By the decree of President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, Paruyr Hovhannisyan has been recalled from the post of Permanent Representative of Armenia to the Council of Europe, as reported on the official website of the President of Armenia.
The Supreme Judicial Council of Armenia today examined the motion of the Ministry of Justice to subject Judge Zaruhi Nakhshkaryan of the Yerevan court of general jurisdiction to disciplinary liability.
A motion was filed to subject Judge Nakhshkaryan to disciplinary liability for not self-recusing under the case of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s daughter Shushan Pashinyan vs Narek Samsonyan.
Assistant to the Minister of Justice Gagik Harutyunyan declared that the judge violated the rules of conduct of a judge, adding that the judge showed a biased approach towards the plaintiff’s representative and that, in this case, the judge was supposed to self-recuse.
As for Nakhshkaryan’s attorney Ruben Melikyan, he petitioned to dismiss the proceedings of the case to subject the judge to disciplinary liability and insisted that ex-justice minister Rustam Badasyan took part in launching disciplinary proceedings after the judge rejected Badasyan’s statement of claim with regard to a personal matter. According to Melikyan, Badasyan had a biased approach towards the judge.
The Supreme Judicial Council postponed the court session to give the representatives of the Ministry of Justice the chance to become familiar with the motion. The next court hearing will take place on November 4 at 4 p.m.
Bronze medalist of Tokyo 2020, world’s two-time bronze medalist, two-time European champion Hovhannes Bachkov made it to the quarter-final of the World Boxing Championships taking place in Belgrade.
The captain of the Armenia national football team competed with Italy’s representative Gianluigi Malanga in the 1/8 final of the 63.5 kg category boxers and defeated Malanga 3-2.
The situation was rather tense in the first round. The opponent was regularly protecting himself from Bachkov’s strikes with his hands, but the referee wasn’t responding to this. During the tense competition, the referees gave the advantage to Armenia’s representative.
In the second round, Bachkov added pressure and didn’t give the opponent the chance to strike back. In the second round, the referees gave points to Hovhannes Bachkov.
In the third round, the Italian boxer was almost always protecting and was doing his best to avoid engaging in a close combat with Bachkov.
The 28-year-old Armenian boxer started from the 1/16 final during which he had scored an impressive victory over Azerbaijani Malik Hasanov.
Photos and video at the link below
Aksungur UAV performs a demonstration flight alongside training aircraft Hürkuş during Teknofest, Istanbul, Turkey, Sept. 25, 2021. (AA Photo)
The Turkish military on Wednesday received the first Aksungur, a domestically produced medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the top defense body head said.
In a Twitter statement, the head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), Ismail Demir said the Aksungur had been delivered to the Turkish Naval Forces.
The UAV is the latest combat drone of the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
It can fly 50 hours, can carry up to 750 kilograms (1,654 pounds) of payload and is capable of long-endurance operations at an altitude of up to 40,000 feet.
Aksungur can perform uninterrupted multi-role intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and attack missions with its high payload capacity and provide operational flexibility beyond the line of sight with its SATCOM payload.
The UAV, which embarked on its maiden flight in 2019, has been integrated with three different EO/IR (Electro-Optical/Infra-Red) cameras, two different SATCOM Teber laser guidance products by Roketsan, locally developed Precision Guidance Kit-82s (HGK-82) and the domestic engine PD170. The drone previously carried and test-fired MK-82 ammunition with a Teber guidance kit weighing around 250 kilograms. It was the first drone to use Teber.
The Aksungur marked an important milestone in August when it reached 1,000 flight hours.
The development was a first for a Turkish-made MALE class drone.
Aksungur was developed following the manufacturing of TAI’s Anka MALE UAV.
The Turkish navy already has the Anka in its inventory.
In February this year, the navy received two more Anka UAVs whose ranges were increased according to the needs.
The SSB at the time said that the UAVs will maintain their duty of securing the seas surrounding Turkey, also known as the “Blue Homeland.” The drones recently delivered to the navy were equipped with an automatic identification system and synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
Turkey’s main battle tank Altay seen in this file photo, Nov. 15, 2012. (Photo by Mesut Er)
Adeclaration of intent regarding the supply of engines for Turkey’s domestic main battle tank (MBT) Altay was signed by officials from South Korea, which was previously reported as being a procurement option in the project.
The related statement was made by Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Friday.
The minister, who said that Turkey and South Korea are important partners in the defense industry, noted in a Twitter statement that Minister Kang Eun-ho, the South Korean minister responsible for the Defense Procurement Program (DAPA), informed him about the signing of the declaration of intent on the supply of Altay tank engines.
“It is an important step in the context of the project,” he added.
Media reports said in March that Turkish land vehicles manufacturer BMC, the company that is undertaking the Altay project, agreed with two South Korean companies, Doosan Infracore Co. and S&T Dynamics Co., for the engine and transmission.
Turkey initially kicked off the MBT project in 2007, while the procurement of an engine has been a preventive step for a while as some European companies refused to sell the powering unit.
The prototype for the Altay was unveiled at a 2011 defense show in Istanbul.
Previously, the next-generation battle tank’s prototype was powered by a 1,500 horsepower diesel engine from Germany’s MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH. The German Rheinmetall has also established a joint venture with BMC aimed at joint production of armored vehicles, particularly the main battle tank, Altay. However, the production and supply of the tank engine came to a halt following Berlin’s decision to limit arms exports to Turkey, a longtime NATO ally.
The German arms embargo came as a result of the flare-ups in Syria that have put weapons sales to Ankara under intense scrutiny by its Western allies. Germany has repeatedly announced that it limits arms sales to Turkey, which launched a counterterrorism operation in northern Syria that targeted both Daesh terrorists and the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian branch, the YPG.
Ankara has long criticized German authorities for not taking serious measures against the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, and waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 40 years, causing the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women and children.
Meanwhile, Turkish defense officials have reiterated several times that the engine to be purchased from abroad will only be used on the first mass-produced tanks while in the subsequent productions, Altay tanks are to be powered with domestic engines that are under production.
A Ukrainian army-owned Bayraktar TB2 can be seen destroying a Russian howitzer in Donbass in this screengrab obtained on Oct. 27, 2021.
Once again video of a Turkey-made unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), namely Bayraktar TB2, destroying a Russian-made land vehicle went viral on social media.
The footage, showing a familiar scene from Syria and Azerbaijan, was this time shared by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Tuesday.
It was the Bayraktar TB2 combat drone’s first-ever deployment by the Ukrainian army – which has quite a few of them in its inventory – to destroy a howitzer used by pro-Russian separatists in Donbass.
The Bayraktar TB2 was used for the first time to force the separatists to abide by a cease-fire, the armed forces said in a Facebook statement.
One Ukrainian soldier was killed and two others were wounded by the howitzers, the statement said.
The Kremlin said Wednesday that its fears about Turkey’s decision to sell strike drones to Ukraine were being realized and that the Turkish drones risked destabilizing the situation in eastern Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was commenting on media reports that Ukrainian government forces had successfully deployed a Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone to strike a position in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian-backed separatists.
Russian forces annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in February 2014, with President Vladimir Putin formally dividing the region into two separate federal subjects of the Russian Federation the following month.
Turkey and the U.S. as well as the U.N. General Assembly view the annexation as illegal.
Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in Donbass has seen more than 13,000 people killed since 2014, according to the U.N.
The region is one of several sources of friction between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine previously operated the Turkish combat drone, using the latest smart ammunition by another Turkish defense giant, Roketsan during the Sea Breeze 2021 military exercise in June.
Ukrainian army, both the land forces and the navy have Bayraktar TB2s – manufactured by Baykar – in its inventory.
The Bayraktar TB2 has been sold to countries including Ukraine, Qatar, Azerbaijan and Poland. In May, Poland became the first European Union and NATO member state to acquire drones from Turkey.
Saudi Arabia is also said to have been interested in buying Turkish drones. Latvia also hinted that it could be the second European Union and NATO member state to acquire the Turkish UCAVs. Albania and Kyrgyzstan have also shown interest in striking a deal to procure Bayraktar TB2s.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov attends a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia, June 4, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
The Kremlin said Wednesday that its fears about Turkey’s decision to sell strike drones to Ukraine were being realized and that the Turkish drones risked destabilizing the situation in eastern Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was commenting on the deployment by Ukrainian government forces of a Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone to strike a position in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian-backed separatists.
“We have really good ties with Turkey, but in this situation, our fears are unfortunately being realized that the deliveries of these types of weapons to the Ukrainian military can potentially destabilize the situation on the line of contact,” Peskov told reporters.
Russia-backed separatists have been fighting government troops in Ukraine’s Donbass region since 2014, soon after Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. Kyiv says at least 14,000 people have been killed.
Ukraine has bought sophisticated Turkish drones to boost its military and has struck a deal with Ankara to produce the same drones at a factory close to Kyiv, the capital.
The drone issue is one of several straining ties between Turkey and Russia even though the two countries enjoy close ties in other areas.
“We see that as soon as such weapons fall into the hands of the (Ukrainian) military, they can potentially be used in this (eastern) region of Ukraine, and this leads to destabilization,” Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said.
“This does not contribute to the settlement of this internal Ukrainian problem.”
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said it had deployed the drone to force pro-Russian separatists into a cease-fire on Tuesday.
It said the drone had destroyed an artillery unit belonging to pro-Russian separatists using a guided bomb. It said the drone had not crossed the line of contact between the two warring sides.
Ukraine gets military backing from the United States and other NATO countries.
Turkey, a NATO member, has criticized Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and voiced support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Turkey, which faces Ukraine and Russia across the Black Sea, has nonetheless forged close ties with Moscow in the fields of defense and energy.
Kyrgyzstan’s president said on Oct. 23 that his country will purchase unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from both Turkey and Russia.
“We’re not buying drones to go to war with someone. We will buy drones to ensure the country’s security,” Sadyr Japarov said in his first annual press conference in the capital Bishkek, after assuming the post at the beginning of 2021.
Japarov confirmed the statement made by Gen. Kamchibek Tasiyev, chairman of the Kyrgyzstan National Security State Committee, that they have ordered Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 drones.
On the fight against corruption, the president said the state has reaped some $87.45 million.
On comments that Sooronbay Jeenbekov, his predecessor who stepped down in October 2020 as a result of protests, Caparov said there are no plans to annul his presidential status, and added: “The tradition of firing presidents should be ended.”
On the idea of establishing a new city in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul region, he said: “We will start the establishment of the city of Asman. At the moment, work on city planning is in progress.”
ANCA-WR fall interns
A bright and determined group of students that are committed to expanding their leadership and advocacy skills in service to the Armenian Cause have joined the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region for its Fall 2021 Internship Program. The 7 interns, hailing from 5 universities, will embark on an 11-week program and will be given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience within the American political system.
“Our Internship program shows the commitment of the ANCA-WR to invest in programs that benefit emerging leaders in our community” remarked Verginie Touloumian, ANCA-WR Community Outreach Director. “We are excited to work with our new class and help them develop their leadership and communication skills, which will certainly serve as a springboard for a lifetime of effective advocacy supporting our homeland and the Armenian-American community.” she continued.
The program is curated to give each intern the opportunity to work on a wide-variety of projects based on their individual interests and participate in a series of lectures and workshops featuring community leaders and elected officials.
The ANCA-WR Spring 2021 Interns are:
Michael Davtyan – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), History
Jibid Melkonian – Glendale Community College (GCC), Political Science
Nare Nazaryan – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Chemistry
Noris Serobyan – University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Public Law
Celine Abrahamian – University of California, San Diego (UCSD), International Relations
Danielle Mikaelian – Columbia University, English
Michael Tatevossian – California State University of Northridge (CSUN), International Business
Established in summer 2006, the ANCA Western Region Internship Program is a selective part-time leadership program, which introduces college students and recent college graduates to all aspects of the public affairs arena. The program provides an opportunity for student leaders and activists to gain an in- depth understanding of the American political system, Armenian-American issues and advocacy efforts on the local, state and federal levels. Summer session of the program will begin in June of 2021; interested students can find more information on the ANCE-WR website. st1yle=”font-size:16px;margin:0px 0px 1.25em;padding:0px;border:0px;line-height:inherit;,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline”>The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
The Armenia-Azerbaijan border
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday said that he had ordered the withdrawal of Armenian Armed Forces from Syunik back in December in order to avoid military actions.
This revelation comes months after he announced that he had ceded a 13-mile stretch of the Goris-Kapan Highway—located in Syunik—when Azerbaijani forces blocked the road to traffic and later began stopping commercial vehicles from Iran and imposing taxes on their drivers.
Pashinyan made the statement in parliament Wednesday, adding that his order for the troop withdrawal was so Armenia would retain control of the strategic road “at least for some time.”
Azerbaijani forces breached Armenia’s border into the Syunik Province in May and have advanced their positions there as well as in the Gegharkunik Province. While Pashinyan called for the immediate withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from those areas as a pre-condition for discussions with Baku, he soon backed down and agreed to sit for talks without preconditions.
In asking Pashinyan about the December 18 decision to pull out the troops from Syunik, opposition Armenia faction lawmaker Ana Grigoryan probed Pashinyan about the circumstances of the pull-out, and posted out that surrendering Syunik was not part of the November 9 statement.
“With regards to Syunik, have I ever denied that I am the responsible person for that decision?” asked Pashinyan. “Whether the command was oral or written, everything was done according to procedures. Was there a discussion? Yes, there was, session of the Security Council was not held, but all members of the Security Council, Governor of Syunik participated. The Minister of Foreign Affairs said they were not aware, but the Deputy Minister also participated in the discussion, the discussion took place at the Government. And the decision was made in order to avoid war,’’ said Pashinyan matter of factly, as if the absence of a National Security Council meeting or the foreign minister’s knowledge did not matter.
“If the decision were not made, military operations would have started there. And in Syunik we would have had real problems,” added Pashinyan, saying that there were five or six discussions before the decision was made.
He mentioned that the decision was made with the logic that during the negotiations there was a perception that seven regions were to be surrendered.
”Those territories were handed over because they were part of the seven regions. Why are they part of the seven regions? Even if you don’t like it, it is registered by the Law on Administrative Territorial Division, it is not something new,” Pashinyan added in an attempt to justify his actions.
He, once again, lashed out at the opposition, saying if the opposition to state clearly whether they advocate for the removal of Armenia’s signature from the November 9 statement.
Pashinyan also discussed another contentious Armenian territory, this time the Paylasar region in the Syunik Province. Last week, community leaders in the area said that the entire region has come under the control of Azerbaijani forces.
The prime minister said there have been no changes in the positions of border guards in the Paylasar section and that Armenian border troops are on duty in the same positions where they were deployed since December 2020.
Pashinyan went on to advance his state position about the importance of opening regional transportation links, in an effort to achieve his so-called “regional peace” agenda.