, 310 thousand of which are very poor, and extremely poor – 60 thousand people. In 2015, about 19.4% of the country’s population were classified as poor, 8.4% were very poor and 2% were extremely poor. At the same time, according to statistical data, at the end of June 2018, unemployment in Armenia, calculated using the new method that does not take into account those employed in the household, was 20.6%, having decreased by 1.2% in y-o-y terms. According to the forecasts of the World Bank, the unemployment rate in Armenia in 2018 will be 18.1%. The World Bank predicts that the poverty level (with a purchasing power parity (PPP) of $ 5.5) may reach 38.2% in 2018, with a decline to 36.8% in 2019, while the PPP calculation of $ 3.2 may reduce the poverty level in 2018-2019 from 10.1% to 9.1%.

Alina Hovhannisyan. All decisions and legal opinions relating to the Amulsar gold deposit will be made in accordance with all legal requirements. On October 31, during a press conference, he told reporters. Minister of Economic Development and Investments of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Khachatryan.

“When such processes are delayed, this causes discontent among the waiting party, and the authorized structures should do everything possible to promptly make fair conclusions,” he said. In the case of Lydian Armenia, according to the Acting Minister of Economy, we are talking about environmental issues, and the relevant structures today are working in this direction. “We understand that this is from the point of view of foreign investments Amulsar project is one of the largest investment projects in Armenia and is in the center of attention of the international investment community. But I am sure that all decisions taken on the Amulsar gold deposit will be unequivocal, “he stressed.

In particular, T. Khachatryan noted that in case of any gaps, including those related to compliance with environmental standards, meetings should be held on how the company can fill these gaps in order to move forward. “In the absence of such gaps, the company, being sure that all its actions comply with the law, will continue its activities,” he concluded.

Note that construction work within the Amulsar project has now been suspended. The reason for this was the protest action of environmental activists who claimed that the use of the deposit would damage the environment of Jermuk. The government has ambiguously responded to the conflict and has not made a final decision on the continuation of the work.

Recall that Lydian Armenia is a subsidiary of British Lydian International, whose shareholders are major international institutional investors from the United States, Great Britain, and a number of European countries, including the EBRD. The Amulsar project is the largest industrial project in Armenia today for the development of the Amulsar gold deposit with a total value of $ 370 million. In August 2016, the project for the construction and development of the deposit was launched. Preparatory work has been going on since 2006. The life of the Amulsarsky deposit will be 10 years and 4 months, it is planned to produce an average of 200 thousand ounces of gold (about 10 million tons of ore) annually. The company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Amulsar deposit is the second largest reserves in Armenia.