Category: 2020

1 –        Turkey’s Leaders Furious at Biden
            For his Attack on Pres. Erdogan
            By Harut Sassounian
            Publisher, The California Courier
            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2-         Michigan’s Mari Manoogian Represents Armenian Americans in
DNC Keynote
3 –        Armenians Again Warned Against Coronavirus Complacency
            Parents, Public Question Decision to Reopen Schools
4-         Letters to the Editor
5-         Remembering a Life Lost in the Beirut Explosion:
            Delia Guedikian Papazian

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1 –        Turkey’s Leaders Furious at Biden
            For his Attack on Pres. Erdogan
            By Harut Sassounian
            Publisher, The California Courier
            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden was interviewed by The New
York Times editorial board on December 16, 2019. In his interview,
Biden called Turkish President Erdogan “an autocrat,” urged his
“isolation” and sought his “defeat” in the next elections.

Even though the interview took place eight months ago and was
published by The New York Times on January 17, 2020, the Turkish
government and media showed no reaction at the time. A week ago,
several months after the interview became public, a series of
orchestrated hysterical attacks were launched in Turkey on Biden’s
comments to The New York Times.

Let’s start with what Biden told The New York Times last December:

“I’ve spent a lot of time with him [Pres. Erdogan of Turkey]. He is an
autocrat. He’s the president of Turkey and a lot more. What I think we
should be doing is taking a very different approach to him now, making
it clear that we support opposition leadership. Making it clear that
we are in a position where we have a way which was working for a while
to integrate the Kurdish population who wanted to participate in the
process in their parliament, etc. Because we have to speak out about
what we in fact think is wrong. He has to pay a price. He has to pay a
price for whether or not we’re going to continue to sell certain
weapons to him. In fact, if he has the [Russian] air defense system
that they’re flying F-15s through to see how they can try to figure
out how to do it.”

Biden went on: “So I’m very concerned about it. I’m very concerned
about it. But I’m still of the view that if we were to engage more
directly like I was doing with them, that we can support those
elements of the Turkish leadership that still exist and get more from
them and embolden them to be able to take on and defeat Erdogan. Not
by a coup, not by a coup, but by the electoral process. He got blown
out. He got blown out in Istanbul [during the mayoral elections]. He
got blown out in his party. So what do we do now? We just sit there,
and yielded. And the last thing I would’ve done is yielded to him with
regard to the Kurds. The absolute last thing!”

Biden concluded: “I had a couple of those meetings with him about the
Kurds, and they did not clamp down at the time. We have to make it
clear that if they’re looking to, because, at the end of the day,
Turkey doesn’t want to have to rely on Russia. They’ve had a bite out
of that apple a long time ago. But they got to understand that we’re
not going to continue to play with them the way we have. So I am very
concerned. I am very concerned. I’m very concerned about our airfields
[in Turkey] and access to them as well. And I think it takes an awful
lot of work for us to be able to get together with our allies in the
region and deal with how we isolate his actions in the region,
particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean in relating to oil and a
whole range of other things which take too long to go into. But the
answer is yes, I’m worried.”

On August 16, 2020, in response to Biden’s above comments, the
Jerusalem Post reported that Turkish presidential adviser Ibrahim
Kalin slammed Biden, accusing him of ignorance, arrogance and
hypocrisy. “The days of ordering Turkey around are over,” he tweeted.
“But if you still think you can, be our guest. You will pay the
price.”

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also attacked Biden after meeting US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, calling the Democratic Presidential
nominee ignorant. Speaking about Biden’s comments, Cavusoglu said:
“It’s weird that someone this disinformed [sic] wants to run the
country.”

It is understandable that Turkish leaders would be upset at Biden for
talking about removing the Turkish President from office. Furthermore,
given Erdogan’s chummy relationship with Pres. Trump, it is also
understandable that Turkish leaders would not want to see Trump
replaced by Biden. A few days ago, Trump told Fox News that Erdogan
listens to him. In fact, it is the other way around. Trump is the one
who listens to Erdogan and does his bidding.

Nevertheless, there are deeper reasons for Turkish leaders to whip
their public into frenzy against Biden. Erdogan is engaging in his
favorite political trick of distracting his people’s attention away
from their economic and social deprivations by blaming the foreigner,
Biden. Erdogan is also relying on the long-standing Turkish hostility
to Western Europe, the United States and Christianity. Erdogan is used
to whipping the emotions of his uneducated followers to stand by him,
regardless of his poor performance. Instead, Erdogan has conveniently
pivoted towards Russia and China, despite his country’s NATO
membership.

Should Biden win in the Presidential elections, it remains to be seen
whether he would maintain his hard line approach to Erdogan and
Turkey.

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2-         Michigan’s Mari Manoogian Represents Armenian Americans in
DNC Keynote

By Beth LeBlanc

(The Detroit News)–For Rep. Mari Manoogian, her Tuesday, August 18
keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention is about more
than the politics of a presidential race, though it will be an
important tenet of her comments.

The 27-year-old Birmingham resident said she also hopes her presence
will inspire other Armenian American women and said it will be an
“honor and privilege” to represent them on a national scale.

Manoogian said she hopes her message and those of 16 other “rising
stars” with whom she’ll be speaking “show that there is diverse,
vibrant leadership in this new generation of public servants.”

“To have this opportunity for my people is very important,” the
first-term lawmaker said.

Manoogian’s comments will touch on “dinner table” issues such as jobs
and health care, she said. In particular, Manoogian plans to note Vice
President Joe Biden’s role in the bailout of Detroit auto companies in
2009.

She also plans to detail the important role of local businesses during
the pandemic, “showing bold leadership in times of crisis.”

“Our message is really about being an inclusive party, sort of
touching on the issues that are important to all Americans but
uplifting this next generation of leadership,” Manoogian said.

Manoogian will face off against Republican Kendra Cleary in November
in a fight to maintain her seat in the 40th House District. In 2018,
she defeated Republican David Wolkinson 56.5% to 43.5% in a
traditional GOP district.

As of July 24, Manoogian had about $108,000 on hand while Cleary had
just short of $5,000.

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3 –        Armenians Again Warned Against Coronavirus Complacency

            Parents, Public Question Decision to Reopen Schools

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday, August 20 again urged
Armenians to strictly follow anti-epidemic rules amid what he
described as relative stability in the rate of coronavirus infection
in the country.

As of Monday, August 24, Armenia has recorded a total of 42,825
COVID-19 cases. A total of 36,049 of these patients have since
recovered while 5,922 remain active. The death toll as a direct result
of complications from COVID-19 stands at 854.

Health Minister Arsen Torosyan said at a government session that the
downward trend in the number of new coronavirus cases in Armenia has
come to a stop, adding that sharper declines are hardly expected while
the situation remains stable.

“Taking into account the economic activity and the mobility of the
population in general, including the number of citizens returning to
Armenia, I think it will be very difficult to have fewer cases than we
identify daily if the situation I have described is maintained,”
Torosyan said.

During the past several weeks Armenia’s Health Ministry has reported
between 150 and 300 new coronavirus cases and between one and eight
Covid-19 deaths a day. This is two to three times lower than at what
appeared to the peak of the epidemic in the first half of July when
more than 700 new coronavirus cases and about 15 deaths were recorded
on a daily basis.

Pashinyan stressed that the current stability is relative and a
reversal of the situation may happen at any moment. Pashinyan warned
the public against complacency based on the observed decrease in the
number of new coronavirus cases.

“The average daily numbers today are more than twice lower than in
July. But if we do not respond to the situation properly, we will
quickly return to the situation observed in July,” he said.

A total of 1,993 coronavirus tests were conducted in Armenia on August
19; 263 citizens were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. According
to the health minister, currently hospitals in Armenia are not
overloaded and the coronavirus situation remains manageable.

“No citizen will be left without medical assistance, but citizens must
make an effort not to get infected,” Pashinyan said.

The Armenian prime minister urged the police to step up their efforts
in enforcing mandated mask-wearing in all public spaces and also
appealed to the public to show more individual responsibility to stem
the spread of infection.

Parents and education experts in Armenia are questioning the wisdom of
the latest decision of the government to last week to reopen schools
in September with a number of coronavirus-related safety measures put
in place to avoid major outbreaks of the disease.

Shushan Doydoyan, a mother of four school-age children, considers the
re-opening of schools with restrictions imposed by the Ministry of
Education ineffective.

In all schools re-opening on September 15 students will have to wear
face masks during classes, schools will have to provide disinfectants,
and classrooms will need to be disinfected every day before and after
classes. Instead of five days, lessons will be held six days a week to
reduce class hours. There will be a maximum of 20 students in
classrooms and classes will be held in two shifts. Less time spent by
children at schools will also help keep school canteens closed,
authorities say.

“A decision that is detached from the needs of the public has been
made. No one has asked the opinion of parents or teachers. The public
has not been involved in the making of these decisions at all,”
Doydoyan complained.

She believes that proper control over the safety measures at schools
is impossible. “In any case, they are children. Without parental
supervision and with one teacher for more than 10 children, it is
simply impossible to properly monitor how correctly and safely they
wear masks, because a mask protects only if worn correctly and safely.
If you constantly touch it with dirty hands, if you drop it on the
floor and then put it back on your face, it is fraught with
unpredictable health problems,” Doydoyan said.

Samvel Martirosian, a teacher at the Aregnazan educational complex
attended by about 400 students, expects “chaos” to reign in schools
after September 15.

“The educational process will be very difficult for teachers
considering that they will have to go to work also on Saturdays. There
is a big question about whether it is a wise decision. I believe that
in a month or two teachers will simply start running out of steam. I
think that the situation will descend into chaos unless mistakes are
addressed and new solutions are found along the way,” Martirosian
said.

Education specialist Serob Khachatrian believes that the introduction
of a six-day school week increases the risks for those students and
parents who use public transport. He suggests that schools be reopened
for only students in grades 1-6, while students of higher grades
should continue to study online.

“If the duration of the lesson is shortened, say, to 25-30 minutes,
then in this case the question will again arise: which is better – to
go to school for a 25-minute lesson or conduct a 45-minute lesson
remotely?” he said.

The specialist also thinks that intervals between lessons should be
made at different times for different classrooms so that children
could leave classrooms. “A lot of aggression may accumulate in
children if they are kept in classrooms during class breaks,”
Khachatrian said.

Pediatrician Mari Darakchian said that children attending schools
should have their body temperature measured properly, schools must
have a certain supply of masks and teachers must have special training
to work with children in such conditions.

“If correct psychological work is carried out with children, they will
wear masks with great pleasure. In the lower grades it can be done
through play, for older children, of course, it should be done through
explanatory work,” Darakchian said.

The current state of emergency ends Sept. 11. The government has
indicated that it will not seek its extension unless the coronavirus
situation worsens.

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4-         Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

Regarding the article ‘Sarkisov offers compensation to Azerbaijani
businessmen’ (August 6, 2020).

Mr. Sarkisov, the Russian Armenian businessman, had invited the
Armenian and Azerbaijani community leaders in Moscow and said that “he
felt very ashamed before his Azeri friends for the Armenian vandals
who showed their national identity through violence and destruction,”
and offered compensation to Azerbaijani businesses in Moscow.

Mr. Sarkisov has the money and he can do whatever he wishes. But what
distresses me and others is that the Azerbaijanis started the
conundrum in Moscow, graffiti and vandalism in the United States and
other places. The Azerbaijanis also started the clashes at Armenia’s
border; they lost in Moscow and Armenia. Now they are shedding tears
and blaming us. If the Azerbaijanis hadn’t started, including beating
an innocent Armenian woman with a child walking in Moscow, none of
this would have happened.

I wish that Mr. Sarkisov, besides offering carrots, had also offered
sticks. Unfortunately, Azerbaijanis behave only when they see the
stick. In addition, in the article I didn’t read that the Azerbaijanis
apologized or offered compensation to Armenian businesses as Mr.
Sarkisov had hoped and wished.

Therefore, my second suggestion is that Mr. Sarkisov first compensate
the Armenian businesses that suffered through no fault of theirs, and
then compensate the Azeri businesses.

Bedros H. Kojian

Orange, Calif.

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5-         Remembering a Life Lost in the Beirut Explosion:

            Delia Guedikian Papazian

            By Natacha Larnaud

Delia Guedikian Papazian, 44, lived on the ninth floor of a building
facing the port. The night of the blast, she was in the living room
with her 15-year-old daughter, 8-year-old son, and her daughter’s best
friend, according to her sister-in-law, Suzanne Habchi Guedikian.

The friend of Delia’s daughter, in a Facebook post, wrote about what
happened when the explosion hit: “Her mom Delia was trying to get us
away from the glass and the windows but unfortunately while she was
trying to get to safety with us, the (whole) house exploded. It was
too late… Everything happened in front of our eyes as we were
screaming our lungs out for Delia. But there was no answer.”

In a panic and fearing the building would collapse, they ran from the
building for help, barefoot in the glass. “The little boy holding my
hand was so lost and afraid. I had never seen such a look on his face.
His cheeks had become so red, and the look in his eyes fractured my
heart into thousands of pieces,” she wrote.

Later that evening, Delia’s brother, rushed to the apartment to find
his sister. Habchi Guedikian said he could hear screaming from all
corners of the building. “We were hoping she was only injured. But it
wasn’t the case,” Habchi Guedikian said. “He called me immediately.
She wasn’t moving and her eyes were closed. Delia had already left us
when her brother arrived.”

Habchi Guedikian called Delia the “most loving, humble, compassionate
person,” and “one of the purest and most beautiful souls one could
ever meet.”

She said Delia was torn between staying and leaving Lebanon, hoping
for a better future for her family. Delia’s children are staying with
relatives for the time being. “My husband and I will always look after
them as if they were our own,” she added.

“Our hearts are shattered into pieces. Our lives will never be the
same again. Beirut will never be the same again. We hope that the loss
we have suffered will inspire us to pick up the pieces and build a
better future for our children.”

This article appeared in CBS News on August 18, 2020

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