Category: 2020

Armenia’s president urged the government to step down and argued that new elections should be held within a year at the latest and an interim government of national accord should be formed, preferably a technocratic one.

Armen Sarkissian also criticized the Armenian government during his meeting with representatives of the Armenian community in Russia.

He described Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s signing of a cease-fire agreement with Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and the withdrawal of Armenians from Karabakh as a “great tragedy.”

“There is a solution in any country where such a great tragedy has occurred. The government that led to this has to go,” he said.

Sarkissian had previously said he was not involved in the process of signing a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan that ended the decadeslong Nagorno-Karabakh crisis.

He said he learned about the deal over the news and that he had not been consulted before Pashinian “painfully” agreed to sign the deal.

The Armenian president said the decision should have been made after a period of consultation and debate, as the issue is extremely important for the country.

He pointed out that the situation in Armenia was very different from two years ago when elections were held and proposed the establishment of a provisional national unity government and early elections.

Suggesting that a technocratic government be established on which all parties will agree, Sarkissian said this government could work for six months or a one-year period and lead the country to early elections.

Sarkissian also said that a constitutional referendum needed to be organized before there can be new elections to amend the constitution.

Claiming that neither the president nor the prime minister should alone make important decisions for Armenia, Sarkissian said: “The constitution is not balanced at all in our country. There should be a balance between the parliament, the government and the presidency.”

He also emphasized that the country’s president should be elected by popular vote, not by the parliament as it is now.

In 2018, Pashinian rose to prominence as the leader of widespread demonstrations across the country against the political establishment, demanding an end to corruption and a more democratic Armenia.

He was elected prime minister by the parliament after the bloc he led received 70.4% of the vote in elections held in December 2018.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

New clashes erupted on Sept. 27 and ended with a Russian-brokered truce six weeks later.

The Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated three humanitarian cease-fire agreements during the 44-day conflict.

After nearly 30 years, Azerbaijan managed to liberate its territories from the illegal Armenian occupation. Yerevan was defeated and was forced to sign a cease-fire agreement with Baku that put an end to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh on Nov.10.

Pashinian said he signed an “unspeakably painful” deal that allowed Azerbaijan to claim control over regions it took back in the fighting.

While Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages amid the heavy fighting, Armenians are also handing over other territories under the deal, which is being monitored by both Russia and Turkey.

Aformer French diplomat and an academic criticized a French senator for exploiting the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh and distorting the truth about the issue.

Former French ambassador to Israel, the United Nations and the U.S. Gerard Araud and French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) Deputy Director-General Didier Billion criticized Senator Valerie Boyer for his recent remarks about recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh and requesting sanctions against Turkey and Azerbaijan, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported Monday.

“The French Senate is proud to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh and demand sanctions against Turkey and Azerbaijan,” the senator said on Twitter.

In response to Didier, Araud said the senate’s decision has disqualified France as a mediator in international conflicts, as he called it a “decision against national interests.”

Thanking Araud for his remarks, Billion said the senate’s decision was a big mistake, ignorance of international law, distortion of facts and “unfortunately, an acknowledgment of weakness.”

France’s adoption of a resolution to recognize the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh region drew heavy criticism from both Ankara and Baku for ignoring international law as well as U.N. decisions.

The symbolic resolution does not mean the French government will recognize a sovereign Nagorno-Karabakh but sends a message of support to France’s large Armenian community. No country recognizes the region – which Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds over for decades – as independent.

The French resolution calls on the government to “recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and use this recognition as an instrument of negotiations for the establishment of a sustainable peace.” It also calls on the government to pursue a tougher European response toward Turkey, which has supported Azerbaijan in the conflict.

Fresh clashes erupted on Sept. 27 continuing for 44 days, throughout which Baku liberated several cities and nearly 300 of its settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation.

On Nov. 10, the two countries signed a Russia-brokered deal to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive solution.

Senior Turkish officials discussed minority rights and steps that can be taken against hate crimes in a meeting Sunday with the spiritual leaders of minority communities and representatives from minority foundations.

Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew; Archbishop Sahak Maşalyan, the 85th Armenian patriarch of Turkey; Yusuf Çetin, the metropolitan bishop of the Istanbul-Syriac Church, and Ishak Haleva, chief rabbi of the Jewish community in Turkey, were present at the meeting held in the Dolmabahçe presidential working office in Istanbul.

Following the three-hour session, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül and Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın spoke to Turkish media.

Gül said they had an important and efficient consultation with the representatives, adding that decisive steps have been taken over the last 18 years under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

“Since 2008, we have seen once again that the steps we took regulating foundations yielded very important results in removing obstacles from minorities,” Gül said.

He went on to say that suggestions regarding property rights, the right to education and the right to organize were discussed.

Noting that the ruling AK Party has demonstrated its desire to increase freedom for all citizens, Gül said they also addressed further steps that can be taken against hate crimes.

Kalın also said the meeting was very productive.

He said minority community members who were unable to address the state before are now accepted and have a voice.

“As you know, with the Endowments Law enacted in 2008, a historical, revolutionary change took place and the properties and immovables that belonged to the foundations were returned.”

He added that some specific issues related to churches, schools and properties that were on the minority representatives’ agenda were also discussed at the meeting.

“It is extremely important that we fight against hate crimes and discrimination with a single voice, especially at a time when anti-Islamism, anti-Semitism and anti-Christianity are on the rise all over the world,” he said. “We have stated here once again that there is no legal or humanitarian basis to condemn, accuse or make anyone an object of hate, regardless of their religious identity, because of their religion, ethnic identity or belief.”

The meeting came amid recent reform efforts in the areas of law, the economy and democracy. Representatives of minority communities relayed their problems and expectations, describing the meeting as “positive, hopeful and solution-oriented.”

In a written statement released by the Armenian patriarch, Maşalyan said that one of the consensuses that representatives of minority communities reached was the displeasure with the exploitation of issues related to minority communities in Turkey by international actors as a political tool.

“It was emphasized that there is a state structure in Turkey which is willing to listen to these problems and ready to take steps for producing solutions,” he said.

Sait Susin, the chairperson of the executive board for the Virgin Mary Assyrian Church Foundation located in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district, also said that it is very important and thoughtful that authorities noted their opinions and expectations for the planned democratic reform efforts.

In the past decades, Turkey has moved to reinstate the rights of minorities and help their survival as their numbers have dwindled over time. Long treated as second-class citizens, the Greek, Jewish, Armenian and Syrian communities have praised the return of their rights, though they have complained about it being a slow process.