cease-fire violations by azeris

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Asbarez.com

Turkey’s Defense Minister Personally Oversaw Attack Against Artsakh, Russian Newspaper Reports

October 16, 2020

http://asbarez.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Screen-Shot-2020-10-16-at-2.47.39-PM.png

Turkish forces stationed in Azerbaijan (Kommersant Photo)

Diplomatic and military sources of the Russian Kommersant newspaper have said that Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar personally controlled Azerbaijan’s attacks on Artsakh from September 28 to 30.

Armenpress reported on Friday that the newspaper published an extended article presenting in detail Turkey’s military-technical support to Azerbaijan in its war against Artsakh.

The military operations were pre-planned and provoked by the military-political leadership of Turkey, reported Kommersant. According to its sources, during recent months Ankara intensively provoked Baku to launch military operations, promising multilateral political and diplomatic, intelligence and military-technical support.

‘’Following the Turkish-Azerbaijani joint military exercises July and August, a large number of Turkish military hardware have remained in the territory of Azerbaijan with the goal to coordinate and lead the offensive operations against Nagorno Karabakh,” reported the Russian newspaper.

The Kommersant’s sources confirmed that about 600 Turkish servicemen, including a tactical unit of 200 soldiers and 50 commanders were stationed in Nakhichevan. Some 90 military advisers were assigned in Baku, while a 120-member flight-tactical team was stationed at the Gabala air base, as well as 20 drone operators at Dollyar airport, 50 commanders at Yevlakh airport, 50 commanders in the 4th Army Corps and 20 people at the Naval Base and the Military Institute of Baku.

During the fiercest moments of the military operations, from September 28 to 30, Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Commander of the Turkish Ground Forces General Ümit Dündar arrived in Azerbaijan. Sources told Kommersant that they carried out the general command operations on the Karabakh front.

The newspaper also reported that on October 9, 200 machine guns and ammunition were delivered via the Amman-Baku flight to Azerbaijan using Georgia as a transit hub. Earlier, Turkey had applied to use Georgian air space for transit flights on October 14, 21 and 28. The sources of the newspaper inform that permits were given for all the flights.

“Turkey’s representatives recruit mercenaries from Ankara-backed Islamism groups fighting in in Syria and Libya, who will fight in Nagorno Karabakh conflict from the Azerbaijani side. Their transportation is carried out with the support of the Turkish Defense Ministry. During the first week of October, up to 1,300 Syrian militants and at least 150 Libyan mercenaries have been transported to Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone. The mercenaries have been promised up to $2000 monthly salary. The first group of the mercenaries had been sent to Azerbaijan on September 22, who passed a two-week training in Syria with a Turkish commander. They are members of Faylaq al-Sham, Sultan Murad Division, and Firqat al-Hamza groups,” reported the Kommersant, according a translation by Armenpress.

The newspaper reported that from September to October, Turkey also transported a great amount of military equipment and ammunition to Azerbaijan.

http://asbarez.com/197663/turkeys-defense-minister-personally-oversaw-attack-against-artsakh-russian-newspaper-reports/?fbclid=IwAR3Q1MelaFesoi7kJntu5PZT4upuvHMJwSOEykP62O9SKOe_A9El6FvmNic

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Gagrule

Oct 16 2020

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar personally led the attack on Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Russian “Kommersant” newspaper

OCTOBER 16, 2020 BY ADMINISTRATOR 1 COMMENT

According to the diplomatic and military sources of the Russian “Kommersant” newspaper, the attack unleashed by Azerbaijan on Nagorno Karabakh on September 28-30 was personally led by Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. As reported by Armenpress, the newspaper published an extensive article detailing Turkey’s military-technical participation in the war against Artsakh. The daily writes that the hostilities were planned in advance by the political and military leadership of the Republic of Turkey.

According to the newspaper, in recent months, Ankara has been actively provoking Baku to launch hostilities, promising comprehensive political, diplomatic, intelligence and military-technical assistance.

“After the recent Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercises in July-August, a large number of Turkish troops remained in Azerbaijan, aiming to play a coordinating role in planning and carrying out the offensive on Nagorno-Karabakh. We are talking about 600 servicemen, including a tactical group of 200 people, 50 commanders in Nakhichevan, 90 military advisers in Baku, a flight-tactical group of 120 people at Gabala air base, 20 drone operators at Dallar airport, 50 commanders in Evlakh, 50 commanders in Evlakh. “20 people in the army corps at the Baku naval base and military institute,” the newspaper’s sources said.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Commander of the Land Forces Umit Dundar arrived in Azerbaijan on September 28-30 at the height of hostilities. Kommersant sources claim that they were in general control of the operations on the Karabakh front.

According to Kommersant’s interlocutors, on October 9, 200 machine guns and ammunition were delivered through the Amman-Baku route through Georgia. Earlier, Turkey also sent an application for transit flights over Georgian airspace for October 14, 21 and 28. The newspaper’s sources report that all the permits have been received.

“Turkish representatives are recruiting mercenaries from Islamist groups loyal to Ankara, fighting in Syria and Libya, to fight on the part of Azerbaijan in hostilities against Nagorno-Karabakh. Their transfer is supported by the Turkish Ministry of Defense. In the first week of October, a group of up to 1,300 Syrian fighters, including a group of at least 150 Libyan mercenaries, moved to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. The mercenaries were offered a monthly salary of up to 2 thousand dollars. The first group of mercenaries was sent to Azerbaijan on September 22 after two weeks of training with Turkish commanders in Syria. They are members of “Paylak ash-Sham”, “Sultan Murad Brigade”, “Firkat Hamza” and “Firkat Suleiman Shah” groups.

“A large number of military equipment, ammunition and manpower were transferred from Turkey to Azerbaijan in September-October,” Kommersant writes.

https://gagrule.net/turkish-defense-minister-hulusi-akar-personally-led-the-attack-on-nagorno-karabakh-in-azerbaijan-russian-kommersant-newspaper/

[Yervant1]

Once again, true to norm the West Abandons the Armenians the way they did during and after the Armenian Genocide. I guess the turkish delight is stronger than any morality and dignity that so called nations claim to have! You couldn't have left the fight against ISIS to a smaller nation than Armenia. you all should be proud of yourselves, NOT.

[Yervant1]

Clashes continued intensively, Azerbaijan suffered serious losses – President of Artsakh

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19:17, 17 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Military operations along almost entire Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line continued on October 17, ARMENPRESS reports President of ARtsakh Arayik Harutyunyan wrote on his Facebook page.

‘’Particularly fierce clashes took place in the southern direction. The Defense Army excellently fulfils its military tasks, inflicting heavy manpower and military equipment losses’’, Harutyunyan wrote.

[Yervant1]

Azerbaijan smuggles armaments, mercenaries from Bagram Airfield on board covert flights – NSS intel

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13:11, 17 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia has officially denied Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement alleging armament smuggling into Armenia on board civilian aircraft over the airspaces of different countries.

The NSS said this Azeri fake news is “the result of lies and sick imagination.” The Armenian intelligence agency added that the generation of such fake news has become the main component of the “Turkish-Azerbaijani-terrorist alliance’s military operations and aims at delivering a blow to the reputation of Armenia and its friendly relations with partner countries.”

In addition, the NSS said it has concrete intelligence data on Azerbaijan itself being engaged in covertly smuggling large amounts of armaments and mercenary-terrorists into its territory. The NSS cited data on the Azerbaijani Silk Way cargo airline’s two-way flights operated by a Boeing 747 and an IL-76 to military airbases of different countries: most recently on October 16, 2020 the Azeri cargo carrier carried out a flight from Baku to Afghanistan’s Bagram Airfield, then on October 17 from Bagram Airfield to Lashkar Gah airport and back to Baku, Azerbaijan. The same route is scheduled for October 18. Azerbaijan is also planning two-way flights from Baku via a transit airport to Kandahar. Moreover, such flights are scheduled in advance, even beyond October 19. Most of these flights are not recorded in international flight lists and some of the airports aren’t even internationally listed, the NSS said.

The NSS says the Azeri authorities are attempting to expand the geography of involving terrorist mercenaries and armaments and in order to conceal these illegal actions they are falsely accusing Armenia.

The Armenian NSS officially addressed international organizations to dismiss the Azeri fake news.

It also called on the international organizations to comprehensively study and validate the reliable information provided by them to explain the circumstances and goals of the military cargo and mercenaries’ transfer to Azerbaijan on board the abovementioned flights.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

[Yervant1]

Let's us see what will they unleash?

Semuchka

Oct 17 2020

Politicians around the world unite to “express their concern”

2020-10-17 by S.

NEW YORK, USA — In an unprecedented move, politicians around the world have come together in recent days to take action against the war in Nagorno-Karabakh, saying they “are very concerned”.

“We are deeply concerned for the people living there”, said a political representative.

“I want to express all my concern to the victims of this deadly conflict,” another told us.

People of Nagorno-Karabakh thanked the Western countries for “the many messages of concern” received the last days.

“It is heartwarming to know that we’re not alone in this war”, confesses a fighter, deeply moved by so much concern.

At publishing time, the United States have declared being “ready to unleash all their concern” if the conflict keeps going on.

https://www.semuchka.com/2020/10/17/politicians-around-the-world-unite-to-express-their-concern/?fbclid=IwAR2jsjUvU2tAFAiDlUUSFYcjAkgUhTAVX-aIfTOZ8uZ1W5KtocwsljX6zZQ

 

[Yervant1]

Los Angeles Review of Books

Oct 16 2020

A Call for Lasting Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh

By: GAYATRI CHAKRAVORTY SPIVAK, TARIQ ALI, VIKEN BERBERIAN, NOAM CHOMSKY, JUDITH HERMAN, CORNEL WEST, SEYLA BENHABIB

OCTOBER 16, 2020

Dear Friends:

We are writing this letter with the hope that you will join the international call for a ceasefire to end the bloodshed and human and cultural carnage taking place since September 27, 2020 in what has been described as the “de facto Armenian republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)” within the Soviet-era boundaries of Azerbaijan.

Ever since the fierce border disputes at the time of the establishment of Soviet Armenia and Soviet Azerbaijan, ethnic discomfort smoldered in the region and broke into open conflict at the disintegration of the USSR. Since then, it has been a history of conflict, small ceasefires in the thousands made to be broken. Serious military confrontation began in 2016; again with broken ceasefires. Now the violence seems to have increased exponentially and the last Russian brokered ceasefire was breached on October 10. The Azeris bombed not only the city of Hadrut in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), but also a region in Armenia proper. There are civilian deaths and many wounded … and we do not know what to expect in the coming days.

This wholesale destruction is part of the expansive and violent territorial policy of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey to re-establish a version of Ottoman power in the region. We would be closer to a compromise if Azerbaijan had a more open governance structure than Turkey with internal checks and balances. As it stands, we understand that Azerbaijan, supported by Turkey, is cleansing Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), a historically Armenian enclave placed within its Soviet-era boundaries, of its ethnic Armenian population. The frontline of the soldiers is reportedly composed not only of mercenaries and rebel fighters from Syria and Libya but also minorities living in Azerbaijan such as Lezgins, the Talysh, Avars, Tats, Udis, the Tsakhur, Ingiloys, Rutuls, and Kurds. We call on these minorities to support rather than oppose the minority struggle of the Armenians. Azerbaijan’s 1997–2006 erasure in Nakhchivan of its Armenian culture gives us a sense of the seriousness of the continuing violence and relentless destruction of civilian lives and property, precisely of longstanding minorities, that we have been witnessing over the last decades. We remind you that the site of the bombing includes archaeological sites such as the ancient Armenian city of Tigranakert.

Before the ravages brought in by World War I and the 20th century, Azeris and Armenians in the area lived in the kind of conflictual coexistence with which we are acquainted in the multiethnic parts of the world. We are asking now not only for an agreement to a ceasefire but an insistence on the preservation of that ceasefire and protection for the Armenian minority in its efforts toward self-determination. We hope, in the long run, with the participation of all international institutions of justice, that the democratic will of the ethnic Armenians of the area can be acknowledged.

In solidarity,

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Columbia University

Tariq Ali, Writer

Viken Berberian, Writer

Noam Chomsky, University of Arizona

Judith Herman, Harvard Medical School

Cornel West, Harvard University

Seyla Benhabib, Yale University

¤

This letter echoes a similar statement made by Jacques Derrida, Isaiah Berlin, Alain Finkielkraut, Richard Rorty, Charles Taylor, and other leading intellectuals in the New York Review of Books on September 27, 1990.

https://lareviewofbooks.org/short-takes/lasting-peace-nagorno-karabakh?fbclid=IwAR0Z9kmOu5BYRaK65OLA3WCRGGQSPumywhnBHuDlSXcNVrVRXDt5Jh_mgcQ

[Yervant1]

Jerusalem Post

Oct 17 2020

Dozens of Israelis make their way to Jerusalem in support of Armenia

By TOBIAS SIEGAL OCTOBER 17, 2020 15:31

 

The pro-Armenia protesters were seen making their way to Jerusalem in a long convoy of cars covered in red, blue and yellow - the colors that make up the Armenian flag.

Dozens of Israelis made their way on Saturday to the Knesset in Jerusalem to protest against Israel's defense cooperation with Azerbaijan as part of the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict.

The pro-Armenia protesters were seen making their way to Jerusalem in a long convoy of cars covered in red, blue and yellow - the colors that make up the Armenian flag.

The sale of Israeli drones to Azerbaijan, which have reportedly been used against Armenian forces as part of the ongoing war in Nagorno-Karabakh, the disputed territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia, has drawn international criticism.

Now, it seems like Israelis are voicing their opinions on the matter as well.

Israel has been accused by Armenia and Armenian supporters of being complicit in Azerbaijan’s policy and knowingly selling drones used to attack civilian populations in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Others have claimed that Armenia is deliberately trying to exaggerate the cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan for different strategic reasons. According to Hikmet Hajiyev, an aide to the Azeri president, the bulk of Azeri military equipment comes from Russia and Turkey.

Armenia has called on Israel to recognize the Armenian Genocide several times in the past, with many Knesset members arguing that Israel should do so. Perhaps the protesters hope to use that leverage and convince others to reexamine Israel's policy regarding the conflict.

https://m.jpost.com/israel-news/dozens-of-israelis-make-their-way-to-jerusalem-in-support-of-armenia-646029/amp?fbclid=IwAR1uO2DUz61AiP9KBDax7XdzV-3lrqCdqHw6eB52H4S-tt1a6aOTEOGPKZc

[Yervant1]

You are a hero to humanity!

LAist

Oct 16 2020

Perspectives On Artsakh From A Black Armenian Angeleno

Over the next year, we're hoping to hear your stories about how race and ethnicity shape your life and, hopefully, publish as many of these stories as we can, so that we can all keep on talking. We're calling this effort Race in LA. Click here for more information and details on how to participate.

By Carene Rose Mekertichyan

My father and his family immigrated to the United States in 1991, in the chaos of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the last major war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

If my father had been drafted before our family's immmigration paperwork was finalized, I would not be here. By the same token, if Armenia had been in a state of prosperous peace at the time, my family may never have emigrated.

Family friend Sarik, Carene's dad, Uncle Mher, and Grandtatik Nvart (great-grandmother) pictured in Armenia in the 1980s. (Courtesy Carene Mekertichyan)

My mom had moved to Los Angeles a few years prior from Chicago for a job opportunity. She met my dad when they were working at what is now the Intercontinental Hotel in Century City. As the old Armenian proverb says, "Chakatagrits ches karogh khusapel," or "You cannot escape destiny." So here I am, after the stars aligned, allowing my passage into this world.

I am a proud Angeleno. I grew up in Silverlake, back when it was vibrant and diverse. Before I started kindergarten, I could speak basic Armenian because I spent my days at my Tatik and Papik's (grandparents) apartment while my parents were working. Once I started school, however, I lost the words I had known and my understanding of the Armenian language is still remedial at best.

Carene's dad pictured at the Marriott in Century City, when he first started working there in 1992. He met Carene's mother here, who is pictured here working in the PBX department. (Courtesy Carene Mekertichyan)

Here in L.A., I'm surrounded by the largest diasporic Armenian population and yet I've struggled to feel connected to this community in which I felt I wasn't seen or wanted. I remember walking through the Glendale Galleria holding hands with my parents and seeing the stares from other Armenians as they turned to whisper with each other.

'BUT I'M BOTH!'

This was not the case with the Black community. I remember my first day at Ivanhoe Elementary School, when my soon-to-be friend Aliya came over to me and said, "We are the Black girls. We have to stick together." This unconditional acceptance has remained true throughout my life.

Carene with her friend, Aliya, at Ivanhoe Elementary in 2002. (Courtesy Carene Mekertichyan)

When we would visit my mom's side of the family on the South Side of Chicago, my light skin resulted in some hurtful taunts. There were girls on the playground who said they didn't want to play with a "vanilla ice cream girl." My cousin Ayanna set them straight as I left the park crying. I was called everything from "yellow" to "Lite-Brite." Family members would playfully joke about my last name, calling me "McKetchup" because they couldn't handle the pronunciation.

All those otherizing experiences aside, I navigated Black spaces with an ease I still don't feel anywhere else.

Both my parents ensured I understood the history and the suffering of my ancestors. I remember my mother sitting me down one day when I must have been five years old or so and explaining the history of slavery in the United States and our continued struggle for justice. While I don't remember what sparked that conversation, I remember it knocked me right out of my California bubble. The idea of someone hating me because of my skin and features was foreign to me.

Carene with her cousins, Imani and Ayanna, in Chicago. (Courtesy Carene Mekertichyan)

 

 

[Yervant1]

Continued!

I first became aware of my Blackness around the same age. My Armenian cousin said, "Even if you have just one little drop of Black, the people, like at your school, will only see you as Black."

"But I'm both!" I remembered saying, upset because I had no understanding of the "one-drop rule." Although he didn't fully understand the implications of what he had said, it still hurt.

It has always been a strange paradox to acknowledge the fact that the United States, a nation built by Black slaves on stolen indigenous land, has given my Armenian family freedoms and opportunities they never could imagine under the Soviet Union. I accept this truth while also understanding this country is steeped in systemic white supremacy.

Even with my light-skinned privilege, I myself have been subjected to racial slurs, followed in stores, unjustifiably pulled over by the police and endured countless microaggressions. The dismissal of these disparities by some Armenians, who boast that our community is "self-made," is inherently racist and feeds into the flawed "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality glorified by so many immigrant communities.

I believe it is hard for many Armenians to understand that they, too, benefit from white supremacy, despite our indigeneity, genocide and the uniqueness of ethnic SWANA identity.

LEGACY OF THE GENOCIDE

I don't know when I first learned about the Armenian Genocide, as it was always a topic of coversation among my family. I just knew the "Turks killed a lot of Armenians." I remember studying World War I in high school and feeling my heart skip a beat when I saw Armenia mentioned in my textbook.

I quickly deflated, reading the "massacre of Armenians by Ottoman forces." Our ethnicity, our Genocide, was just one sentence in my history textbook. As the years went on, I learned more about my own family's survival and the atrocities that occurred, so I pushed for Genocide recognition by means of constituent letters, protests and organizing the first Armenian Genocide vigil in Dartmouth College's history.

Carene's great-grandfather Garegin, his wife Nvart (center) and his cousin Zaro, who also survived the Genocide, with (left to right) aunts Armik and Knarik and Tatik Anahit (Grandmother Anahit).

Now, before I explain the current conflict, it is critical that I provide the full historical context that so much of today's journalism sorely lacks. The Ancient Kingdom of Armenia (Urartu) has existed since about 900 BCE. Armenia was the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity and the full scope of Ancient Armenia's territory can be found on numerous maps. Over time, Armenia was conquered and ruled by the Ottoman Turks, Persians and Russians, losing territory in the process.

For Armenians, we don't have to go very far back into our family trees for evidence of our historical displacement and genocide. My great-grandparents come from Van, Nakhichevan and Ghars, all Armenian regions that are now part of Turkey and Azerbaijan. While the Armenian Genocide is perhaps Turkey's most well-known atrocity, in which it is estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed under the cover of WWI, it is important to understand the full scope of terror caused by the Ottoman Empire at the time.

These atrocities include: The Hakkari massacres (1843), The Massacre of Aleppo (1850), The Batak massacre (1876), The Hamidian massacres (1894), The Diyarbakır massacres (1895), The Adana massacre (1909), The Greek Genocide (1913), The Assyrian Genocide (1914) and the famine of Mount Lebanon (1915). I believe that it is this genocidal legacy that Turkish President Erdogan emulates in his own quest for a fascist pan-Turkic state.

Carene's Grandtatik Nvart (great-grandmother Nvart) on the shores of the Black Sea in Batumi. (Courtesy Carene Mekertichyan)

I am the direct descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors. We were lucky enough to have my grandtatik Nvart with us until 2017 and she helped keep our family history alive. Her husband Garegin, my Tatik's father, was born in Van and survived the genocide. Garegin didn't say much about that time, but there are some details our family has remembered and carried with us.

When Garegin was 8 or 9, he was chased into a river along with his little brother by Turkish soldiers and survived by holding onto the tail of an ox to get across safely. The last he saw of his little brother, he was carried away by a Turkish officer on horseback. At some point, Garegin made his way to the Echmiadzin Church. At the church wall, he found what remained of his family. There is uncertainty as to who was left, but he did see his mother, father and at least one sister. Apparently, upon first seeing his mother, he went to get her food and when he returned she had died. His father and sister died soon after, all stricken with cholera. Before or after this encounter, Garegin was placed in an American orphanage in Jerusalem.

My papik's mother Ashken Mayasyan, who also survived the genocide, never knew her true age. One story from the genocide that she recounted with my papik and his brothers shared during the genocide has stuck with me over the years. Her mother Tamar was nicknamed "Sirun Tamar" because she was known for her beauty. When Turkish soldiers came looking for her, she smeared her face with dirt, tattered her clothes and told them "They took her already and went that way."

Carene's grandpapik (great-grandfather), Garegin Aslanyan. (Courtesy Carene Mekertichyan)

At some point, Ashken lost her father, mother and two other siblings, but those details have never been discussed in my family. Ashken, her sister Arus and brother Gurgen ended up in an American orphanage in Gyumri.

They were lucky to have each other. At that time many surviving Armenian girls were converted to Islam and forced into sex slavery and marriages. Some were tattooed on their faces and hands as a mark of their ownership. It is this understanding of my family history and our shared intergenerational trauma that tethers my spirit to my ancestors and our Armenian community.

THE CONFLICT

Following the Russian Revolution in 1918, Armenia (along with many other countries at the time) established the first Republic of Armenia, which existed briefly before being incorporated into what would become the USSR in 1920. It was then that Azerbaijan formed a republic for the first time for their ethnic group descended primarily from Albanian and Turkic ancestry (undoubtably Armenian ancestry as well).

Between 1918 and 1920, the Azeris perpetrated massacres of Armenians in Baku and Shushi. These were the first of many pogroms to push ethnic Armenians out of the region. When what would be the USSR was formed in 1921, Joseph Stalin, at the time a high-ranking government official, gave Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to Azerbaijan, despite its predominantly Armenian population, to appease Turkey and incentivize its allyship.

Carene's Aunt Armik and Tatik Anahit (grandmother Anahit) pictured in the 1950s. (Courtesy Carene Mekertichyan)

In 1988, the people of Artsakh voted to reunite with the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. As a result, the pogrom of Sumgait occurred in which hundreds of Armenians were murdered. There were gang rapes of Armenian women in the streets. Azeri allies hid their Armenian neighbors as they waited to leave the town safely. This pogrom was well-documented by the Soviet government officials who escorted surviving Armenians to safety. There was another pogrom in Kirovabad that year and a well known pogrom in Baku in 1990 and Maragha in 1992.

These tensions escalated into the Artsakh Liberation War, or Nagorno-Karabakh War, which resul

ted in an estimated 30,000 deaths on both sides. Armenia won the war and a ceasefire was declared. Artsakh has remained an autonomous republic under de facto Armenian control within Azerbaijan since 1994. There have been numerous violent clashes since.

Azerbaijan destroyed Armenian churches, gravestones and khachkars in what has been called the worst cultural genocide in history. In 2004, Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani Army officer, murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margayarian with an axe while Margayarian was sleeping. Both men had been sent to a NATO training program by their respective governments. In 2005, the Mayor of Baku, Hajibala Abutalibov, said the following to a municipal delegation from Bavaria, Germany: "Our goal is the complete elimination of Armenians. You, Nazis, already eliminated the Jews in the 1930s and '40s, right? You should be able to understand us."

In 2016 there was the brutal Four-Days War between Azerbaijan and Armenia in which there were cases of Armenian civilians executed and mutilated, like the remaining residents of Talish. A number of Armenian soldiers were also beheaded.

Carene's Uncle Rafik, Grandtatik Ashken (great-grandmother Ashken), a friend and Papik Ruben Mekertichyan (grandfather). (Courtesy Carene Mekertichyan)

In July of this year, Azerbaijan bombed the Tavush region of Armenia, shelling a PPE factory, schools, and threatening to bomb Armenia's nuclear power plant. This was a clear violation of the U.N. pandemic ceasefire which Armenia had signed but Azerbaijan had not. Since the attack on Tavush, the Azeri and Turkish governments have been stirring up anti-Armenian sentiments and there has been a spike in hate crimes across our diaspora. Thousands of Azeris protested in Baku, demanding war with Armenia.

A few days before the fighting began on Sept. 27, a number of Armenians were engaging in a ridiculous and hurtful debate online about Armenian identity. Some argued that marrying and having children with non-Armenians will lead to the loss of our culture and identity.

Having to argue the validity of my existence was frustrating, but I found that most people engaging in the discussion were overwhelmingly supportive of multiracial Armenians. We carry our ancestors in our souls; no amount of cultural gatekeeping and adherence to "blood quantum" can ever take that away from us. Whenever Armenia is under attack, we stand united, no matter what our differences are. It is my sincere wish that this unity remains once we make it through this crisis.

Carene, age 4, dancing tash-toosh at her family friend's Armenian-Mexican wedding. (Courtesy Carene Mekertichyan)

We see this genocidal war on Artsakh as an existential threat to the Armenian diaspora. Armenians have been indigenous to Artsakh for thousands of years and had no incentive to start a war over the small bit of land we already have. Why would Armenia, a nation of 3 million, start a war with Azerbaijan, a nation of 10 million, backed by Turkey, a nation of 85 million? President Erdogan of Turkey has cited Adolf Hitler's Germany as an effective government and stated he planned to "fulfill the mission our grandfathers have carried out for centuries," alluding to the Armenian Genocide.

Azerbaijan and Turkey had been holding military exercises on Armenia's border as a means of intimidation since August; the conflict that was sparked on Sept. 27 should've come as no surprise to anyone paying attention. The Turkish government has paid and misled mercenaries from Syria who are being pushed to the front lines and are losing their lives. There are reports of refugees and jihadist rebels being conscripted into a fight that is not theirs, many of whom have requested to return home.

WHY WE ARE PROTESTING

The way Western media has been reporting this crisis is dangerous because there is no neutrality here. The focus of Azerbaijan and Turkey's strikes has been civilian territory with the goal of exterminating as many Armenians as possible. They have targeted Armenia proper by shelling Vardenis and Artsvanik. They have shelled our iconic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral twice, killing civilians and injuring reporters. This conflict is bigger than Azerbaijan, with foreign superpowers involved on all sides. In addition to military support from Turkey, Israel supplies about 60% of Azerbaijan's weapons. The Azeri military is currently using Israeli kamikaze drones to strike Armenia. Russia brokered a ceasefire for the purpose of recovering bodies that was immediately violated.

As those of us in the Armenian diaspora continue to collect donations and protest, we are also engaged in an information war on social media. Azerbaijan's troll farm was recently exposed and the Azeri government continues to ban social media and foreign journalists from the region while questioning and arresting citizens who are calling for peace. The government of Azerbaijan has a well documented history of money laundering and lobbying of journalists. A number of celebrities who have come out in support of Armenia have also been bullied into silence by Azeri bots.

Armenians are shutting down your freeways and marching in your streets because we want your attention. We want as much coverage and visibility as possible. We know what happens when governments choose neutrality over people and we refuse to allow this attempt at ethnic cleansing to go unnoticed.

Family dinner with Carene's Granny Rose on a visit from Chicago. (Courtesy Carene Mekertichyan)

Now, it doesn't come as a surprise to me that people have no interest in engaging with what is happening in Armenia. The conflict seems distant, confusing, and it's so much easier to focus on the election and pandemic instead.

When the movement for Black lives was reignited in June following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, I was amazed at the sheer number of "allies" who emerged among friends and communities that had stayed silent for so long.

I attended my first Black Lives Matter protest in 2014 after the killing of Michael Brown and, in the years since, we have lost and continue to lose countless Black lives to law enforcement and lynching. It hurt to see this sudden mobilization of allies because I understood that you all had the ability to fight alongside us this entire time, yet you chose the comfort of your privilege instead.

Whether it's a selfie at a protest, an empty Black square or the continued meme-ification of Breonna Taylor, these actions are meaningless without substantive direct action to back them up. Performative activism is useless and oftentimes harmful. It is safe to say that this spike in activism we saw at the start of the summer has died down and people are returning to their natural state of apathy and privileged ignorance.

I am here to tell you that it is possible and necessary to care about more than one issue at a time. Your taxpayer dollars are funding Azerbaijan and President Trump has business interests in both Turkey and Azerbaijan, so this is your fight as well.

Just as I called on the Armenian community to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, I am now pleading with everyone who takes the time to read this to fight for your Armenian friends while we are still here. At least 100,000 of your fellow Angelenos marched in the streets this past weekend demanding you listen to us. Like all Armenians, I had been a mess since the attack; alternating between frantic action and catatonic anxiety. It filled my spirit to see Black, Assyrian, Filipino and Mexican allies standing with us in solidarity. It is my sincere hope that you, my fellow Angelenos, join us in condemning this continued attempt to erase Armenians from this earth.

The Armenian diaspora is so vast, rich and diverse, in spite of the loss of much of our indigenous land and our continued struggle for survival. Like Garegin and Ashken, we persevere and thrive in the face of adversity. I always say that, as a Black Armenian woman, I am the proud legacy of two failed genocides. The failure of these genocides is dependent on our commitment to speaking truth and ensuring history doesn't repeat itself. Our existence is resistance and we aren't going anywhere.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Carene Mekertichyan is an actress, writer, singer, educator and proud Angelena. As a Black Armenian woman, she is drawn to storytelling that centers marginalized narratives and firmly believes that true art exists to create empathy and social change. Her identity and upbringing in Los Angeles informs both her art and intersectional activism. She serves as the Artistic Associate for Social Justice at Independent Shakespeare Co. and is also a teaching artist currently working with the Unusual Suspects and Creative Acts. She has most recently performed with Independent Shakespeare Co, Rogue Artists Ensemble, Palos Verdes Performing Arts, Hero Theatre and at the Getty Villa. Her plays have been produced by Company of Angels, MeetCute LA, Sacred Fools' "We the People Theater Action," and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She received her training from Dartmouth College and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

https://laist.com/2020/10/16/race_in_la_perspectives_on_artsakh_from_a_black_armenian_angeleno.php?fbclid=IwAR35SnN_qJRhpgVXBNF-350AfiYxzn1RzjQ7KWZwd0vBhwbQAqQcrZDtxws

 

[MosJan]

Hawaii Recognizes Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s Independence
Unanimous Vote a Resounding Support for Artsakh Freedom on Eve of Azerbaijani President Aliyev's trip to the U.S.

 

[MosJan]

ԿՈՌՆԻՁՈՐԻ ՔԱՋԵՐԻ ՍԽՐԱՆՔԸ
ԵՌԱԼԵԶՈՒ Է, ՏԱՐԱԾԵՆՔ։




16.10.2020 ранним утром, 16-я добровольная рота (Корнидзорский отряд) одержала сокрушительную победу над врагом на северо-восточном направлении Арцахского фронта. Враг был уничтожен; не отброшен назад, а именно уничтожен, оставив за собой сотни падалей своих боевиков. На протяжении нескольких часов, враг подвергал армянские позиции ракетно-артиллерийскому обстрелу, используя различные виды запрещённых вооружений, но был в конечном итоге полностью уничтожен. Армянская сторона применила различные тактические навыки, напомнив врагу, где раки зимуют и заставив его бежать под симфонию огня корнидзорских орлов. Единственное, что нас сейчас беспокоит - это вонь трупов наспех оставленных бегущим врагом.
16.10.2020, in the early morning hours, the 16th volunteer platoon (Kornidzor detachment) won a glorious victory in the north-east of Artsakh, where the Azeri enemy was destroyed. The enemy did not retreat; it was destroyed, leaving behind hundreds of carcasses. The Azeris had used various types of forbidden weapons, including rockets and artillery, against the Armenian forces, but were fully defeated. The Armenian side used tactical innovations to force the enemy to run away in humiliation, accompanied by the firing symphony of the eagles of the Kornidzor detachment. The only thing that is bothering us now is the multitude of dirty carcasses of the Azeris left behind by the retreating enemy.
Արա Խուդավերդյանը սոցցանցի իր էջում գրում է.
«Արցախի հարավ արևելյան ուղղությամբ այսօր լուսադեմին փառահեղ հաղթանակ տարավ կամավորականների 16 վաշտը (Կոռնիձոր ջոկատ) թուրք թշնամին լիովին ջախջախվեց, ոչ թե ետ շպրտվեց, այլ տեղում մնացին հարյուրավոր լեշեր։ Թշնամին մի քանի ժամ հայկական ուժերի վրա կիառելով հազար ու մի տեսակ արգելված հրթիռա֊հրետանային զինատեսակներ՝ ի վերջո ոչնչացվեց ամբողջությամբ։ Հայկական կողմը կիրառեց տակտիկական հնարքներ, թշնամին հայոց լեռներում հիշեց հոր հարսանիքը՝ Կոռնիձորի արծիվների հնչեցրած սիմֆոնիաների տակ ։ Միակ անհանգստացնողը թուրքի անտեր ու պիղծ լեշերն են։
Կոռնիձորի Արո։
ՀԳ ՄԵՆՔ ենք թելադրելու աշխարհին մեր պայմանները։
Թուրքի մերը ինչ պետք է արել ենք։
Քիչ մնաց, տեսնենք թիկունքում ովքեր են փռշտում»։

[Yervant1]

RT - Russia Today

Oct 17 2020

Armenia & Azerbaijan declare ‘humanitarian ceasefire’ in Nagorno-Karabakh starting Sunday

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and forces of the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh have all agreed to stop fighting for “humanitarian reasons” after dozens of civilians have died in the latest flare-up over the disputed region.

The foreign ministries of the two countries announced the decision late on Saturday, simultaneously releasing similar statements. The ceasefire is said to come into effect within hours, at 00:00 local time.

It has also been acknowledged by the foreign ministry of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh republic, which said it was ready to stop hostilities.

The disputed region became the scene of a new conflict in late September, for which both Armenia and Azerbaijan blamed each other.

The ceasefire on the ground comes after a truce was agreed to by the warring parties at lengthy talks held in Moscow. The initial October 10 ceasefire did not hold, as the intense fighting resumed within hours after it came into effect. Moscow, which brought Armenian and Azerbaijani officials to the negotiating table, said the military on both sides have to agree details for it to be effective.

The conflict in the breakaway Azerbaijani region, mostly populated by ethnic Armenians and de facto controlled by the self-proclaimed republic, is the latest major flare-up since the collapse of the Soviet Union, which triggered the longstanding territorial dispute.

Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been referred to by Armenian officials as the nation’s “sacred homeland,” broke away from Azerbaijan after a bloody war in the early 1990s. Although it has proclaimed independence, Baku continues to regard it as an integral part of the country. Yerevan, while backing the ethnic Armenian government, has stopped short of recognizing the region’s independence.

https://www.rt.com/russia/503814-armenia-azerbaijan-declare-ceasefire-karabakh/?fbclid=IwAR3mOHUm0G5q7uUedSVSsC4KtMJbZ-0qnjCebreHsvqNozYBpkpZFVOTgzE

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

aliyev the fake sultan of azerbaboonjan is losing his head, the dead toll of his soldiers will get his people against him. He is terifeid!

Semuchka

Oct 17 2020

Aliyev demands an apology from Kim Kardashian for being more famous than Azerbaijan

2020-10-17 by S.

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN — In a recent statement to the press, the president for life of Azerbaijan, a small country in Caucasus, appeared upset than a woman from an even smaller country in Caucasus was better known than Azerbaijan as a whole.

“These Armenian dogs are infiltrated everywhere,” said the politician/philosopher.

“Their perfidy is so vast that even the corrupt Hollywood is no exception!” said the man who enjoys excellent friendship-based relationships with many politicians around the world.

“Tell me, what makes her so popular?” said the one everybody takes for a lost stuntman of French actor Jean Reno.

Hearing the news, Kim Kardashian quickly donated another million to the Armenian fund.

https://www.semuchka.com/2020/10/17/aliyev-demands-an-apology-from-kim-kardashian-for-being-more-famous-than-azerbaijan/?fbclid=IwAR3e8znaTkOl2BpPtQ8uX4_h0C7AOADISlTpQxenP3UGCovXA0G79AGndJI

 

Edited October 17, 2020 by Yervant1

[Yervant1]

Greek City Times

Oct 17 2020

Professor Filis: Erdoğan will start a conflict with Greece but will leave the battlefield defeated
by PAUL ANTONOPOULOS

All analysts agree, the situation in the East Mediterranean is more dangerous than ever and the next 24 hours are considered critical as it will be clear whether Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will pull the strings against Greece or whether it will continue the “war of nerves.”

In any case, the focal point will be if Ankara decides to send the Oruç Reis research vessel within 6 nautical miles of Kastelorizo island.

Possibly Ankara is trying to drag Athens into an overreaction, essentially flirting with a conflict.

At the same time, while the Turkish research ship continues to wander in the Mediterranean, opening and closing its radar, Turkey tries to disorient and transfer to Athens the responsibilities for the broken exploratory contacts, but also to “spread” the conditions for dialogue on the issues that it wants.

For its part, the Greek government is intensifying diplomatic contacts, clarifying that Turkish provocations are stopping exploratory contacts between the two countries.

The Greek government has called on the EU to step up sanctions.

Turkey is “flirting” with conflict

The government is on high alert, as the Greek side cannot rule out the possibility of Turkey seeking a conflict.

Among other things, Article 42 of the EU’s founding treaty on military assistance remains on the table in the event of a member state receiving an armed attack on its territory, an option which Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias had informed his counterpart about since the summer.

Turkey’s decision to torpedo any attempt to de-escalate has mobilized military staff from the outset and the entire Armed Forces is now on high alert.

Filis on Newsbomb: Erdoğan knows that the Turks will leave defeated – If they leave

Newsbomb contacted Geopolitical and Geostrategic professor at the National Defense Academy (HNDC), George Filis, to analyze all the latest moves by Turkey with the Oruç Reis, the reaction of Greece and whether Athens can rely on Europeans its allies.

“Turkey is challenging our sovereign rights”

Filis points out that with this move and specifically with the issuance of NAVTEX, Erdoğan directly questions Greece’s right to exercise its sovereign rights in something it can do under international law.

“To emphasize that the coastal zone and the territorial waters are an extension of the land at sea and as Turkey behaves, Greece refuses to extend its dominance at sea. We can expand our territorial waters from 6 nautical miles to 12 without asking anyone,” points out the professor of Geostrategy when speaking to Newsbomb.

“Greece must respond”

Then Filis, commenting on the course of Oruç Reis, said that “if it comes within 12 nautical miles “Greece must respond so that it does not succeed, and if the Turks succeed, we must make sure that they do not leave safe and sound.”

From then on, the professor points out that “if we just prevent them from approaching, we will not have achieved anything in essence. There must be pressure for all Turkish forces to withdraw from the region , and we must say that under these circumstances there can be no exploratory contacts. Let’s not laugh, any exploratory contact is a negotiations.”

“Let’s send an oceanographic boat too!”

Answering a relevant question, Filis points out that Greece should respond to the movements of Oruç Reis by sending an oceanographic vessel between Imvros and Tenedos islands, currently occupied by Turkey, in order to conduct research in the area.

“In this way we will see how our allies in the European Union will react. The Turks; How will they react? Will they threaten to sink it?”

The moves that must be made from Athens

Filis, commenting on the moves that Greece must make in the immediate future in order to defend its sovereign rights, taking into account the growing pressure from Turkey, notes the following steps:

• To draw baselines.


• To delimit the Exclusive Economic Zone with Cyprus, on the minimum possible line so as to leave room for negotiations of the northern part with Ankara and in the south with Egypt.


• To move directly into a military alliance with France. To ask the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to come to the eastern Mediterranean region and put the US before its responsibilities in order to make it clear that Turkey’s behavior threatens the NATO alliance itself.

“We can not expect anything from the European Union”

Speaking to Newsbomb, the professor of Geostrategy emphasizes that at this stage we cannot expect anything from the European Union, as the conflicting interests within it, will most likely cause destructive tendencies in the future.

From then on, Filis points out that “Turkey’s behavior with Oruç Reis at the moment undermines Germany’s attempt to mediate. However, it does not only offend Germany, but also Angela Merkel herself as one of the most important political figures of our time.”

“When the German Chancellor guarantees the continuation of the negotiations between Greece and Turkey and Erdoğan proceeds to a new ‘Attila’ in Cyprus with the opening of Varosha and challenges Greece in the eastern Mediterranean, then the European Union has no choice but to take over action. It is understandable that Turkey has economic interests in the EU, however, it is in Germany’s best interest for the EU to exist so that it can advance its economic interests, as it has for decades.”

“The Turks will leave defeated”

Finally, Filis summarizes the goals of Erdoğan, as they arise from the behavior of Turkey.

• He wants to humiliate the Greek political system.


• He wants to exert psychological violence on the Greek nation, in an attempt to force it to accept that it is a satellite of Turkey.


• It wants to lead Greece to a negotiation based on the Turkish agenda and not International Law.

However, Filis concludes by emphasizing that all of the above, Erdoğan seeks to achieve without a military conflict, because “he knows very well that in such a case the Turkish forces will leave the battlefield defeated. If they leave…”

https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/10/17/erdogan-will-conflict-greece/?fbclid=IwAR3MPXSRpihu6BdsOm9K9rCk51hLbLa6Kw4zhqdHZjNCGpbSuW-fnDlPlQk

[Yervant1]

Reuters

Oct 17 2020

Erdogan tells Trudeau suspension of drone exports is against alliance spirit

(Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada's suspension of the export of some drone technology was not in line with the spirit of alliance, Erdogan's office said late on Friday.

Canada suspended the export of some drone technology to Turkey earlier this month as it probes allegations the equipment was used by Azeri forces involved in fighting with Armenia.

In a phone call on Friday, Erdogan and Trudeau discussed improving relations and increasing bilateral trade, the Turkish presidency said, adding that they also talked about overcoming issues regarding cooperation in the defence sector.

"During the call, President Tayyip Erdogan said Canada's suspension of the export of some military goods to Turkey due to the Azerbajian-Armenia conflict... is against the spirit of alliance," the presidency said.

Turkey and Canada are both members of NATO.

Following Canada's announcement, Turkey's Foreign Ministry had said the suspension showed a double standard.

Turkey's military exports to its ally Azerbaijan have risen six-fold this year, with sales of drones and other military equipment rising to $77 million last month alone before fighting broke out over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, according to exports data.

Canadian arms control group Project Ploughshares says video of air strikes released by Azerbaijan indicates the drones had been equipped with imaging and targeting systems made by L3Harris Wescam, the Canada-based unit of L3Harris Technologies Inc (LHX.N).

Ankara has said it stands firmly beside its close ally in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

https://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN27209O?fbclid=IwAR3-WUCy63MVosiqBoiktYV088m3S2DeFCCQydsxAB9zyX5I_Mx7Fj0M3mE

[Yervant1]

PR Newswire

Oct 17 2020

Global Awareness Initiative Reports Turkey Blocked 100 Tons of Humanitarian Aid to Armenia

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Global Awareness

Oct 15, 2020, 22:43 ET

YEREVAN, Armenia, Oct. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To stop disinformation surrounding the current conflict with Turkey and Azerbaijan and spread awareness in the international community, Armenia's tech community leaders came together to form the Global Awareness initiative.

Latest news from the front-line of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh:

• During a press conference on October 14, the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of Armenia Zareh Sinanyan reported that Turkey has blocked 100 tons of humanitarian aid to Armenia traveling from the United States. The only available flight would have transported it through Turkish airspace. Sinanyan also added that over the period of this Nagorno-Karabakh conflict nearly 700 tons of humanitarian aid has been delivered to Armenia from different countries - Russia, the USA, France, Ukraine, European countries, Javakhk, Tbilisi.

• On October 15, a video purporting to show two Armenian prisoners of war being humiliated and brutally killed surged on Azerbaijani social media. The killing and filming of the war prisoners is a violation of the Geneva Convention. Soon after, the Azerbaijani MoD denied being responsible for the video content and the footage started to slowly disappear from social media. The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia managed to gather all necessary evidence and is sending it to the relevant international organizational.

• Reuters reports that Turkey's military exports to its ally Azerbaijan have risen six-fold in 2020. There was a marked increase, from under $300,000 in July to nearly $80 million in September, just before Azerbaijan launched its first attack on Artsakh, according to exports data.

• During his interview with a France 24 journalist, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev mentioned that the attacks on the 19th-century Armenian Cathedral in Shushi, Artsakh, were likely a "mistake." Two Russian journalists were injured in this attack on October 8. There were two strikes that hit the exact same spot in a "double-tap" attack. On the day of the attack, the Azerbaijani government denied all claims regarding the shelling of the Cathedral. However, after proof of the strikes became overwhelming, Aliyev finally admitted to them and claimed they might have been a mistake.

• Addressing the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, France and Germany accused Turkey on Thursday of continuing to provoke the European Union with its actions in the eastern Mediterranean and gave it a week to clarify its positions. The bloc said it would review the possibility of sanctions on Turkey at a European summit in December. "It's clear to us that Turkey is permanently carrying out provocative acts which are unacceptable," France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a news conference alongside his German and Polish counterparts.

• The Austrian Parliament has unanimously adopted a proposal/motion condemning the Turkish military intervention in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and arms supply to Azerbaijan. The motion also pointed out Austria's and EU's efforts towards the immediate ceasefire and proposed to hold peace talks in Vienna.

• According to the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, Artak Beglaryan, on October 15, despite the announced ceasefire, Azerbaijan launched a heavy rocket attack on civilian infrastructure and residential neighborhoods of Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh. No data on the casualties have been reported as of now, but the shelling is ongoing.

See the complete press release here.

Press kit

Global Awareness
+37455939005
info@globalawareness.am
www.globalawareness.am

Related Files

Nagorno-Karabakh_Daily Updates_15.10.2020.pdf

Related Images

turkey-refused-to-allow-100-tons.jpg
Turkey refused to allow 100 tons of humanitarian Aid to Armenia.
Turkey refused to allow 100 tons of humanitarian Aid to Armenia through its airspace

SOURCE Global Awareness

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-awareness-initiative-reports-turkey-blocked-100-tons-of-humanitarian-aid-to-armenia-301153765.html?fbclid=IwAR24uFpLUMgOBtnPWj06WC4n5YgNAmZ2NiVRDji6xy2N4nsUCBeZtGyp0Go

[Yervant1]

LAist

Oct 17 2020

Morning Briefing: LA Speaks Out About The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict

Updated October 17, 2020 1:00 AM

Good morning, L.A.

Last Sunday, an estimated 100,000 protesters gathered outside the Turkish Consulate in Beverly Hills to decry the Turkish government’s participation in recent violence perpetrated against Armenians. Later in the week, activists shut down all lanes of the 134 Freeway.

The violence to which they’re responding involves military actions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the latter with backing from Turkey, that began in late September. Stretching back thousands of years, the conflict at the heart of the current dispute centers on a region known as the Republic of Artsakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh. The area is largely controlled by Armenians, but international law recognizes it as belonging to Azerbaijan.

But for many Armenians – including those in L.A., which is home to the one of the largest Armenian diasporas in the world – the conflict is too reminiscent of the not-so-distant Armenian Genocide. In an essay, LAist contributor Carene Rose Mekertichyan writes that these recent protests are being held to force Americans and the rest of the world to pay attention, before it’s too late:

“Armenians are shutting down your freeways and marching in your streets because we want your attention. We want as much coverage and visibility as possible. We know what happens when governments choose neutrality over people and we refuse to allow this attempt at ethnic cleansing to go unnoticed.”

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.

– Jessica P. Ogilvie

https://laist.com/latest/post/20201017/morning-briefing-october-17-laist-los-angeles

[Yervant1]

BBC News

Oct 16 2020

From: Newshour

From LA to Stepanakert: "I'm a foot and ankle surgeon, I can save legs, where else should I be if not there?"

Available for over a year

Armen Hagopjanian, an Armenian-American foot and ankle surgeon living in Los Angeles, on what compelled him to return home, and treat soldiers and civilians wounded in the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. (Photo: Armen Hagopjanian interviewed by the journalists in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh. Credit: Armen Hagopjanian)

Watch the video at

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08v827k?fbcliHagopjanian&fbclid=IwAR00kbOV3LooCG2wCdQOiKgq5Q8aoHxjosihL-sCvWh4a1t-_7Lmkm6X39I

[Yervant1]

Daily Record, WA

Oct 17 2020

Letter: U.S. needs to intercede and support Armenia

• Dante Duvall

To the Editor:

The Transcaucasian countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan are at war — and it is time the U.S. takes action to support Armenia and help end the conflict

I lived in Armenia for two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have learned to love the people there with my whole heart. The country has a long history full of triumphs and loss.

For example, The Ottoman Empire, present-day Turkey, carried out the mass murder of 1.5 million Armenians during the Armenian Genocide a little over 100 years ago. This is why there are more Armenians living outside of the country than inside. They escaped to avoid murder.

Artsakh, the territory over which Armenia and Azerbaijan are fighting, is home to Armenian monasteries that have stood centuries before Azerbaijan was a country. The territory was given to Azerbaijan during the Soviet Union, but broke away after the collapse of it. It is made up of and governed by Armenians. And yet the Azerbaijan government claims it as theirs. In addition, Turkey has vowed full support to Azerbaijan.

I do not condemn Azerbaijan or Turkey — just their governments. The land is and has always been Armenia’s. And the addition of that land to Azerbaijan, a much larger country, gives Azerbaijan no benefit.

Armenian Americans who moved to the U.S. during the Genocide have given so much to the world. They have invented the MRI, color television, automatic transmission, concrete mixers, the ATM, gas masks used by U.S. troops during WWII, waffle ice cream cones, hair dryers, and many other things.

Isn’t it time the U.S. helps an ally who has given us so much?

Many troops and civilians are dying on either side. As far as I know it is unknown which country started the attacks. But I would bet my life savings Azerbaijan started them. Armenia is much smaller — and only wants peace.

Armenia is the first Christian nation in the world. It adopted Christianity as the national religion in 301 AD. The county only wants peace. Having friends in that country who are like my family, I can sum up the people by saying many would give you the coat off their back if you asked.

We need to spread the word and stop Azerbaijan and Turkey’s aggression against Armenia. It is time to give back.

Dante Duvall

Ellensburg

 

 

 

https://www.dailyrecordnews.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter-u-s-needs-to-intercede-and-support-armenia/article_f1620782-58bf-569a-9ab9-920e2f99d913.html

 

[Yervant1]

Sultan aliyev is fake, the video is real!

AHVAL News

Oct 16 2020

Leaked video shows alleged execution of Armenian prisoners in Hadrut

• Oct 16 2020 06:51 Gmt+3
• Last Updated On: Oct 16 2020 07:04 Gmt+3

Videos circulated on Azeri Telegram channels and analysed by investigators at Bellingcat reportedly show the capture and execution of supposed Armenian prisoners of war.

In a statement, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence said the videos, which have since been deleted, were fake. “We declare that these videos staged by the Armenians themselves to attract the attention of the international community are provocative. These videos have nothing to do with the combat actions of the Azerbaijan servicemen.”

Bellingcat however, stated that “there are many grounds to suspect that the video is genuine”.

The video was geolocated to an area to the north of Hadrut, a town Azerbaijan claims to have captured, an assertion contested by Armenia. This would seem to confirm that the incident happened on the front line between Azeri and Armenian controlled territory in the south of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Bellingcat’s analysis of two videos showing the capture and then execution of their prisoners suggests that the captors spoke Azeri, and that the prisoners were transported away from the area of their capture about 1 km to the south, behind Azeri lines.

Although analysis of the clothing of the soldiers who shot the video was inconclusive, Bellingcat said their helmets suggested they could be Azeri special forces.

Nick Waters, a senior investigator at Bellingcat, said on Twitter that he believed that the videos were real, and that they showed “the summary execution of 2 detainees by Azerbaijani soldiers”.

Videos began circulating today which showed the apparent capture and execution of Armenian soldiers.

Despite claims these videos were staged, we have verified them. We believe they show the summary execution of 2 detainees by Azerbaijani soldiers.

https://t.co/Ix0ldVb5ZL

— Nick Waters (@N_Waters89)

October 15, 2020

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence maintains that the videos are fake. “We remind once again that the Azerbaijan Army acts in accordance with military legislation in compliance with the requirements of the Geneva Convention,” they said in a statement

https://ahvalnews.com/armenia/leaked-video-shows-alleged-execution-armenian-prisoners-hadrut

Edited October 17, 2020 by Yervant1

[Yervant1]

Politico

Oct 17 2020

Armenian president wants NATO to explain Turkish involvement in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armen Sarkissian says Ankara’s actions in the Caucasus could also pose a threat to the EU.

By Ben Judah

October 17, 2020 11:46 am

Armenia’s president is demanding answers from NATO over the involvement of Turkey in the Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Armen Sarkissian says he’s ready to travel to Brussels to confront the transatlantic alliance over Ankara’s actions in the Caucasus and warn the European Union of the threat they pose to the bloc’s security.

“If I go to Brussels,” he said in an interview with POLITICO, “I would like to speak to the NATO leadership as to why this very strange situation is taking place where Turkey, a full NATO member, is involved in a war that has nothing to do with NATO. How on earth is it that a NATO member is acting as freely as a cowboy and NATO does nothing? Does this mean they have a green light from NATO?”

Turkey threw its weight behind traditional ally Azerbaijan when the frozen conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh — an Armenian-controlled enclave internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan — reignited last month. The fighting has cost hundreds of lives, with both sides accusing each other of killing civilians.

Armenia is accusing Turkey of sending fighter jets and Syrian mercenaries to Azerbaijan. Ankara has denied this, though several media reports have documented the presence of Syrian fighters and F-16s. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has acknowledged Turkish F-16s are present in the country but claimed they were not used in the fighting.

Sarkissian said he wanted to visit NATO’s Brussels headquarters to “get explanations” as to why “Turkish weapons, drones and F-16 are involved in the process of bombing Armenia and Armenian civilians in huge numbers. These are NATO-made weapons: the engines from Austria, the avionics are from Canada and the parts of the rockets are from Britain and so on.”

NATO members are not treaty-bound to support each other’s external wars or seek permission for them and have frequently been involved in conflicts with third parties without the alliance’s support — including multiple U.S., British and French interventions across Africa, Asia and the Middle East since the bloc’s formation. (NATO did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.)

Sarkissian said he was also ready to travel to Paris, London and Berlin to make Armenia’s case to European leaders.

“I am ready to tell [Angela] Merkel,” he said, “that I understand that Europe is busy with other things and everyone is busy with COVID-19, but dear Madam Chancellor what you are probably not seeing clearly is that there is another disaster coming from the Caucasus to you that is not a biological virus but the virus of instability and war.”

Sarkissian said he wanted the German chancellor to understand that “the war of Turkey and Azerbaijan risks creating another Syria. Or making Turkey the creator and the ruler of an energy crisis to Europe.” (Pipelines crucial to the EU’s energy supply pass close to Nagorno-Karabakh.)

In contrast, he does not feel the need to remind French President Emmanuel Macron about the conflict’s potential geopolitical ramifications.

“I think that Macron understands that instability in the Caucasus is going to hit the larger region and then it will affect Western Europe,” Sarkissian said. “He understands that the Turkish presence in Azerbaijan will make Southern Europe and Central Asia all dependent on Turkey and Turkey will emerge as a regional superpower and that is what [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan wants to achieve.”

France, home to a sizable Armenian minority, has seen a bill introduced to the parliament to recognize the so-called Republic of Artsakh, the entity governing Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said he expects France to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh but a measure actually passing remains highly unlikely.

So far, no United Nations member has recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state — not even Armenia itself.

Sarkissian said he would be “very happy” if France recognized the breakaway region. “As Armenians, we have always believed that a solution has to be reached through peaceful negotiations and in order not to make things worse, this has restrained us from recognizing the Republic of Artsakh until now.”

He added: “But of course if we don’t see light at the end of the tunnel we will recognize Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Armenia is seeking to present the war to Brussels as part and parcel of Turkey’s growing assertiveness, which has brought Ankara into conflict with EU member countries across the region. In Libya, Turkey has intervened on behalf of the U.N.-backed government against France-backed militia leader Khalifa Haftar and in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish ships are searching for energy resources in waters claimed by Greece and Cyprus.

“You get the impression,” said Sarkissian, “that Erdoğan is creating instability and breaking the status quo all around. In this sea of instability, Turkey feels quite calm and is swimming as it gives them a chance to play with everyone.”

Sarkissian said that Europe’s and NATO’s seeming inability to influence Ankara risked their credibility.

“I am calling on everybody in Brussels to put pressure on Turkey. But first, they have to decide what is acceptable as these Turkish actions are going to hurt NATO, its prestige and the very idea [that] it is an alliance that is there to defend against an enemy.”

He stressed that he believed Turkish intervention would permanently reshape the geopolitics of the South Caucasus by turning Azerbaijan into a springboard for Turkish influence across the wider region and its crucial pipeline network.

He also warned that Syrian mercenaries could prove a long-term destabilizing factor in the region: “They will create another zone of instability there menacing Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia and Iran.”

Beyond Europe, Sarkissian lamented that countries were busy with other things, such as the upcoming U.S. election. “I would go to Washington if they would listen to me,” he said.

Russia — a treaty ally of Armenia that has in the past also delivered weapons to Azerbaijan — has so far opted not to back Yerevan militarily. The Kremlin has, however, been the lead diplomatic force in the conflict in recent weeks, negotiating a failed cease-fire.

“I appreciate what President [Vladimir] Putin and Foreign Minister [sergey] Lavrov are doing,” said Sarkissian.

Armenian officials have repeatedly said they view the conflict not merely as a clash over disputed territories but as a continuation of the 1915 Armenian genocide, which saw as many as 1.5 million Armenians killed by the Ottoman Empire.

Sarkissian claimed Turkey wanted to “not only to teach a lesson to Armenia and tell Armenia what happened 105 years [ago] but say ‘why don’t you shut up, Armenians’ as you will have another genocide in 2020 and this will happen under the eyes of [the] international community.”

Turkey and Azerbaijan say Baku’s war is about ending the occupation of territories that are internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. (The Turkish embassy in Brussels did not respond to a request for comment.)

Yet Sarkissian insisted: “They are fighting a war of ethnic cleansing to make a piece of land without Armenians.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.politico.eu/article/armenia-president-armen-sarkissian-nato-turkey-involvement-nagorno-karabakh/

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

United Nations Security Council to hold closed meeting on Nagorno Karabakh conflict

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03:08, 17 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will hold on October 19 a closed meeting on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, a source from the UNSC told RIA Novosti.

According to the source, the meeting is convened in response to a request from Russia, France and the United States – the Co-Chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031852.html?fbclid=IwAR0kgj-fK_USvCinGmg6Zgq0MBHdHP0H78b-vH1Nbmr4tMtfhoUFBSLkCa8

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Civilians injured amid renewed Azeri bombardment of Stepanakert City

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07:46, 17 October, 2020

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani armed forces have launched a missile bombardment attack at Stepanakert City from dawn October 17, Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Artak Beglaryan said.

“Fortunately residents of the city were already in the bomb shelters and it was possible to avoid big losses,” he said.

Air raid sirens are constantly on in the capital of Artsakh.

Only an hour after the first missile attack, the Azeri armed forces again delivered rocket strikes at the Stepanakert’s central civilian infrastructures, inflicting destructions.

“Azerbaijan continues committing war crimes, and the international community’s blindness also continues,” Beglaryan said.

Two civilians were injured in the first bombardment early this morning, while data on casualties from the second attack are yet to be reported.

More than 30 civilians have died in Artsakh in the ongoing indiscriminate Azerbaijani bombings and missile attacks on towns and cities since the massive Azeri offensive began on September 27.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1031853.html?fbclid=IwAR3t-3O1So6Q1BGNaDawHDRnYivnp_UtSLm4-5BBxldem2NiwQBdL4knI9g