MosJan

The Best of Two Worlds Published on May 15, 2017First it was her appearance - in our class Alina stood out as she did not look typically Caucasian, there was a different softness about her. Then, the surname - it did not end in “-yan” like the rest of us, it wasn't an Armenian name. She was often asked who she was, her favorite answer was simply, “I am half-Armenian, half-Assyrian.” She was obviously proud of who she was, a child of mixed ethnicity. She had something that we didn't.So did Karen. He was in another class, known as “the Russian,” and he indeed looked like one. Anna, my colleague, is always called when there is a need of a translation from Georgian - as her mother is Georgian, and Georgian is her second native tongue.Armenia is a largely homogeneous society and children of mixed ethnicity stick out - be it their appearance, their mindset, their traditions, or their favourite food. And they are aware of it with some feeling lost in a constant state of uncertainty, others navigating comfortably the world -in-between. Yet, all of them tend to represent the best of two, or more, worlds.

Ballet Dedicated to Armenian Genocide Wins Emmy Award http://asbarez.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/balletemmyaward.jpg SAN FRANCISCO— A ballet titled “Meran Vor Aprink” (They Died So We May Live), dedicated to the Armenian Genocide, was honored with television’s prestigious Emmy Award at the 45th Annual Emmy Awards 2016 Ceremony. The Emmys were presented to the film’s Executive Producers, Diane and Charles Paskerian. The Emmy Award is presented for outstanding achievement in television by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), San Francisco Northern California Chapter, including Hawaii, Reno, and Sacramento, Oregon. This year there was a record number of 757 English and 179 Spanish entries in 67 categories. “Meron Vor Abrink” was listed under the Arts/Entertainment-Program/Special category. Davit Karapetyan, Principle Dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, was so inspired when he saw San Francisco’s Armenian Genocide Memorial “Mount Davidson Cross” for the first time, he envisioned choreographing a 100th Genocide Ballet Dance Video as a “Tribute to the Survival of our Ancestors through creative dance and music. We agreed to raise necessary funds for talent and crew….and the “creative process began!” The ballet took over a year to produce, with original choreography by Davit Karapetyan, fourteen San Francisco Ballet dancers including Karapetyan, Vanessa Zahorian, and a crew of 23. Writing, editing, and development input was done by Diane and Charles Paskerian. Filming took place at Baker’s Beach and the Mount Davidson Cross. The video project was enthusiastically endorsed by the Bay Area Centennial Committee and the Council of Armenian American Organizations of the Bay Area. The Council is charged with maintaining and supporting the Armenian Genocide Memorial Cross at Mount Davidson, the home of the Annual San Francisco Easter Sunrise Service for almost 100 years, and supporting Armenian Genocide education. The historical cross is the tallest Armenian Genocide Monument in the World.

https://www.facebook.com/lurercom/videos/1737566089605104/

4 Azerbaijani Soldiers Killed after Artsakh Forces Rebuff Attack http://asbarez.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/col.jpg Special forces of the Azerbaijani army attempted to breach the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border on Thursday and were quickly rebuffed the attack. The Artsakh Defense Ministry reported that four Azerbaijani soldiers were killed and their equipment seized during the operation. “Thanks to the high tactical preparedness and proper technical equipment, the subunits of the Artsakh Defense Army noticed the advancement of the diversionary group and pushed it back, inflicting at least four human losses,” read a statement by the Artsakh Defense Ministry. Artsakh Defense Army suffered no losses. “The situation at the frontline continues to remain under the full control of the Artsakh Armed Forces,” concluded the statement. Thursday’s attack comes almost a week after Azerbaijani attacks on the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border, known as the Line of Contact, resulted in the deaths of four Artsakh soldiers and left three soldiers in critical condition. Artsakh presidential spokesperson David Babayan called the Azerbaijani attempts a failure. “The special forces of Azerbaijan have been repelled, suffering human losses. At the moment we have information that the adversary has suffered at least 4 victims, but we are sure this number will rise, since the enemy withdrew in panic, leaving large amounts of ammunition, personal belongings, taking instead bodies [of the killed soldiers] and the injured,” Babayan told Armenpress. “For Azerbaijani leadership victims are of no importance. For them it’s important to distract the attention of their own people by such actions from the existing crisis in the country and continue looting their own people,” added Babayan.

German parliament votes to withdraw troops from Turkey Germany's parliament has formally approved the withdrawal of Bundeswehr troops deployed at the Incirlik airbase in southern Turkey. Lawmakers said they regretted Turkey's decision to block their visits to the facility. Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, on Wednesday backed the plan to move some 260 soldiers currently at Incirlik to an air base in Jordan. There were 461 votes in favor of the withdrawal, 85 against and 23 abstentions. In a statement, the parliament said it expected the redeployment to proceed swiftly. "With the move out of Incirlik, we've reached a temporary low point in our relations with Turkey," said SPD lawmaker Niels Annen. The Left party's Gregor Gysi described Turkey's decision to ban German parliamentarians from visiting the strategic base as an "affront." Read more: Turkey's Incirlik air base: What you need to know German troops and military planes have been stationed at the Turkish base near the Syrian border as part of the international fight against the "Islamic State" extremist group. The plan to move the troops had already been given the green light by Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet, but every deployment abroad requires support from a simple majority in parliament. http://www.dw.com/en/german-parliament-votes-to-withdraw-troops-from-turkey/a-39356874

That's right! The President of NATO "ally" Turkey, Recep Erdogan, is now, by all accounts, the subject of a U.S. law enforcement "probable cause" investigation regarding his possible role in ordering the May 16th attack on peaceful Washington, DC protesters. That's the power of viral video and a real tribute to your fast action via social media to spread word of this attack worldwide. Thank you! — at Armenian National Committee of America.

Iveta Mukuchyan & Aram MP3 https://soundcloud.com/dashterov/aleghnim "Dashterov" - a 40 minute long music project, featuring revamped traditional Armenian songs! From "Al Eghnim" to "Nazan Im Yary", Aram and Iveta are mixing traditional and modern, creating something truly special!

ANCA Troubled Erdogan’s Bodyguards Not Among Those Charged Over Embassy Attack http://armenianweekly.com/2017/06/14/anca-troubled-erdogans-bodyguards-not-among-those-charged-over-embassy-attack/ ANCA Calls Out Weak Administration Response to Foreign Attack on American Freedoms WASHINGTON—Metropolitan Washington D.C. police made two arrests in the case of the May 16 beatings of peaceful protesters, but stopped short of leveling charges against the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail that led the brutal attack, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Turkish American businessman Eyup Yildirim was among two arrested by Metropolitan Washington D.C. Police in conjunction with the May 16 Erdogan-ordered beating of peaceful protesters. The New York Times had identified Yildirim among the attackers in a June 4th expose. According to The Daily Caller’s Chuck Ross, Turkish Americans Eyup Yildirim, an owner of a construction company in New Jersey, is charged with assault with significant bodily injury and aggravated assault while Sinan Narin, a Virginia resident faces an aggravated assault charge. “We remain deeply troubled—nearly a month after this unprovoked assault by a foreign government on peaceful U.S. protesters—over the lack of criminal charges against Erdogan’s security detail and the failure of the Trump Administration to demand that Ankara waive its claims to immunity for all those involved in this assault on our American freedoms,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “These two arrests are a good start, but this is about far more than crime enforcement. It’s about our U.S. government standing up against foreign attempts to silence dissent by American citizens. In light of the major media attention devoted to this outrage and given the intense Congressional concern about its consequences – it is unacceptable that the White House and State Department have demonstrated such weakness, adopting, basically, a business-as-usual approach in the face of a brazen, angry, and arrogant foreign attack on peaceful protesters on American soil,” concluded Hamparian. Hamparian was videotaping live at the scene of the May 16 attack, which took place in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence where President Erdogan was scheduled to have a closed-door meeting with representatives of The Atlantic Council, a leading think tank in Washington, D.C., which receives funding from Turkey. Hamparian’s video showed pro-Erdogan forces crossing a police line and beating peaceful protesters—elderly men and several women—who were on the ground bleeding during most of the attack. Hamparian testified before a May 25th Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on this matter. Joining him at the hearing were Ms. Lusik Usoyan, Founder and President of the Ezidi Relief Fund; Mr. Murat Yusa, a local businessman and protest organizer; and Ms. Ruth Wedgwood, Edward B. Burling Professor of International Law and Diplomacy, at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Usoyan and Yusa were victims of the brutal assault on May 16th by President Erdogan’s bodyguards. Virginia resident Sinan Narin was among two arrested by Metropolitan Washington D.C. Police in conjunction with the May 16th Erdogan-ordered beating of peaceful protesters. The New York Times had identified Narin among the attackers in a June 4th expose. On June 6, with a vote of 397 to 0, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously condemned Turkey in response to the attacks, taking a powerful stand against Ankara’s attempts to export its violence and intolerance to America’s shores. H.Res.354, spearheaded by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.), Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), has received the public backing of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). A companion measure has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.). The House vote follows broad-based Congressional outrage expressed by over 100 Senate and House members through public statements, social media, and a series of Congressional letters. Senate and House members have also raised concerns about the recently announced $1.2 million sale of semi-automatic guns slated for use by Turkish President Erdognan’s security detail, many of whom participated in the May 16 attacks. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Democrat Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ed Royce have already objected to the sale. Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Dave Trott (R-Mich.) and Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) are urging colleagues to co-sign a letter to Secretary Tillerson to block the gun sale to Turkey. To contact legislators to cosign the letter, visit: anca.org/NoGunsForTurkey ANCA live footage of the attack served as source video for CNN, AP, The Washington Post, The Daily Caller and other major media, transforming the violent incident into a global spotlight on Erdogan’s attempt to export his intolerance and aggression to American shores. The Sunday, June 4 edition of The New York Times featured a two-page center-spread investigative report on the May 16th attack, with online version of the coverage translated to Turkish and shared widely on social media. The report identified Yildirim and Narin as having participated in the attacks. The New York Times coverage is available here: The ANCA is cited by The New York Times as a source for this report. The May 16 protest in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence was a continuation of a demonstration held earlier in the day in front of the White House, co-hosted by the ANCA. As President Trump met with President Erdogan. Human rights and religious rights groups were joined by representatives of the Kurdish, Yezidi, and Armenian communities to call attention to the Erdogan regime’s escalating repression against free press, the Kurdish and other ethnic communities, as well as Turkey’s ongoing obstruction of justice for the Armenian Genocide.

http://armenianweekly.com/2017/06/15/breaking-warrants-issued-for-the-arrest-of-members-of-president-erdogans-security-detail/ In response to a question from the Armenian Weekly, D.C. Police Chief Newsham acknowledged that investigators are looking into the role of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the May 16 attack, but indicated that, despite the available video and other evidence, there is not yet sufficient probable cause to seek his arrest. D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham speaking at the June 15 press conference (Photo: ANCA) “As I’ve said before, I condemn this attack. It was an affront to our values as Washingtonians and as Americans and was a clear assault on the First Amendment. As Americans, the First Amendment grants us the right to assemble and protest peacefully, and here in D.C., we are committed to safeguarding and protecting that right,” Mayor Bowser said during the press conference. She then thanked the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. State Department, and the D.C. U.S. Attorney for their cooperation with the Washington D.C. Police Department. “I just want to be perfectly clear that we take our position in the United States as the nation’s capital very seriously. We host demonstrations month-to-month. We host millions of people who come to the seat of their government to protest peacefully. We support them, we make sure that they are safe, but we also make sure that they follow our laws. Certainly anyone travelling to the United States will be held to that same standard. We will defend the First Amendment and we will make sure that our laws are being enforced,” the Mayor added. “The May 16th Erdogan-ordered attacks on peaceful protesters in Washington D.C. were not only a brutal assault on American citizens but on our fundamental first amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly,” Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian said, following the June 15 announcement. “We commend the efforts of Mayor Bowser, Chief Newsham, and all the law enforcement agencies involved in bringing the perpetrators to justice, and look forward to continuing to work with them to identify all involved. Law enforcement is doing its part; now it’s time for the Trump Administration to take action and demand that Turkey lift any claims to diplomatic immunity for those involved in this crime, so that criminal proceedings can move forward and justice can be served,” Hamparian added. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) commended the Washington D.C. Police Department and applauded the decision to follow up with the filing of criminal charges. “This sends an important message that while violence and repression have become the norm in Erdogan’s Turkey, they remain unacceptable here. Bringing these thugs to justice will ultimately require the State Department to prioritize this issue with Turkey, and I will be urging them to ensure that those charged today face justice,” Schiff said in a statement. According to the D.C. Police, 14 individuals have outstanding warrants for their arrests and are identified below:

Yesterday, it was reported that United States Marshals had arrested two Turkish men living in the U.S., for their role in beating peaceful protesters on May 16. Two arrests of Turkish-Americans Eyup Yildirim—an owner of a construction company in New Jersey—and Sinan Narin—a Virginia resident—were made by law enforcement officials. Yildirim was charged with felony Assault with Significant Bodily Injury, felony Aggravated Assault, and misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner, while Narin was charged with felony Aggravated Assault and misdemeanor Assault or Threatened Assault in a Menacing Manner. According to a Washington D.C. Police Department press release, a total of 18 individuals have been charged or are facing charges. Photographs of the 14 individuals, including Turkish security officers, who have outstanding warrants for their arrests, were also released by D.C. Police. http://armenianweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/warrentsarr.jpg

Warrants Issued for the Arrest of Members of President Erdogan’s Security Detail D.C. Police Release the Names of Charged Individuals; ANCA Urges Trump Administration to Take Action and Demand that Turkey Lift Claims to Diplomatic Immunity for those Involved in Crime WASHINGTON (A.W.)—During a press conference on June 15, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham announced that arrest warrants have been issued for the arrest of 12 members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail and Turkish police officers in connection with the May 16 attack on peaceful protesters in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C.

ErdoFashizm turks In Their Natural Behavior

https://nyti.ms/2sq6ONl

“Any further steps will be responsive and proportional to the charges,” the department said. The Turkish Embassy here did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement in the days after the incident, the embassy said that anti-Erdogan protesters had caused the violence by “aggressively provoking” Turkish-American citizens who had gathered to greet the president and who responded in self-defense. The statement did not mention the security forces. The run-in was not the first time Mr. Erdogan’s bodyguards have become violent while visiting the United States. In 2011, they took part in a fight at the United Nations that sent at least one security officer to the hospital. And last year, the police and members of Mr. Erdogan’s security team clashed with demonstrators outside the Brookings Institution in Washington. But the latest case, which played out in broad daylight along Washington’s genteel Embassy Row, has brought a much higher level of attention. Videos streamed live from the scene (and later spread across social media) showed armed guards storming a small group of peaceful, anti-Erdogan protesters in plain sight of federal and local law enforcement officers. A chaotic and bloody scene followed in which the guards, the protesters, pro-Erdogan civilians and American law enforcement tangled on the street and in a nearby park. Nine people were eventually hospitalized, some with serious injuries. The New York Times, after analyzing videos and photos from the scene, identified at least 24 men, including armed Turkish security forces, who had attacked protesters. Another video shows Mr. Erdogan watching the attack play out from a Mercedes-Benz sedan parked a few yards away. His role in the clash, if any, is unclear. Diplomatic security officers protecting the delegation also temporarily detained two members of the Turkish forces who had assaulted them, before it was determined that the guards had diplomatic status and were freed.

Lawmakers from both parties on Capitol Hill, as well as a smattering of advocacy groups, have clamored that those responsible for the assault be prosecuted. Last week, the House unanimously passed a resolution condemning the attack and calling for charges against the security forces. One of those lawmakers, Representative Edward R. Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed news of the charges, urging the State Department on Wednesday to “double down” its efforts to “bring these individuals to justice.” In calibrating its response, though, the Trump administration has had to tread carefully, navigating a web of diplomatic and military concerns with a key NATO ally. The incident appears to have already stalled a proposed $1.2 million small-arms sale to Turkish security forces that was moving toward approval by the State Department last month. And then there was the added wrinkle that the entire security detail for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey had left the country with him just hours after the incident. Members of the security team face several felony and misdemeanor counts, the American officials said. It is highly unlikely that Turkey would extradite the men to the United States to face the charges, but they do face the possibility of arrest should they ever try to re-enter the country. The State Department said in a statement on Wednesday that it would weigh additional action against those who have been charged, “as appropriate under relevant laws and regulations.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/14/world/middleeast/turkish-gaurds-washington-attack.html The New York Times Nick Fandos now reporting that a dozen of Erdogan's security detail are set to be charged Thursday for their May 16th assault on peaceful protesters in DC. The ANCA's Aram Suren Hamparian offered this comment to the welcome news. “American law enforcement is doing its job. Now it’s time for the Trump Administration to demand that Turkey lift all claims to diplomatic immunity for those involved in this crime so that justice can be served." WASHINGTON — Law enforcement officials plan to announce charges Thursday against a dozen members of the Turkish president’s security detail for their involvement in a brutal attack on protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence here last month, two American officials said on Wednesday. Authorities have already charged several others, including two Americans and two Canadians, with taking part in the violent skirmish. The Washington police have been investigating the May 16 incident along with the State Department and the Secret Service. The police planned to announce the charges at a news conference on Thursday morning, according to the two officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the charges before they were made public.

Members of Sasna Tsrer Go on Trial in Yerevan http://armenianweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/IMG_6793.jpg YEREVAN (A.W.)— On June 8, 14 members of the armed opposition group known as “Sasna Tsrer,” who seized a police station in Yerevan, went on trial in Yerevan. The defendants are facing a series of charges including illegal seizure of government buildings and weapons as well as hostage taking. Two of them have also been accused of murdering three police officers during the armed group’s two-week standoff with Armenian security forces. All of the suspects have denied the accusations. The defendants were greeted with applause as the entered the courtroom. They also refused to stand up when the presiding judge entered. Some defendants made angry statements denouncing the court and protesting their innocence, while three others reacted furiously when they were told to keep silent by the judge. Police officers in the courtroom intervened and the first court hearing adjourned. The next hearing is scheduled for June 21. The defendants also included two men who were not part of the armed group itself. One of them is accused of providing a truck that transported some of the gunmen to the police station while the second was charged with having assisted the gunmen by urging Armenians to rally near the compound and spreading “false information” during the standoff. According to Armenia’s Special Investigative Service (SIS), more than 60 individuals are prosecuted in connection with the hostage crisis. Some of them will have a separate trial. The gunmen seized the police compound in Yerevan’s southern Erebuni district and took several police officers hostage on July 17, 2016. They demanded President Serge Sarkisian’s resignation and the release of Jirair Sefilian, the jailed leader of their Founding Parliament movement. The group surrendered to law enforcement authorities on July 31, 2016.

The source who provided the Daily Caller this information did not provide the names of the men arrested for their role in the attack. However, the Washington-based Turkish news outlet Washington Hatti reported that one man involved in the attack was detained in New Jersey. According to the report, Eyup Yıldırım was arrested on the morning of on June 14. The U.S. Marshal Service referred The Daily Caller to the Washington, D.C. Metro police department, which is currently investigating the case along with the State Department and Secret Service. The department did not respond to a request for comment about the arrests, according to The Daily Caller. Yıldırım was identified as the man in the videos kicking a female protester Lucy Usoyan, while she was on the ground. Usoyan, a Kurdish activist, was kicked and stomped by Yıldırım and other Erdogan supporters. She was rushed to the hospital following the incident, where she was diagnosed with a head trauma. “We remain deeply troubled—nearly a month after this unprovoked assault by a foreign government on peaceful U.S. protesters—over the lack of criminal charges against Erdogan’s security detail and the failure of the Trump Administration to demand that Ankara waive its claims to immunity for all those involved in this assault on our American freedoms,” said Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian in a brief statement. “These two arrests are a good start, but this is about far more than crime enforcement. It’s about our U.S. government standing up against foreign attempts to silence dissent by American citizens. In light of the major media attention devoted to this outrage and given the intense Congressional concern about its consequences – it is unacceptable that the White House and State Department have demonstrated such weakness, adopting, basically, a business-as-usual approach in the face of a brazen, angry, and arrogant foreign attack on peaceful protesters on American soil,’ Hamparian added. Yıldırım, who is reported to be the owner of a construction company, was part of a group of supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who showed up at the Turkish Embassy and attacked the peaceful demonstrators across the street. The attackers, including men from Erdogan’s security detail who were armed, were seen punching, kicking, and stomping on the protesters. At least 11 people were injured while Erdogan watched the attack take place from his chauffeured vehicle, which was parked outside the embassy. Video recordings show that he may have ordered his bodyguards to initiate the assault. The incident generated outrage from lawmakers both from the Republican and Democratic parties, while the Turkish government blamed the U.S. government and the Washington, D.C. police. Last week, the House unanimously passed a bill condemning the Turkish government over the incident. Despite the arrest of Yıldırım and second individual, it will be difficult to arrest and punish some of the men from Erdogan’s security detail, who are likely protected by diplomatic immunity. Certain lawmakers have already called for the removal of the Turkish Ambassador and have called on the State Department to halt a planned sale of $1.6 million worth of firearms to Turkey.