Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 Armenpress.am Numerous villages in Artsakh come under indiscriminate Azerbaijani bombardments SaveShare 11:20, 16 October, 2020STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani armed forces continue indiscriminate shelling of civilian settlements in Artsakh in gross violation of all international convention provisions.The State Service of Emergency Situations of Artsakh said the Azerbaijani forces opened intense artillery fire overnight October 15-16, especially at dawn, at the Karmir Shuka settlement of the town of Martuni, and also at the Berdashen community in the morning. “The Togh village of Hadrut region, Tigranavan village of Kashatagh region, and the Aygehovit and Aghavno settlements were also shelled. Information about victims and damages is being specified,” the service reported.The Artsakh Defense Army reiterated that, unlike the Azeri military, they never target peaceful settlements and only engage legitimate military targets.Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031753.html?fbclid=IwAR12VY2Mpn8pfbqOgNGozqSZ2-Jl4G8Ck8FYu3oYI25_Yi5TqLB4rB_L6_s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 Armenpress.am American-Armenians urge Congress to sanction Turkey and Azerbaijan SaveShare 11:39, 16 October, 2020YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Thousands of Armenians and many foreigners living in the United States held a protest on October 15 in Washington DC, outside the Congress, urging to condemn the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and Armenia.The protest participants urged the US authorities to impose sanctions on Turkey and Azerbaijan, stop providing military or any kind of aid to these countries and recognize Artsakh. The protesters were holding the flags of Armenia and Artsakh, as well as posters, stating “We Demand Justice”, “Stop Azerbaijan”, “Recognize Artsakh”, “Stop War”, “We Will Win”.Earlier the American-Armenians held another protest outside the Turkish Consulate and then outside the White House, demanding to recognize the independence of Artsakh, withdraw Turkey from NATO, stop providing financial aid to Azerbaijan and Turkey.Armenians abroad are holding such protests not only in the United States, but also in many countries of the world.On September 27 Azerbaijan, with the support of Turkey, launched a massive attack against the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), by using all its ammunition, targeting also the civilian infrastructures both in Artsakh and Armenia. There are confirmed reports that there are mercenaries in the Azerbaijani army brought from Syria by Turkey for fighting against the Armenian side.On October 10 an agreement has been reached in Moscow between the Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers on cessation of hostilities in the NK conflict zone for humanitarian purposes. However, minutes after the agreement entered into force Azerbaijan again launched attacks against Artsakh and till now continues violating the humanitarian truce.Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031755.html?fbclid=IwAR05wx5KpT5sJ-lift5CQmsbCAaXypskAjxK6cBp7xroOHClxn36NZgtAZY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 Here erDOgan deny this! Armenpress.am Syrian mercenary says Azerbaijani army uses them as human shield in Karabakh fighting SaveShare 15:00, 16 October, 2020YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. American reporter Lindsey Snell has released new excerpts from her interviews with Syrian militant mercenaries who were recruited by Turkey and taken to Azerbaijan to fight in the attacks on Artsakh.Two fighters from the Hamza Division rebel group who already returned from Azerbaijan told Snell that they were deceived upon being recruited and didn’t know they were going to fight against Armenians. "We were supposed to be base guards with the Turks. That's what the job was supposed to be,” they told Snell. “Deaths started from the first day of battles. Every day, 5 to 10 dead, and sometimes more. In one batch 28 died due to snipers who were highly trained. The Azerbaijani army was there, but they didn't fight, they stayed 200m behind the Syrians,” the unidentified mercenary told the journalist. “Many Hamza returned, maybe half. They sent 1000, and maybe 300 returned, and many people died.”The mercenary said they took a civilian flight from Baku to Ankara, and a military flight to Gaziantep.Editing by Stepan Kocharyan https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031777.html?fbclid=IwAR3iSnOoce__JTn-RlUNc6UIOVxiWT1nmmabA22i7OffYyEd50Kfp1kdJKk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 Armenpress.am Azeri troops continue amassing and taking cover near Iranian border SaveShare 15:11, 16 October, 2020YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Defense Ministry General Department of Defense Policy and International Cooperation Director Levon Ayvazyan held a meeting on October 16 with Colonel Bahman Sadeghin, the military attaché of the Iranian Embassy in Armenia.“Levon Ayvazyan informed Sadeghin that despite numerous calls from the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces continue amassing and carrying out actions along the Iranian border, taking cover with the state border. The Iranian side was once again presented on the necessity of moving the Azerbaijani armed forces’ actions to a safe distance from the Iranian border. On behalf of the Artsakh Defense Army [Ayvazyan] conveyed that in the event of the situation remaining unchanged in the abovementioned section the Defense Army reserves the right to deliver devastating counterstrikes on the Azerbaijani armed forces that are positioned there, the consequences of which will entirely fall on the Azerbaijani military-political leadership,” the defense ministry said in a news release. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031779.html?fbclid=IwAR37JrP8shZYyK5O0LooTWXl7HjiRKLofSanAIWaZGx8FZG0wsYhNXI3TOU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 Armenpress.am ‘Turkey must be condemned based on its actions, not the statements’ – Greek FM says in Yerevan SaveShare 15:19, 16 October, 2020YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. It’s important for the international community to clearly differentiate between those who add fuel to the fire and those who adopt a constructive approach and remain committed to the peaceful option of solution of disputes, Foreign Minister of Greece Nikos Dendias said at a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan in Yerevan, commenting on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.The Greek FM said Athens is closely following the ongoing developments, welcomes the talks held in Moscow on cessation of hostilities. “We are very concerned by the violations of that agreements. The ceasefire should be strictly respected. We believe that lasting solutions are possible only through diplomatic means, by returning to the negotiation table under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. We are facing very serious security challenges in our direct neighborhood, but we are trying to find diplomatic solutions for the sake of peace, stability and welfare in the region. In both cases it’s important that the international community clearly differentiates between those who are adding fuel to the fire and those who are adopting a constructive approach and remain committed to the peaceful option of solution of disputes”, the minister stated. The Greek FM emphasized that foreign interference should be stopped. “Ankara’s inference in one more conflict is very concerning. It has brought serious concerns in the international field”, he said.Nikos Dendias reminded that Greece from the very start has raised its voice over the matter. “We were the first urging the EU to react, calling for lasting ceasefire and peaceful solution under the auspices of the Minsk Group. We also proposed that the EU calls for stopping the involvement of external sides”, he said.The Foreign Minister also commented on Azerbaijan’s groundless claims, accusations, reminding that Greece has recalled its Ambassador to Baku.He said he has briefed his Armenian counterpart on the escalations and illegal actions in Syria, Iraq, Cyprus, Libya and the Mediterranean Sea. “All have a well-known common denominator. That is Turkey, its ignorance of EU calls on respecting the international legitimacy”, the Greek FM said, adding that Turkey must be condemned based on its actions, not the statements.Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031781.html?fbclid=IwAR1nSI_pKKzs93nvQy0eKmSqysc7Q0oFb8ZLZYNfttFhMfw9SanCkw26rnU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 Asbarez.com Videos Surface of Azeris Executing Armenian POWsOctober 15, 2020 WARNING: Content might be disturbing to reader. Discretion advised.Videos have surfaced showing Azerbaijani soldiers Azerbaijani troops capturing two Armenian soldiers, reportedly near Hadrut, and executing them point blank.The videos were first reported by the public analytical website Southfront.The videos show Azerbaijani soldiers capturing two Armenian soldiers, tying them up with the Armenian tri-color and killing them point blank. One of the Armenian soldiers seems to an older man. The Azerbaijani government, including its defense ministry, have claimed that Armenians were sharing “fake videos” that were not related to the Karabakh conflict.The videos have caught the attention of Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender Artak Beglaryan, who took to Twitter to call the incident “another proof of Azerbaijani war crimes, but this time it has been spread by Azerbaijani sources.” ‘’Footage has been released on Azerbaijani social media showing how Azerbaijani servicemen are humiliating and killing Artsakh/Karabakh war prisoners, one of them an elderly civilian. We already have many proofs of such war crimes, but the Azerbaijani defense ministry denies it. Here is a proof from an Azerbaijani source,’’ Beglaryan wrote. [see videos] http://asbarez.com/1...eQ9hmDAGI2bKN48 Armenpress.am FM says killing of Armenian captives by Azerbaijani forces shows depth of their barbarism SaveShare 15:27, 16 October, 2020YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The killing of Armenian captives by the Azerbaijani armed forces shows the depth of the adversary’s barbarism, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said during a joint press conference with his Greek counterpart in Yerevan.“This once again shows the depth of barbarism and this is not the first time. It again shows that we are just fighting for the existence of our compatriots, and nothing will keep us from it. I again want to bow before all that courageous men who are currently fighting for that. Our task will be to strongly show the depth of this barbarism to the international community, to show what we are dealing with”, the FM said. According to him, the essence of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is that any civilized norms are subject to destruction.A footage has been released in Azerbaijani social media on October 15 showing how Azerbaijani servicemen are humiliating and killing Artsakh/Karabakh war prisoners, one of them an elderly civilian. The footage is under the spotlight of Armenia’s Representation to the European Court for Human Rights (ECHR). Materials are being prepared for applying to the ECHR. The Ombudsmen of Artsakh and Armenia have announced that this is another proof of war crime committed by Azerbaijan.Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031784.html?fbclid=IwAR0HoE6XxFLJehM_XjevCGwvmVVLiYgdoM428QStvRP84_xFfCzF0WGJ28E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 Armenpress.am The Clash of Terror and Freedom: Artsakh treats Azeri POWs, Azerbaijan EXECUTES Artsakh POWs SaveShare 15:30, 16 October, 2020YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. All Azerbaijani soldiers who have been detained as prisoners of war by Artsakh’s military are being provided with necessary medical treatment, Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender Artak Beglaryan told ARMENPRESS.He said that recently one of the Azeri POWs underwent surgery by Artsakh doctors for his wounds. “In accordance to humanitarian rules, international law and our national legislation he is provided with humanitarian treatment. Surgery was conducted based on his needs, and not only him but all other POWs are receiving and have received appropriate medical treatment,” Beglaryan said. Beglaryan said he personally inquired on the condition of the POW.Sources from Artsakh familiar with the matter told ARMENPRESS that the abovementioned Azeri POW is Yulsiyv Nuradin Bakhtilaroghlu (pictured above), and he is hospitalized in Artsakh for already 10 days.Amid weeks of relentless and indiscriminate Azeri attacks on villages and towns in Artsakh, the Azeri forces, which include mercenaries from terrorist organizations from the Middle East, even shelled a civilian hospital on October 14, not even realizing that perhaps their own servicemen who have been captured are being treated there. “Terrorists cannot even imagine that those hospitals treat even their military servicemen captured by Artsakh military forces,” the Armenian health minister Arsen Torosyan said over the deplorable attack.Then, on October 15, a video was posted online showing how Azerbaijani troops are executing Artsakhi POWs and filming the shooting. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031785.html?fbclid=IwAR3T9gZr_noPfJu_FVspfoWwsdK2iNasBJANAwdUfz3HmQ1m81dUjnZK7Xg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 May they rest in peace, sons of Armenia. You make us proud. Armenpress.am Artsakh military death toll rises to 633 SaveShare 14:15, 16 October, 2020STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Artsakh reported on October 16 that an additional 29 of its troops were killed in action amid the Azerbaijani attacks.The total death toll in the Artsakh military reached 633. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031766.html?fbclid=IwAR12VY2Mpn8pfbqOgNGozqSZ2-Jl4G8Ck8FYu3oYI25_Yi5TqLB4rB_L6_s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 I can't believe UK said something positive, the silence is broken. Armenpress.am UK issues statement on situation in Nagorno Karabakh, condemns continued shelling of civilian areas SaveShare 16:43, 16 October, 2020YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The United Kingdom condemns the reported continued shelling of civilian areas during the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Nicola Murray, Deputy Head of Delegation at the OSCE Permanent Council, said by delivering the UK statement on the situation in and around Nagorno Karabakh.“The United Kingdom welcomed the announcement of a humanitarian ceasefire and we are dismayed to see that it is not being respected. We condemn the reported continued shelling of civilian areas and we are alarmed by further reports of civilian casualties. We offer our condolences to the families of those who have lost loved ones. The humanitarian situation continues to worsen and we are particularly concerned about the impact on children”, Nicola Murray said. He said “it is therefore imperative that the parties to the conflict stop the violence immediately, abide by the 10 October agreement and return to substantive negotiations under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs”.“The United Kingdom urges all external parties and friends of both States to redouble their efforts in support of an end to hostilities and to refrain from taking actions that risk further exacerbating the crisis. As we have stated previously, a comprehensive resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is overdue. That can only be delivered through a negotiated settlement and not through military action. All parties must urgently return to the negotiating table to work toward this aim without preconditions”, the UK’s representative said.He added that the UK reiterates it support for the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in their role in mediating negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.“We fully support the recent joint statements by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and their countries’ representatives. We are also grateful to Ambassador Kasprzyk and his team for their ongoing work”, Nicola Murray said. https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031795.html?fbclid=IwAR32uf0lL7W3UoJhqGdjT0Gv-aBshofrmmyhy0ojAHLE4JYpsXNcbNIsA8M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 Freedom has no alternative! Armenpress.am Recognition of exercise of Artsakh people’s right to self-determination is a priority issue – FM SaveShare 15:02, 16 October, 2020YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan emphasizes that the recognition of the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination is a key foreign policy issue.“This issue has been and remains more than clear to Armenia: the talk is about the existential security. The recognition of the exercise of our compatriots’ right to self-determination is a priority issue, today this is also expressed with the fact that this is also a measure of protection. We will continue working with the international community and our partners, are committed to the agreement reached in Moscow on October 10, and we continue insisting that this issue will not be solved by force. This fact is proved by the actions of our compatriots, the courageous men who are showing determination in Artsakh to protect their land, homeland, life and families. They will rule out the enemy to suppose that this issue will ever be solved by force. The adversary will face a deeper crisis”, he said during a joint press conference with his Greek counterpart in Yerevan. Commenting on the calls of the international community that the conflict has only peaceful and negotiated solution, the FM said Armenia highly values these calls, but they are being ignored by Azerbaijan.“We highly value that general perception and assessment among our partners and the international community, that it’s impossible to hide the reality, that this is an aggression committed against our compatriots, the people of Artsakh, which targets people, civilians”, he said, adding that Armenia has been and remains their protector and supporter. “One of the main issues is that the two new factors – Turkey’s factor and the factor of international terrorists, have created the most dangerous calculation in Baku that they can not listen to the approach of the international community on this matter. This, of course, is dangerous and at the same time, surely, has its consequences”, the Armenian FM said in his remarks.He added that Armenia will continue working within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, as well as with all its partners in order to further strengthen the use of necessary political and diplomatic tools to achieve the peaceful settlement.On September 27 Azerbaijan, with the support of Turkey, launched a massive attack against the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), by using all its ammunition, targeting also the civilian infrastructures both in Artsakh and Armenia. There are confirmed reports that there are mercenaries in the Azerbaijani army brought from Syria by Turkey for fighting against the Armenian side. On October 10 an agreement has been reached in Moscow between the Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers on cessation of hostilities in the NK conflict zone for humanitarian purposes. However, minutes after the agreement entered into force Azerbaijan again launched attacks against Artsakh and till now continues violating the humanitarian truce.Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031778.html?fbclid=IwAR2mDILRF14ANREfOGstvg9qYWMfDo_W11LVjjJU3Ncj4PhNJN-fcxQBdzs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 Armenpress.am Prosecutor's Office reacts to showing of photo of tortured Armenian serviceman by Azerbaijanis SaveShare 21:07, 16 October, 2020YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia has sent the photos spread on social networks showing the inhuman torture of the body of an allegedly servicemen of Artsakh's Defense Army to the preliminary investigation body, Advisers to Prosecutor General Gor Abrahamyan told ARMENPRESS.''Photos were spread on social networks by the servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan inhumanly torturing and degrading the body of an allegedly serviceman of the Artsakh Republic Defense Army with particularly cruelty, with serious violations of international humanitarian law. The photos have been sent to the preliminary investigation body to be investigated in the framework of the criminal cases in connection with the aggressive war unleashed by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Artsakh, the crimes committed during it, and crimes against the peace and security of mankind'', Abrahamyan said. https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031823.html?fbclid=IwAR09ZgPGR54MmXEfJqMRG3IG4LZ5Cq09I8TCeyqw6osH8AdKoMD6k5UYHEM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 16, 2020 Report Share Posted October 16, 2020 Armenpress.am PM Pashinyan attends funneral of fallen soldier SaveShare 21:21, 16 October, 2020YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan attended the funeral of unranked serviceman Marat Manukyan, who fell protecting Artsakh from Azerbaijani aggression, ARMENPRESS reports the PM wrote about it on his Facebook page.‘’Today I attended the funeral of fallen serviceman, unranked Marat Manukyan. I offered my condolences, listened to his parents, had a private conversation with his father and understood from the conversation that I correctly perceive the aspirations and desires of our people regarding the existing situation.We must stand up for our rights, our homeland, our state and the blood shed by our martyrs. There is no alternative. We have to reinforce or will for victory’’, Pashinyan wrote. https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031825.html?fbclid=IwAR32uf0lL7W3UoJhqGdjT0Gv-aBshofrmmyhy0ojAHLE4JYpsXNcbNIsA8M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 Greek City TimesOct 16 2020 Dendias in Armenia: Turkey is the source of tensions everywhere in the regionby PAUL ANTONOPOULOS Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said during a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan that Turkey is the source for all conflict and hostilities found in the region.“We welcome the ceasefire agreement agreed upon in Moscow. It must be strictly observed,” Dendias said during the joint press conference today in the Armenian capital of Yerevan.Last week Russia brokered a ceasefire between Armenian forces in Artsakh and Turkish-backed Azerbaijani soldiers and Syrian militants. However, just minutes after the ceasefire was to begin, Turkish-sponsored forces broke it by targeting Armenian positions.“We face serious security challenges in our immediate neighborhood, but we are trying to find diplomatic solutions in order to maintain peace and stability in the region. In both cases, it is crucial and important that the international community states a clear distinction between those who add fuel to the fire and those who take a constructive approach and adhere to peaceful solutions to a dispute,” he said.Dendias also emphasized that Turkey’s intervention in yet another conflict is very worrying.“Tensions in Syria, Iraq, Cyprus and Libya have one source – Turkey. This country ignores the European Union’s calls to respect international norms,” he said.During his visit to Yerevan today, Dendias also visited the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex and Armenian Genocide Museum, as reported by Greek City Times.In a Tweet, Dendias would write “I met with my Armenian counterpart Mnatsakanyan. Strong Greek and Armenian ties and excellent relations reaffirmed.”He also met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan where they “exchanged views on regional developments.” After meeting the Armenian Prime Minister, Dendias would also meet with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian.The Greek Foreign Minister would tweet “Historic bonds of friendship between Greek and Armenian people, and growing cooperation in focus.”https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/10/17/dendias-in-armenia-turkey-is-the-source-of-tensions-everywhere-in-the-region/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 Yahoo! NewsOct 16 2020 Op-Ed: Why Armenians everywhere stand with those in Nagorno-Karabakh Aris Janigian and Mark Arax,LA Times•October 16, 2020 A century ago, our grandfathers, survivors of the Armenian Genocide, traveled 7,000 miles by ship and train to start a new life in California. Yervant Janigian and Aram Arax, uncle and nephew, took one look at the San Joaquin Valley — flat, rich loam stretching out to a Sierra filled with water — and declared it a new Armenia.They raised the grapes they had raised in the old country, brewed their raisin moonshine in the same copper stills, sang as they mourned, and taught us that their embrace of America did not mean they had severed their souls from the homeland.We were part of a fierce, proud tribe that had withstood thousands of years of slaughter by Mongols, Tatars, Persians and Turks. The Phoenicians were gone. The Babylonians were gone. But the Armenians had managed to hold on to a remnant of their ancient empire and endure. It was our obligation as exiles in the new land to make sure the old land and its people did not vanish into history.Today, as we pen these words, the nation of Armenia and its neighboring enclave Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, face the gravest threat to their survival in a century. The stakes could not be higher in an escalating war between the Armenians and the Azeris, who are actively backed by their ethnic kin in Turkey.To the casual observer, the fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, a small plot of earth in the Caucasus, may seem a squabble between neighbors. But it was the forebears of these same Turks and Azeris who massacred 1.5 million Armenians living under Ottoman rule in the years 1915 to 1918. And to this day, they continue to deny the crime of genocide. This denial is not simply an erasure of history. It sets the stage for what Armenians now fear is an attempt to inflict a mortal wound to what is left of our homeland.Imagine for a moment that Germany denied it had ever slaughtered Jews. Indeed, it insisted that Jews had slaughtered Germans, and that the word “Holocaust” could not be uttered in public. Imagine now that Germany wasn’t 2,000 miles removed from Israel but shared with it a border, and that its hatred of Jews was so consuming that it closed the border and claimed that Israel was the greatest threat to peace in the region.For Armenians residing in Armenia and adjacent Nagorno-Karabakh, squeezed between Turkey and Turkic Azerbaijan, this scenario is not a hypothetical. It is what they have lived through for a century, and what they are still living through.The 3 million Armenians in the homeland and the 8 million like us scattered far and wide believe Nagorno-Karabakh is part and parcel of our survival. It is where our people, a majority of the population for millennia, have built their churches and buried their dead, a land that Stalin, in his maniacal attempt to quash ethnic identity, handed over to Soviet Azerbaijan in 1923.This seizure made no sense as a matter of culture, history or geography, since the tiny Soviet republic of Armenia sat only a few miles from Nagorno-Karabakh. But from that moment on, the 150,000 Armenians inside the enclave had to rely only on Russia as protector. Then in 1988, as the USSR began to crumble, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh voted for independence. In response, Azeris set about murdering Armenians in the city of Sumgait and other parts of Azerbaijan.In the winter of 1990, American reporters landed in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku. “Here and there, boarded windows or soot-blackened walls mark an apartment where Armenians were driven out by mobs and their belongings set afire on the balcony,” Bill Keller of the New York Times wrote. “The Armenian Orthodox Church is now a charred ruin.”Beyond Baku, in a town called Julfa, it wasn’t enough that the local Azeris killed and drove off Armenians. They obliterated 10,000 uniquely carved Armenian stone crosses from the town’s medieval cemetery, one of the great cultural catastrophes of the modern age.By 1991, both Armenia and Azerbaijan had become independent nations. Fearing annihilation, Armenians hunkered down in Nagorno-Karabakh and fought for its liberation. A shaky cease-fire has more or less stood for the past 25 years, even as Armenian control of the enclave continues to enrage Azeris and Turks.Over the past few weeks, as fighting has intensified, Armenians from Los Angeles, Beirut, Buenos Aires and everywhere else the diaspora reaches have taken to the streets to remind the world of their history, and why it must not be repeated.They have called out the government of Israel for supplying Azerbaijan with weapons that are pulverizing Nagorno-Karabakh's capital. They have called out President Trump for failing to apply any pressure to Israel, Turkey or Azerbaijan. They have called out Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo for playing blind to the fact that 90 million neighboring Azeris and Turks pose an existential threat to Armenians.Ilham Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan, has tweeted, “Armenia is not even a colony. It is not even worthy of being a servant.” Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of Turkey, has vowed that "Turkey will continue to stand by its brothers in Azerbaijan as it has always done.” He has made good on his pledge by sending war machines and Syrian jihadists to the battlefront. “We will continue to fulfill the mission our grandfathers have carried out for centuries in the Caucasus.”The two of us are descendants of that mission. Our grandfathers passed down to us the story of the crane, the groonk, the mythical bird of Armenia. It would fly thousands of miles to other lands, but it would never forget the way home. We are 11 million groonks. But in this time of peril, what will home be?Aris Janigian’s most recent novel is "Waiting for Sophia at Shutters on the Beach." He is co-founder of The Artifa[ctuals], a new arts and culture magazine. Mark Arax is the author, most recently, of "The Dreamt Land," which was a finalist for the 2020 L.A. Times Book Award. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. https://www.yahoo.com/news/op-ed-why-armenians-everywhere-100038785.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 EurasiaNet.orgOct 16 2020 Amid war, Armenians closely watching the signals from Russia The messaging from Moscow has been pro-Armenia but critical of its government. And some Armenians are questioning their leaders’ flirtation, as mild as it’s been, with the West.Ani Mejlumyan Oct 16, 2020 Amid their most violent conflict with Azerbaijan in a quarter century, Armenians are looking more closely than ever at their complicated relationship with Russia.While Russian coverage of the war itself has been pro-Armenia, the Russian press has been noticeably critical of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, leading many Armenians to speculate that Moscow’s relatively aloof approach to the conflict is a way to teach their leader a lesson.At the same time, the lack of a strong response from the United States or European countries has reaffirmed for many Armenians that, for better or worse, their best hope lies with Russia.More than 600 Armenian soldiers have died in the conflict so far, making it by far the bloodiest fighting with Azerbaijan since the 1994 signing of a ceasefire ending their first war. While Azerbaijan’s main ally, Turkey, has been outspoken in its political support and also provided substantial military assistance, Russia – which has a military base in Armenia and has a treaty obligation to defend the country in case of attack – has by contrast taken a relatively neutral stance.Since coming to power in 2018 in what he called the “Velvet Revolution,” Pashinyan has walked a careful line. He has sought to reassure the Kremlin that Armenia’s previous geopolitical orientation, including membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), would not change. But at the same time his government includes many figures with open pro-Western sympathies who come from the world of Western-funded NGOs.Russian media coverage of the conflict has been correspondingly ambiguous. Many Armenians have paid special attention to the nightly news talk program, “Evening with Vladimir Solovyev,” on Russian state television. The conflict has been the leading topic of discussion on the show, which has mixed support for Armenia as a state with criticism for Pashinyan himself.On October 9, one guest – Konstantin Zatulin, the deputy head of the Russian parliament’s committee dealing with the former Soviet republics – was speaking when Solovyev interrupted him. “When I’m listening to Pashinyan speak, I don’t understand.” Zatulin answered: “I couldn’t care less what Pashinyan says … but it’s clear that Azerbaijan started the war.”In an interview with Russian news site ridus.ru, Solovyev explained that while he respects Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev more as a leader, he also appreciated that “Karabakh is a place where Armenians have lived forever” and that Armenia is a Russian ally.That messaging from Moscow has made Armenians wonder what the Kremlin’s intentions might be. And many are blaming Pashinyan for spoiling their ties with Russia.“Now we will see if Russia is a real ally or not,” said one 20-something, Angela, one recent evening as she sipped wine and surfed Telegram news channels at the downtown Yerevan bar Calumet. “We understand clearly that we are standing alone against dictatorships and terrorists. That was enough for the U.S. and others to bomb Syria, but they don’t have the guts to stand up against Turkey,” she said. “Russia does, Iran does – those are our real allies.”Her friend Karen jumped in to criticize several moves Pashinyan has made to push away Moscow and Tehran.“Our prime minister should have been looking at the map and thinking about our national interest when he was flirting with the U.S and Europe. Building an embassy in Israel was an act of disrespect to Iran, which we value a lot. He didn’t ask us, did he?”Karen continued: “All those criminal cases against Russian companies, the criminal case against the head of the CSTO, they were all slaps to Russia. None of that is in our national interest,” he said. “No matter how the war ends, Nikol’s head is going to roll. This isn’t Georgia or Ukraine and he can’t make us into one.”Since the war began, Armenians’ impressions of Russia have improved overall. One opinion poll has been asking Armenians to rate various countries based on how they reacted to the war; the only country whose rating has gone up as the war has progressed has been Russia. Even many traditionally pro-Western figures have been coming out more in favor of Russia these days.“I’ve been talking to Western countries’ ambassadors,” said Edmon Marukyan, an opposition leader and former political ally of Pashinyan who once led an effort to get Armenia out of the EAEU. “One of them, I won’t name who, said ‘in the end geography wins,’ that if we think Russia can help we should ask Russia, they see that only Russia can help us. If the ambassador of a country that has bad relations with Russia says that only Russia can help, I’m amazed how an Armenian walking this earth can’t understand that,” Marukyan told CivilNet on October 15.There have been signs of a greater accommodation to Russia: the head of the National Security Service, who only had been appointed in June and was perceived as anti-Russia, was removed shortly after the fighting started on September 27.“So, one step has already been taken towards Russia,” said Hovhannes Iskhanyan, an independent documentary filmmaker. “And the fact that people of American influence have started making pro-Russian speeches means that there are serious discussions inside the political elite to change the anti-Russian propaganda by 180 degrees,” he told Eurasianet.The key, Iskhanyan believes, will be the future progress of the war. “If Armenia gets weaker on the battlefield, Russia’s influence in the country is going to get bigger.”Yerevan-based analyst Hrant Mikaelian agreed. “If Russia were to take Armenia’s side, it might spoil relations with Azerbaijan and Russia is trying to avoid that,” he told Eurasianet. “If Russia doesn’t aid Armenia, then the development of events is highly dependent on the situation on the battlefield. Relations could sour, or Armenia might become even more dependent on Russia. There’s no clear vision of what could happen because there are too many unknowns.” Ani Mejlumyan is a reporter based in Yerevan.https://eurasianet.org/amid-war-armenians-closely-watching-the-signals-from-russia?fbclid=IwAR0TKL9SNg7xHudU8YpeAUJV9dlD6OVVEJpXhtEeUE37j56TCwxniiKTzTY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 ASHARQ AL-AWSATOct 16 2020 One War and Six LosersFriday, 16 October, 2020 - 05:00 Amir TaheriAmir Taheri was the executive editor-in-chief of the daily Kayhan in Iran from 1972 to 1979. He has worked at or written for innumerable publications, published eleven books, and has been a columnist for Asharq Al-Awsat since 1987 A small landlocked enclave tucked in a remote corner of Transcaucasia may be emerging as a powder keg that could threaten the security of several nations, among them Russia, Turkey, Iran and the two immediate protagonists Armenia and Azerbaijan.High Qarabagh, Nagorno Karabakh in Russian, Artsakh in Armenian, Qarabagh Olya in Persian and Azeri covers an area of 4,400 square kilometres, less than half of Lebanon with a population of 150,000 more than 90 percent of them ethnic Armenians. And, yet, in 1924 when Josef Stalin, then in charge of nationalities in the newly created Soviet Union was carving the extinct tsarist empire into republics, High Qarabagh was attached to the autonomous republic of Azerbaijan, itself invented by Bolshevik chief out of territories known as Aran Shirvan and Nakhichevan.If Stalin had gone by population the enclave should have been attached to Armenia, another republic that he put on the map. However, Stalin’s gerrymandering game didn’t stop there. He put a chunk of his new Azerbaijan, known as Nakhichevan at some distance from the rest of the republic with Armenia sandwiched in between. He went even further by dividing the Kurdish majority enclave of Lachin between Armenia and Azerbaijan while attaching Talesh, a non-Azeri coastal land to Azerbaijan. Stalin’s divide-and-rule strategy, aimed at making the “captive nations” of the Bolshevik Empire dependent on Moher Russia for peace and security. He imposed a similar scheme in Central Asia by turning Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan into patchworks of ethnicities.When the Soviet Empire collapsed in 1991 it was inevitable that Stalin’s geographical doodling would face questions. Seizing the opportunity, the Armenian population of High Qarabagh expelled the Azeri minority in what was to become a model for ethnic cleansing in other places, notably the Balkans. Backed by Armenia the enclave’s ethnic Armenians won a series of military victories and managed to set up their own autonomous republic. At the time it was evident that the Artsakh rebels had received substantial aid from post-Soviet Russia. This was partly due to the fact that throughout Soviet history ethnic Armenians, though fewer in number, played a much greater role than the Azeris.The Soviet central leadership always included an Armenian at political and military levels; and some like Anastas Mikoyan reached the very top of the greasy pole. Even now ethnic Armenians who decided to say in Russia proper have high profile presence in the Moscow leadership, among them Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov whose real Armenian name is Serge Kalantarian.In contrast the ethnic Azeris who lived in Russia proper decided to return to their land en masse and were soon rewarded with new wealth generated by two decades of an oil boom. Throughout much of history Armenians had regarded Russia, a fellow Christian nation, as their protector against Muslim neighbors, especially the Ottoman Empire. This was one reason why newly independent Armenia agreed to host a major Russian military base which at its peak contained 20,000 Russian troops. In contrast several Azeri leaders played the anti-Russian card by airing historical grievances against “the occupiers”. The firebrand leader, Abulfazil Ilchibey, went even further by promoting a mass de-russification that included a change of alphabet and Russian-style family names. Independent Azerbaijan wanted to join the “Western World”, casting itself as the United States’ most reliable ally in the region. To emphasise that point new Azerbaijan forged close relations with Israel to the point of promoting tight military cooperation, and talking of a Baku-Tel Aviv axis.In the current round of fighting Azerbaijan enjoys superiority in armament largely thanks to Israeli support. Nevertheless Israel is anxious not to lose its other regional ally Armenia. That ambiguity has enabled Turkey to cast itself as Azerbaijan’s principal backer while depicting Russia and the Islamic Republic in Iran as Armenia’s allies. The Khomeinist leadership in Tehran is especially confused about what line to take. The fighting looms as a security treat to Iran itself, even if only because of its overspill into Iranian territory.In the past week of fighting hundreds of shells fired by both sides have fallen into border areas in Iran. The fighting may also produce large numbers of refuses whose natural shelter would be Iranian territory. Tehran also faces pressure from powerful figures within the military and security services who regard Azerbaijanis as kith and kin. At the same time, “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenei is anxious not to antagonise Russia who he now sees as his principal protector against the American “Great Satan.” He has another worry: the introduction of hundreds of Syrian militants into the Azeri forces through Turkey. These fighters have little experience in warfare in the steep mountains of Transcaucasia especially in the harsh climates of the winter. But, as committed militants of the Muslim Brotherhood, they could enable Turkey to create its own Hezbollah-like “foreign legion”, challenging Iran elsewhere, including in Iraq and Lebanon.Erdogan has tried to partly justify his backing for Azerbaijan by claiming that PKK fighters, supposedly coming from Soleymanieh in Iraq, via Iran, have joined Armenian forces in Qarabagh. He has also revived the theme of “Turkitude” (Turkishness) which had only recently underplayed in favor of his claim to Islamic-ness as the foundation of Turkish identity. Erdogan’s identity crisis was further highlighted by the national census held two years ago when citizens were asked to cite their ethnic origins. The results had to be doctored because only a minority chose the label Turkish. The survey revealed most citizens remain attached to “mellat” identities they had during the Ottoman Empire, including Daghestani, Chechen, Alevite, Kurdish, Arab, Byzantine, Bulgarian , Udmurt, Circassian, Chechen and even Greek and Armenian. The surprise revelations forced Erdogan to try and fudge the identity issue by claiming Turks were descendants of ancient Hittites dating back to 3,000 years ago.Tehran’s reaction has been marked by confusion. It has refrained from taking a clear position while Khamenei was silent at the time of this writing. After a number of small demonstrations in Tabriz, capital of East Azerbaijan province, four Azeri mullahs identified as Khamenei’s representatives issued a joint statement demanding that High Qarabagh be returned to Azerbaijan Republic.Khamenei’s foreign policy adviser Ali Akbar Velayati made a similar demand in carefully modulated tones not to anger Russia. The foreign ministry, however, tried to dodge the issue, not even calling in Armenia’s ambassador for a routine dressing down.Ignoring the crisis, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced he was heading for Beijing in the hope of persuading the Chinese to release some of Iran’s frozen assets.The Qarabagh conflict could provoke uncontrollable reactions in Iran where an estimated 20 million Azeri-speakers spread all over the country regard the Azerbaijan Republic as part of greater Iran.The slogans chanted in Tabriz and Tehran demonstrations included overtly irredentist ones such as “Qarabagh is ours, Azerbaijan is ours.”What are now Armenian and Azerbaijani republics, plus Georgia, were ceded to Iran in the treaties of Amassia (1550) and Qasr Shirin (1639) signed with Ottoman Empire. In exchange the Ottomans received Mesopotamia, today’s Iraq, plus Abkhazia and Ajaria and the Armenian part of Anatolia.If Azerbaijan wins, a coalition of Turkey, Israel and the United States would end up in the winning camp while the Islamic Republic will be seen as indifferent to the aspirations of Azerbaijan which is supposed to be the third largest Shiite nation after Iran and Iraq. If Armenia wins, the likely co-winners would include Russia and Israel, again leaving Iran isolated. For the past 30 years the Islamic Republic has been a lifeline to landlocked Armenia, channelling its foreign trade and providing it with electricity. If Armenia loses, Tehran will get a bad mark from Moscow as a fickle friend.This war may produce only losers. Azerbaijan is unlikely to succeed in regaining full control of the disputed enclave. Armenia has already lost some territory and faces a wave of refugees flowing into the capital Yerevan. Turkey may win a propaganda round as protector of Azeris but would be dragged into a fifth war which, its economy already under stress, it may not be able to sustain. Israel may have to come off the fence and choose one side by losing the other. Russia would lose by seeing militants find a niche so close to itself while being forced to abandon its claim of peacemaker among former Soviet republics. Tehran, too, will be a loser on both geopolitical and ideological grounds. Khamenei claims to be the supreme leader of Muslims throughout the world. Yet, we now see that he cannot even influence events on his doorstep. https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2567541/amir-taheri/one-war-and-six-losers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 Public Radio of Armenia Oct 16 2020 Armenians block major highways in Europe, demand recognition of Artsakh Early in the morning, the Armenians of Europe initiated a protest of unprecedented scale, Diaspora High Commissioner’s Office reports. Our compatriots are keeping the interstate highways of the following directions closed: from France to Spain, from France to Belgium, from Belgium to the Netherlands, from France to Switzerland, from the Netherlands to Germany, amd from Luxembourg to Belgium and France, from France to Italy, from Germany to Denmark․ The Armenians demand international recognition of Artsakh and the condemnation and cessation of the Turkish-Azerbaijani-terrorist aggression. https://en.armradio.am/2020/10/16/armenians-block-major-highways-in-europe-demand-recognition-of-artsakh/?fbclid=IwAR0AwlCGamia4Djn-gXQdDNCGyPejE7pF3qJm_7iRlVJ7hugdULZVgyH6b8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 The EgalitarianOct 16 2020 Armenia Needs Our Help Stephanie MedranoOctober 14, 2020 If you don’t know what is currently going on in Armenia I will fill you in. Armenian – Azerbijani grivences date back to the genocide when newly founded Azerbijani assisted by the Ottoman Empire and later the Republic of Turkey massacred 30,000 Armenianas in Baku. Armenians are indigenes to the territory known as Armenian highlands and includes the region south of the Caucasus Mountains. During the 1920’s the region of Nakhijevan and Artsakh was placed under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijani by society authority even though majority of the population were Aremenian to appease Turkey. In 1988 right before the soviet union collapsed Armenians in the region started to demand that they be reunited with Armenia or be granted independence. As tensions continued to grow violence enounced from both sides. There were forced deportations of Armenians from Azerbaijani and vise versa. In 1992 a full out war broke out and continued until Armenians gained control of there land Nakhijevan and its surrounding territories after over 30,000 lives lost the peace treaty in 1994 was signed.On September 27th at 7:15 in the morning, Azerbaijani attacked Artsakh and Stepanakert which are part of Nagorno-Karabakh by air and artillery forces which violates the treaty that they signed in 1994 with the UN and OSCE peace group when both parties agreed to cease fire.Turkey’s also continued aggressive support of Azerbijani threatens another possible genocide for Armenians.Now I’m sure your thinking what can we do to help? I will be linking petitions to sign, number to call and links were we can donate.These are human lives that do not have to be lost. We cannot continue to let them start another war.Call on your Congressmembers to condemn the attacks, stop military aid, and sanction Azerbaijan and Turkey.www.anca.org/callwww.anca.org/alert Call on Media Outlets to accurately cover the Turkish-Azerbaijani attack on Artsakh and Armeniawww.anca.org/media-alertDonate to ArmeniaFundwww.armeniafund.org/donatePetitions:Petition to Urge Congress to Stop Azerbaijan’s Attack Against Artsakhhttps://cqrcengage.com/aaainc/app/write-a-letter?0&engagementId=509435Sanction Turkey: Armenia and Artsakh Under Attackhttps://cqrcengage.com/anca/app/write-a-letter?1&engagementId=509436 https://hccegalitarian.com/7522/news/armenia-needs-our-help/?fbclid=IwAR13it9eyln7ClAmGjDOCiRvy1uv_aGtbrDy7wghsoyRYV1oFcE6yVCnnBI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 Arutz Sheva - Israel National NewsOct 16 2020 Brave Armenians teach the cowardly West a lesson in courageArmenians are left alone in this war against Islamist mercenaries and regimes, by a pusillanimous Europe tied hand and foot to Turkey. Op-ed Tags: Armenian Massacre Giulio Meotti Armenia IslamistGiulio Meotti, Italy To a West where no one seems to want to fight anymore or care anymore about their own traditions, where they spit on their own history, topple their statues and erase their own culture, where the land no longer sends any echo, the Armenians, small, scattered around the world, forgotten and barricaded, now at war for Nagorno against the Islamic Ummah led by Turkey, show us a path in which we do not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed.Half of Nagorno's population, 75,000 people, has been displaced due to Turkish-backed Azerbaijan attacks. We must hope they resist. I have just read a beautiful letter that the French actor Simon Abkarian addressed to Erdogan from the pages of Le Figaro:“We Armenians fight for the future of our children, remembering our dead who refuse to die a second time. Despite your weapons, despite your religious rumors, despite your jihadists at $2,000 a month, you won't win. Take your dead and go, the land of the Armenians is the land of knowledge, the land of honey and roses. You wouldn't know what to do with it. Here women are queens of joy. And the girls have no certificate to present to any man. Here music and wine are indispensable remedies. Here we can believe or not believe. Because our country is not a country, it is a crossroads. And do you know who crosses it? All of humanity. If you think of slaughtering us like lambs, know that we grew up under the belly of lionesses”.It would be wondnerful if a European man of letters, actor or politician had written that letter about his culture, too.“I am convinced that civilization will triumph. Civilization cannot fail to win; a nation that wants to live cannot fail to win. There is no doubt that the Armenian people, who have lived on planet Earth for several thousand years, have the will to live”. This is how the Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan explains the ongoing conflict in Nagorno between Armenians and Azeris. He is right, but civilization has not always triumphed in history.Europe sleeps, comatose. And it suffers the same blackmail that for years prevented many European parliaments from recognizing the Armenian genocide. It is no secret that the target of this monstrous terrorist network is the Armenian people, their towns and villages, their right to live freely. Europe is helpless in the face of Turkish expansionism in Libya, in Syria, against Greece, against migrants and now against Armenia. We are ruled by servants who would be willing to become Gray Wolves for a plate of Turkish peanuts. Erdogan and Aliyev, the Azerbaijani dictator, say "One Nation two States". It is a pity to them that in the middle there is Christian and millenary Armenia, survivor of a genocide that they do not recognize ...If the Turks were able to defeat and drive out the Armenians, who could stop their will to expand their power in Europe?Armenians are left alone, very lonely, in this war of Islamist mercenaries and violent regimes, by a pusillanimous Europe tied hand and foot to Turkey. Western countries should not only follow in the footsteps of Canada, which has suspended the sale of arms to Turkey, but should immediately recognize the Republic of Artsakh as a sovereign country protected by international law. Armenia is a bastion of civilization to defend.Giulio Meotti is, an Italian journalist with Il Foglio, writes a twice-weekly column for Arutz Sheva. He is the author, in English, of the book "A New Shoah", that researched the personal stories of Israel's terror victims, published by Encounter and of "J'Accuse: the Vatican Against Israel" published by Mantua Books, in addition to books in Italian. His writing has appeared in publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Gatestone, Frontpage and Commentary https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/288927 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 The whole world need to declare boycott of turkey, if they have an moral fiber in them. But then there is oil! Al-Bawaba NewsOct 15 2020 Saudi Arabia's 'Quite' Boycott Deals a Heavy Blow to The Turkish EconomyPublished October 15th, 2020 - 11:35 GMT HighlightsHe called on fellow citizens to stop dealing with the Turks because they continue to insult Saudi leadership.Without making it official, Saudi Arabia has succeeded in dealing a tough, direct blow to Turkey through a wide boycott of its products, in response to the many disparaging statements made by Turkish officials towards the kingdom, whether in the context of the Jamal Khashoggi case or in political campaigns directed against Riyadh's role in regional issues. That role seems to be resented by the Turks, who have sought to undermine it but failed.The call for the boycott started on social media networks and quickly became the trending issue for Saudis on online platforms. The call then became a reality when local officials in the trade and industry sectors urged citizens to boycott products coming from Turkey or bearing a mark showing that they were made in Turkey. The move predictably irked Turkish businessmen at home, and turned into a pressure card on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.“Our contractors in the Middle East suffered a loss estimated at $3 billion at the least in the past year, as a result of the anti-Turkish sentiments that emerged there,” Medhat Yeni Kun, head of the Turkish Contractors Union, told the Turkish opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet. Ajlan al-Ajlan, chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Chamber of Commerce in Riyadh, launched a boycott campaign based on three No's: “No investment, no imports, and no tourism. We, as citizens and businessmen, will not have any dealings with everything that is Turkish,” Ajlan declared.He called on fellow citizens to stop dealing with the Turks because they continue to insult Saudi leadership.Analysts believe that the Turkish president cannot do much about the Saudi position, as it is the result of a spontaneous popular boycott for which the Saudi leadership cannot be blamed. Saudi authorities have not even jumped on the opportunity to launch a systematic media campaign against Turkey and Erdogan, like the latter did against Saudi Arabia in the Khashoggi case, or look for mediators to intervene in the matter. By opting for official neutrality on the whole affair of boycotting Turkish products, Saudi authorities are likely to avoid the controversy that came with the decision to boycott Qatar.Riyadh's official silence also puts Erdogan in a difficult position, as he is accused at home of causing a new crisis that will further affect the exhausted Turkish economy and of opening the gate for intractable difficulties for Turkish businessmen who have profited tremendously from opening up business opportunities in the Arab Gulf over the past few years.Exacerbating the crisis further is that the popular boycott did not stop at the products that Turkish companies supply to Saudi Arabia, but expanded to include imports of products of international brands manufactured in Turkey, which means that the boycott will have an effect on the business of these international companies that had invested in Turkey and could push them to move their investments elsewhere.A British media report revealed that the Turkish economy was severely affected by the unofficial Saudi embargo on Turkish goods, indicating that retailers in global fashion were also affected by this matter.The Financial Times stated that the Spanish clothing company Mango is looking for an alternative to Ankara, given that its goods are made in Turkey and are directly impacted by the fluctuations in demand and the competition between Ankara and Riyadh.The newspaper report said that the Saudi ban on Turkish goods has hit global fashion brands such as Mango and Zara, the latest sign of the escalating rivalry between the two regional powers.A Mango employee explained that Saudi Arabia has banned all imports of products made in Turkey. The Spanish company also stated that its teams are looking for alternatives to limit the manufacture of its made-in-Turkey products destined for the Saudi market.Mustafa Gultepe, head of the Istanbul Apparel Exporters Association, revealed that all retailers producing in Turkey and exporting to Saudi Arabia were affected by this decision.Turkish exporters have complained that their products have faced long delays at Saudi customs over the past month.Turkish companies view these problems as an attempt by Saudi Arabia and its close ally the United Arab Emirates to punish Ankara for its destabilising interference in the Arab world.Turkey's relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the two largest economies in the Middle East, have become more tense as Riyadh and Abu Dhabi accused Erdogan of interfering in Arab affairs and of supporting radical Islamist groups, including interfering in Libya and supporting armed militant groups there.Erdogan is concerned that the tacit Saudi boycott will turn into a comprehensive embargo that could spill over and extend to other Gulf and Arab countries that will choose to stand by Saudi Arabia, which has a strong network of investments, funding and aid in most Arab countries. The risk for Turkey is that the silent Saudi boycott may turn into a model for a more comprehensive Arab boycott, especially that this model spares states and official bodies any political embarrassment that go with an official embargo.Observers of Gulf affairs point out that Erdogan erred in assessing the power and influence of Saudi Arabia in recent years when he expected to blackmail it through political and media pressures to serve his economy, pointing out that the Saudis, who have avoided issuing statements and fighting media battles, know when to deliver the blow that will repair the damage done to them and deliver the necessary message to their opponents.The Turkish president is betting on his popularity within Sururi Salafist circles in Saudi Arabia, which are at the moment hibernating and waiting for the right moment to pounce on power, but analysts say the new Saudi leadership can cut off any of Erdogan’s manoeuvres to fabricate crises or leaking confidential information, especially as it has been able to counter other blackmailing plots before.The Saudi public and official anger against Turkey was not caused by the Khashoggi affair and the Turkish media attacks on the kingdom and its leaders that followed, but with Erdogan’s efforts to strike at Saudi Arabia’s role as the main Sunni power in the Middle East and rob it of its symbolic importance and influence through his alliance with Iran's sectarian project, and through Sunni proxies such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood affiliates in the region.This article has been adapted from its original source. https://www.albawaba.com/news/saudi-arabias-quite-boycott-deals-heavy-blow-turkish-economy-1386910?fbclid=IwAR0GU9_CqjCAuT49D1ep3i-aD06pghONKSLUhhvtrU6PpYdDoP-MwqIU930 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 All talk and no walk!The Hill, DCOct 16 2020 US blasts reported test of Turkey's S-400 air defense systemBY ELLEN MITCHELL - 10/16/20 03:51 PM EDT The Pentagon on Friday blasted Turkey over reports that the NATO member tested its Russian-made S-400 air defense system, which the U.S. said “risks serious consequences” for the allies’ relationship.The test, reported by Turkish media, was said to be a military test-fire in Sinop, a city on the Black Sea coast. There is also an alleged amateur video of the test showing a white vapor trail rocketing into the sky.The U.S. Defense Department “is aware of reports of a possible test of the S-400 air defense system by Turkey,” and if accurate, “strongly condemns the test,” top Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement. Turkey in summer 2019 accepted the S-400 anti-aircraft surface-to-air missile system, which the United States fears could be used to glean sensitive information from F-35 technology.Ankara went ahead with the deal despite repeated warnings from Washington that the sale would mean a removal from the F-35 program, which the Pentagon made good on.“We have been clear: an operational S-400 system is not consistent with Turkey’s commitments as a U.S. and NATO Ally,” Hoffman said Friday.“We object to Turkey’s purchase of the system and are deeply concerned with reports that Turkey is bringing it into operation. It should not be activated. Doing so risks serious consequences for our security relationship," he continued.He added that the S-400 “continues to be a barrier to progress elsewhere in the bilateral relationship.”U.S. officials have also threatened sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act if the S-400 was activated. The act requires sanctions on those who do business with Russia’s defense sector. Turkey, meanwhile, has claimed that it turned to the Kremlin system because the U.S. wouldn’t sell it the Patriot missile defense system.The U.S. had offered to sell Turkey the Patriot since the Obama administration, but would not share sensitive technology Turkey wants so it can build its own weapons.Following the reports, Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) took the opportunity to bash the Trump administration for failing to invoke sanctions over the S-400 sale.“[Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan only responds to actions, not words. In July 2019, Turkey took delivery of the S-400 in clear violation of U.S. sanctions mandated by the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions law. The Trump Administration has ignored the law, weakening our hand against Putin," Menendez said in a statement. "It has also emboldened Erdoğan, leading to today’s test."“President Trump’s failure to follow the law and his affinity for Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pose a serious threat to our national security and that of our NATO allies and partners in Europe," he added. "Turkey must be sanctioned immediately for its purchase and use of this system.”https://thehill.com/policy/defense/521443-us-blasts-reported-test-of-turkeys-s-400-air-defense-system?fbclid=IwAR0GU9_CqjCAuT49D1ep3i-aD06pghONKSLUhhvtrU6PpYdDoP-MwqIU930#.X4oEkikvNsY.facebook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 Common practice in turkey!Catholic PhillyOct 16 2020 Hate speech, rowdy convoys: Minority Armenians in Turkey feel targeted An ethnic Armenian volunteer soldier speaks on his cellphone in a street in Karmir Shuka, Azerbaijan, Oct. 16, 2020, during a military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkey’s involvement in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the subsequent targeting of Turkey’s Armenian citizens has put additional pressure on the Armenian minority there. (CNS photo/Reuters)By Dale Gavlak • Catholic News Service • Posted October 16, 2020AMMAN, Jordan (CNS) — Turkey’s Armenian community says it is increasingly fearful about the reemergence of anti-Armenian sentiment in the country as conflict rages in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.Turkey’s military is supporting Azerbaijan in the conflict against Armenia.“Any hate speech toward the Armenian people makes our own citizens an imminent target,” Garo Paylan, one of the few Armenian members of the Turkish parliament, said of recent verbal attacks on social media and state-run television as well as in newspapers.Paylan is a descendant of Armenian genocide survivors and an outspoken critic of Turkey’s military support of Azerbaijan.“Turkey is currently the only country that supports war, although it is a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is tasked with negotiating a settlement to the Karabakh conflict,” he recently told the Saudi daily, Arab News. “But Ankara has lost all neutrality in this process.”“The government is using this conflict for domestic consumption. Armenian-origin citizens have become scapegoats, and the object of rising racism and hate speech,” Paylan said.“The Armenians of Turkey have already been living with an internalized fear for decades, and this fear multiplies in tense times like this,” said Armenian history and culture writer Rober Koptas. Some 1.5 million Armenians and other Christians were victims of the Ottoman Turk expulsions and massacres between 1914 and 1923, events still denied by Turkey.“And this is not a paranoid fear, it is based on many historical and current tangible examples and experiences,” Koptas told the online publication, Bianet.org.“Over the last few weeks, Turkey’s involvement in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the subsequent targeting of Turkey’s Armenian citizens has put additional pressure on the country’s Armenian minority, now numbering around 60,000, said Tugba Tanyeri-Erdemir, a research associate at the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Anthropology and coordinator of the Anti-Defamation League’s Task Force on Middle East Minorities.She added that the number reveals the huge decline from 2.4 million Armenians who lived across Turkey’s eastern Anatolia region before World War I.Tanyeri-Erdemir and others addressing the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Oct. 15 expressed serious concerns for religious freedom in Turkey and societal targeting of its religious minorities.Analysts also point to recent acts of intimidation by Turkish nationalists taken against the Armenian community.A convoy of Turkish nationalists stormed Istanbul’s Kurtulus neighborhood, home to a large Armenian population, Oct. 5. Photos posted on Twitter depicted Turkish and Azerbaijani flags draped on the roofs of their vehicles, blocking one of Istanbul’s main streets, their hazard lights flashing and horns honking erratically.On Sept. 28, the day after fighting broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh, a similar convoy drove into Kumkapi, the Istanbul neighborhood where the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate is located.“The police could stop these convoys immediately, on the grounds that they are disturbing public order, but the fact that they managed to storm both Kurtulus and Kumkapi is evidence of how little the authorities care,” one observer told France 24 TV.Paylan told Arab News it reminded him “of previous anti-Armenian pogroms. We have experienced this worrying trend for the past four generations.”Ömer Çelik, spokesman for Turkey’s ruling party, said in a series of tweets the government would not let Turkey’s Armenian citizens be threatened.Tanyeri-Erdemir and other analysts, however, point to several worrying trends seen in Turkey. They point to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s conversions of the famed Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Istanbul’s Church of St. Savior in Chora, into functioning mosques.“The conquest mentality that has shaped the Turkish government’s Hagia Sophia policy not only puts the sacred history of Turkey’s religious minorities at risk, but also threatens their lives, making them potential targets,” said Tanyeri-Erdemir. “This climate of fear causes irreparable damage to interfaith coexistence and pluralism in Turkey.”She said the actions made Turkey’s Christian minorities feel like “reconquered subjects and second-class citizens.”Dominican Father Alberto Fabio Ambrosio, a specialist in the history of Ottoman Sufism, expressed concern to Catholic News Service over Turkey’s veer further into becoming an Islamic state under Erdogan.“There is the idea to erase history. People cannot really erase history. And when politicians don’t realize that they are living the living history, tragedy is never really far,” warned Father Ambrosio, a professor of theology and history of religions at Luxembourg School of Religion and Society.“Turkey’s involvement (in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute) as a party that feeds violence is scary,” said Armenian writer Jaklin Çelik.“The language of war and hate is not a good discourse,” she told Bianet.org.***Coverage of international religious freedom issues by Catholic News Service is made possible in part by Aid to the Church in Need-USA (www.acnusa.org). https://catholicphilly.com/2020/10/news/world-news/hate-speech-rowdy-convoys-minority-armenians-in-turkey-feel-targeted/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 Public Radio of ArmeniaOct 16 2020 Azerbaijani attack prevented, troops destroyed (video) Artsakh’s Defense Army has released new footage showing the prevention of the enemy attack and destruction of its forces. Watch video at https://en.armradio.am/2020/10/16/azerbaijani-attack-prevented-troops-destroyed-video/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 I hope this time around Canada makes the ban permanent!Ottawa CitizenOct 16 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh a reminder of Canada's role as global arms dealer Seeing this country as an unscrupulous weapons salesman clashes with the government's carefully crafted narrative. But the data show we're supplying disreputable regimes that are engaged in some of the world’s most devastating conflicts. Author of the article:Cesar Jaramillo Last week, Global Affairs Canada announced the suspension of Canadian arms exports to Turkey in response to allegations that they were being diverted to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Reports emerged that Turkish drones, equipped with sensors made in Ontario by L3Harris WESCAM, had been used by Azerbaijan to attack Armenian targets. The suspension was welcome and necessary. But it could well be short-lived. This was the third time in just over three years that Canada has announced the suspension of export permits to a country accused of violating international law. The first two incidents involved Saudi Arabia, the top non-U.S. destination for Canadian arms exports. Both times the suspension was eventually lifted. In July 2017, then-Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland announced a “full and thorough” investigation following reports that Canadian-made armoured vehicles had been used to violently suppress protest in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Leaked footage and photographs showed Terradyne Armoured Vehicles, likely produced in Newmarket, Ont., in a security operation that resulted in scores of killed civilians. Arms exports to Saudi Arabia were suspended. Global Affairs promised to act “if it is found that Canadian exports have been used to commit serious violations of human rights.” In fact, no such confirmation of misuse was required for action to be taken; under domestic and international law, risk of misuse is the threshold for denying arms exports. Still, after a perfunctory and flawed investigation that relied heavily on unnamed sources and official Saudi denials of wrongdoing, Global Affairs justified Saudi Arabia’s actions and announced that arms exports there were to resume. In October 2018, as Riyadh came under global condemnation for the brazen assassination of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself pledged that Canada would “not hesitate” to freeze exports to Saudi Arabia. United Nations special rapporteur Agnes Callamard, who led an inquiry into the incident, labelled the Khashoggi assassination “a brutal and premeditated killing, planned and perpetrated by officials of the state of Saudi Arabia.” With a $14-billion deal with Riyadh for light armoured vehicles manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada under intense scrutiny, Trudeau went on to state that Canada was looking for “a way of no longer exporting these vehicles to Saudi Arabia.” Global Affairs promptly announced that Canadian arms exports to Saudi Arabia would be reviewed, and that no new arms export permits would be issued, pending the results of the investigation. The report of the investigation, issued in September 2019, found that “officials did not identify any existing permits or pending applications that would be of concern.” All suspensions were lifted soon thereafter; Canadian arms would continue flowing to Saudi Arabia. And so, recent history suggests that the announced suspension of arms exports to Turkey must be taken with a grain of salt. Also significant is the fact that, unlike Saudi Arabia, Turkey is a NATO ally. It is possible that other NATO members could pressure Canada to resume exports, citing, for example, requirements for military interoperability among alliance members. The troubling reality is that the Canadian arms industry has become alarmingly linked with disreputable regimes that are engaged in some of the world’s most devastating conflicts. And the federal government has been complicit by seeking out, then preserving lucrative arms deals with such actors. This is an untenable position — and one that cannot be concealed from the rest of the world. Only last month, Canada and other arms exporters were chastised in a UN report for perpetuating the crisis in Yemen. Despite government claims, Canada does not have one of the strongest export controls systems in the world. Replete with contradictions in policy and practice, the system has been weak and unreliable. Today, a disconcertingly high proportion of Canadian arms exports help to sustain autocratic regimes, perpetuate armed conflict and enable the violation of human rights. Admittedly, this view of Canada as an unscrupulous arms dealer clashes with the carefully crafted government discourse on the high standards of rigour and transparency that purportedly inform Canada’s arms export decisions. But the data are sturdy and compelling. There is a troubling gap between official rhetoric and official practice. Perhaps it is time to own up to the truth, however ugly, about this important aspect of Canadian foreign policy. And to build a new truth for a post COVID-19 world. Cesar Jaramillo is the executive director at Project Ploughshares, conducting research on Canadian arms exports. https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/jaramillo-nagorno-karabakh-a-reminder-of-canadas-role-as-global-arms-dealer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted October 17, 2020 Report Share Posted October 17, 2020 OC MediaOct 16 2020 Evidence mounts of war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh 16 October 2020By Robin Fabbro A still from a video appearing to show two Armenian captives shortly before they are shot dead. The link is copiedSupport UsA video circulating online appearing to show Azerbaijani forces executing two captives is the latest evidence of war crimes during the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh.In the video, two men bound and draped in the flag of Nagorno-Karabakh are gunned down.According to an investigation by Bellingcat, the video first appeared on Azerbaijani Telegram channels along with a video appearing to show the two men being captured.Bellingcat concluded that the videos were likely genuine, and geolocated them to a square in the town of Hadrut, the focus of some of the most intense fighting in recent days.Bellingcat also speculated based on the uniforms and equipment worn by the Azerbaijani soldiers that they could be members of the special forces.They also noted that the captured men were likely Armenian combatants.The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) also verified that the video was taken in the same square in Hadrut.‘The videos were too low-quality to positively identify any of the individuals in the videos, but equipment worn by the men in the video were consistent with what would be expected from soldiers on each respective side’, they wrote.The Armenian Prosecutor’s Office has denied that the men in the video were combatants. They identified them as 73-year-old B.H. and 25-year-old Y.A. both from the Hadrut region.Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Gor Abrahamyan said they had opened an investigation.Azerbaijani officials have claimed that the videos were fake. The Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan has launched an investigation into the incident, but said that ‘according to initial indications, there are reasonable doubts that these videos are fake.’According to the Nagorno-Karabakh Human Rights Ombudsman Office, in an earlier incident on 10 October, Azerbaijani forces killed four civilians in Hadrut, including a man with disabilities and his mother. They said that six civilians in Hadrut had been killed in the fighting so far.No information on prisoners of war held by either side has yet been released. Bombing of civilians Since the war broke out on 27 September, both sides have accused the other of deliberately targetting civilian population centres and infrastructure.Eighty-one civilians have reportedly been killed so far, 47 in Azerbaijan and 34 on the Armenian side. Hundreds more have been wounded.In one of the most deadly incidents on 11 October, a missile strike on Ganja, the second-largest city in Azerbaijan, levelled a block of flats killing 10 and injuring 35.Towns and villages throughout Nagorno-Karabakh have also come under artillery fire. The capital Stepanakert has been the most seriously hit, coming under almost daily bombardment since the fighting broke out.In a statement on 5 October, Amnesty International confirmed the use of cluster bombs on Stepanakert.Cluster bombs are a type of weapon that scatter a number of smaller bomblets across a wide area. They are known to have a high failure rate, meaning unexploded bombs can stay active killing civilians for years after their use. A collapsed building in Stepanakert. Image via Nagorno-Karabakh Human Rights Defender.‘Amnesty International’s Crisis Response experts were able to trace the location of the footage to residential areas of Stepanakert, and identified Israeli-made M095 DPICM cluster munitions that appear to have been fired by Azerbaijani forces.’‘The use of cluster bombs in any circumstances is banned under international humanitarian law, so their use to attack civilian areas is particularly dangerous and will only lead to further deaths and injuries’, said Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s acting Head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.The use of cluster munitions is prohibited by the international Convention on Cluster Munitions. The convention has been signed by 110 countries, though neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan are among them. For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status. https://oc-media.org/evidence-mounts-of-war-crimes-in-nagorno-karabakh/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.