ErdoFascism turks In Their Natural Behavior

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Arab News

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s foreign adventures may prove costly for Turkey

by Abdulrahman Al-Rashed
June 14, 2020 14:24

Few people know that Turkey has a military base in Mogadishu, far from
its borders, and that Turkey’s largest embassy in the world is in the
Somali capital; noting the only thing in common between Libya and
Somalia is that they are both torn by war. Turkey has also had a
foothold in Sudan’s Suakin Island, but its plan to build a military
base there collapsed with the ouster of President Omar Al-Bashir, as
the new leadership in Khartoum canceled all military agreements with
Ankara.

Are these Turkish red circles scattered on the map of the region the
fruits of a well-planned policy, an expansionist project or just the
reactions of a narcissist?

During the early years of the war in Syria, the Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan was reluctant to cross the borders militarily.
Today, however, his forces are inside Syria, but they have lost most
of their main battles against the Russians and the forces of the Assad
regime, as well as against the Americans. The areas assigned by the
Turkish government as border crossings inside Syria have shrunk.

Against this backdrop, Erdogan has been keen to broadcast the news of
his forces’ victories in Libya to the Turkish people, who are
depressed by their poor and deteriorating living conditions. His plan
was to spread a stream of news promising his people gains, most
notably the signing of oil agreements with Libya, and his intention to
explore the areas he has drawn as a maritime border in the
Mediterranean, despite Greek objections. He has also hurried to talk
about oil discoveries.

But all the happy news may be nothing more than an attempt to raise
the morale of the Turkish people, who have been receiving successive
economic blows, one after another, for two years now due to political
reasons.

The damage done by Turkey’s military adventures in the region, often
funded by the small country of Qatar looking for a regional power to
climb on, is not to be underestimated.

Indeed, the Turkish president is following in the footsteps of the
Iranian regime and its expansion in the region, with the latter’s
plans set off by the signing of the nuclear deal and its forces’
deployment in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Following the Iranian model, Turkey is using foreign militias in its
war in Libya, and there are reports of its intervention in Yemen too.
It has also used Syrian militias to strike the Syrian Kurds of the
Syrian Democratic Forces.

Well, these adventures and military bases do not tell us what
Erdogan’s policy is, if there is one. Why? What is the expected
outcome?

Last December, Malaysia hosted an Islamic summit limited to Erdogan
and the presidents of Iran, Indonesia and the emir of Qatar, claiming
to study the affairs of the Islamic nation. There, Erdogan tried to
present himself as their leader, and to make the summit an alternative
to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Makkah. However, the
summit failed, and Malaysia tried to make it clear that the Turks’
statements did not reflect their point of view. Later, Malaysia’s
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed, ousted from his ethnic Malay
political party in May, was dismissed.

On the other hand, Erdogan’s project calls for building a major
regional power parallel to Iran, and possibly replacing it, given that
the US blockade of the Iranians has already weakened them
considerably. Turkey, with its 80 million people, assumes regional
roles in Central Asia but has not succeeded much against Russia and
Iran. Unlike Saudi Arabia and Iran, with their huge oil reserves,
Turkey is a country without substantial financial resources and with
an economy largely dependent on Russian tourism, European markets and
Turkish remittances from the West. This is why Erdogan is relying on
Qatari support to save him from every crisis, such as the coronavirus
pandemic that has halted the economy and the collapse of the lira,
which was a concern until Doha gave him $15 billion.

At the moment, Turkey is present in three seas: The Black Sea, the
Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The expected result of its
political expansion and military involvement will not be the spread of
the influence of the ruler of Ankara, but rather weakening it; as he
will not be able to act freely in a vast and troubled region without
powerful allies.

Erdogan is still facing undecided tests, such as in the war in Syria,
Russian missiles issue, and his military dispute with the Americans.

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a veteran columnist. He is the former general
manager of Al-Arabiya news channel, and former editor-in-chief of
Asharq Al-Awsat.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.arabnews.com/node/1689676__;!!LIr3w8kk_Xxm!5U8gcvHrUGsXTilC6il5DRE_OY9KcUL5P_MsTvjCbcPCV3ANDzAI67h8rWTTWg$

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Christian Persecution

June 15 2020

Lebanese Armenians Singled Out in Protests

06/15/2020 Lebanon (International Christian Concern) – Over the past few days, Lebanon’s Armenian community have come under attack from supporters of Turkey and Erdogan. This began when Armenian TV show host Nishan Der-Haroutunian received an offensive message while on the air. Der-Haroutunian responded by calling out the “insidious” history of the Ottomans and Turkey’s President Erdogan. Turkey refuses to acknowledge the Armenian genocide, which decimated their local Christian population.

Following the show, provocative statements increased, attacking the Armenian community in Lebanon and even justifying the genocide. Many also proudly considered themselves Ottoman-Turks and touted their support of Erdogan. In a viral video, the president of the Lebanese-Arab “Mardalia” Union also made direct threats to Der-Haroutunian and the greater Lebanese-Armenian community. He also threatened to slaughter Armenians living in Bourj Hammoud.

Anti-Armenian rhetoric is not uncommon, especially from Turkey. After Turkey asserted its power into both Syria and Libya, Lebanon is seen as another prospective battleground for Erdogan and his desire to reestablish Ottoman dominion. This uproar of support for the Erdogan regime, especially amidst Lebanon’s current economic crisis and already ongoing protests, brings concern for the country as a whole.

https://www.persecution.org/2020/06/15/lebanese-armenians-singled-protests/

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AsiaNews, Italy

May 28 2020

 

Man rips cross from Armenian church in latest attack against Christian sites in Istanbul

Last Saturday, a man attacked the Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church in Galata, Istanbul’s oldest Armenian Apostolic church. For an Armenian member of the Turkish parliament, attacks against Christian places of worship continue. Hate speech by those in power is normalising criminal behaviour. Earlier this month, the door of another Armenian church was set on fire.

http://asianews.it/files/img/size3/TURCHIA_-_nuovo_attacco_cristiani.jpg

Istanbul (AsiaNews) – Another church has been attacked amid growing hostility towards Christians in Turkey, which includes arrests, mysterious disappearances, unresolved deaths and a policy of rights violations.

Last Saturday, an unknown man (pictured) ripped the cross from the gate of the Armenian Surp Krikor Lusaroviç (Saint Gregory the Illuminator) Church in Kuzguncuk district, on the Asian side of Istanbul.

The police opened a file against persons unknown, saying that they wanted to shed light on the incident, the Agos weekly reported.

However, since then there have been no further developments despite the fact that the attacker was caught on camera.

In the meantime, church officials have taken steps to repair the damage replacing the old cross with a new one.

The latest attack against a Christian target reflects a growing climate of hostility and repression towards minority groups in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Acts of violence and abuse fit with the president’s policy of ‘nationalism and Islam,’ as evinced by the controversy over Hagia Sophia.

Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish parliament for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP)[*] tweeted that “Attacks continue on our churches. The cross of our Surp Krikor Lusaroviç Armenian Church was removed and thrown away. Hate speech by the ruling power normalizes hate crimes."

The CCTV footage captured the attack. Around 7.20 pm, a man is seen looking at the security cameras for a while, perhaps in an act of defiance, and then remove the cross, noted Edvart Ayvazyan, head of the church foundation, speaking to Bianet, an independent Istanbul-based Turkish press agency.

The local Security Bureau is working on the incident but without any result so far.

Less than three weeks ago the Surp Asdvadzadzin Patriarchal Church was attacked. The church is located near the offices of the Armenian patriarchate of Constantinople, near the Bakırköy district, on the European side of Istanbul.

On 8 May, a man tried to set fire to the door of the building, but was arrested by police.

[*] Halkların Demokratik Partisi (HDP) in Turkish; Partiya Demokratîk a Gelan (PDG) in Kurdish; also known in English as the Democratic Party of the Peoples.

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Man-rips-cross-from-Armenian-church-in-latest-attack-against-Christian-sites-in-Istanbul-50204.html

 

Middle East Monitor

June 23 2020

Turkey: Man jailed for breaking cross at Armenian church

Video footage shows Serin as he climbs the church fence, he was arrested a week later on 29 May and charged with “damaging places of worship and cemeteries”

June 23, 2020 at 11:17 am

A man who broke the cross off an Armenian church in Turkey’s commercial capital Istanbul has been jailed for five years and four months.

The Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s office on Friday sentenced Mazlum Serin to a jail term after he climbed the Surp Krikor Lusavoric Armenian Church’s fence and removed the cross from the property and threw it on to the pavement on 23 May.

Video footage shows Serin as he climbs the church fence, he was arrested a week later on 29 May and charged with “damaging places of worship and cemeteries”.

During the investigation, Serin reportedly said: “I was just angry that day, I didn’t plan or intend to harm the church, I respect all religions.”

According to a police statement, Serin has previously been in trouble with the law.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200623-turkey-man-jailed-for-breaking-cross-at-armenian-church/

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International Christian Concern - Persecution.org

June 27 2020

Erdogan Creates Institution to Deny Armenian Genocide

06/27/2020 Turkey (International Christian Concern) – Turkey’s state-run media has announced the outcome of a five-hour Presidential High Advisory Board meeting held on June 16^th which addressed the Armenian genocide. Following this meeting, President Erdogan decided to develop a so-called “new autonomous and civilian structure” which would focus on the genocide.

The Armenian genocide murdered, deported, or forcibly converted over 1.5 million Christians living in Turkey’s predecessor, the Ottoman Empire. Turkey has refused to acknowledge their country’s role in this, despite international recognition and scholarship saying otherwise. The authorities also continue policies which helped facilitate the genocide. Turkey is currently engaged in a military conflict that has raised their sensitivity to Armenian genocide recognition.

The new institution presented by President Erdogan would conduct research and develop strategies to refute the Armenian genocide. This proposal was supposed to have been discussed three months earlier, when Armenians opened lawsuits in the US courts related to the genocide, but was delayed because of COVID-19. Since most institutions in Turkey are state-run, there is no expectation that this expectation that this institution will be autonomous from government interference.

 

https://www.persecution.org/2020/06/27/erdogan-creates-institution-deny-armenian-genocide/

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BIAnet, Turkey (IPS Communication Foundation

July 2 2020

Minister of Interior unaware of attacks targeting Armenians in Turkey

In answering a Parliamentary question by CHP MP Tanrıkulu about the attacks against Armenians, Interior Minister Soylu has said, “Security measures are taken in places of worship so that our Armenian citizens can worship freely.”

Ruken Tuncel İstanbul - BIA News Desk

The Parliamentary question of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu about the attacks targeting Armenians has been answered by the Ministry of Interior after over a year.

İstanbul MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu actually addressed his Parliamentary question to Vice President Fuat Oktay and asked him a series of questions in the wake of a knife attack carried out against an Armenian woman named Arpine T. in Samatya, İstanbul on May 31, 2019.

In his question, he asked whether the perpetrator of the attack was caught or not. The question of Tanrıkulu has been responded by Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu, who has said that the legal proceedings initiated by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office are still underway.

Questions on the attack left unanswered

The Parliamentary question of Tanrıkulu was not only about the attack against Arpine T., but also about the attacks against Armenians all together.

So, he asked whether the marks left on Armenians' houses in Samatya were investigated, how many perpetrators involved in physical attacks against Armenians or marking of their houses had been identified in the last three years, how many of them were caught and faced a legal action.

CLICK - 'Do You Think President's Hate Speech Has a Role in Attack Against Armenian Church?'

Soylu: Armenians worship in safety

However, leaving these questions unanswered, Minister Soylu has said, "Necessary security measures are taken in our Armenian citizens' places of worship and their demands relating to security services are meticulously evaluated so that they can worship freely."

The Minister has also referred to the Article 10 of the Constitution in his answer and said, "As per the provision of 'everyone is equal before the law without distinction as to language, race, colour, sex, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion and sect, or any such grounds," our all citizens living in our country are under the protection and guarantee of our State."

'Questions are either unanswered or avoided'

Speaking to bianet about the answer of the Minister, Tanrıkulu has noted that since the Presidential Government System entered into force in Turkey, they have been unable to receive answers to their questions:

"Parliamentary questions are one of the tools that the MPs can use to inspect the government. But after the Presidential system, our questions are not answered or they are simply avoided, as in the case of this question.

"In the Parliamentary question, we asked the ways in which the life safety of Armenian citizens is protected in the places where they live. However, there is no answer to this question of ours.

"Moreover, we submitted the question right after the incident took place last year; however, there occurred other attacks targeting the churches in the meantime. The spouse of Hrant Dink and the attorneys of Dink family were threatened. The responsibility in all this directly belongs to the government."

CLICK - Hate Attack on Armenian Church in İstanbul

Other questions by Tanrıkulu were as follows:

"Is the Ministry of Interior doing any works to prevent the attacks and threats regularly targeting the Armenians, especially the one in Samatya? Has a conclusion been drawn as to whether the attacks and threats targeting Armenian citizens are led by a particular organized group?

"Have any investigations been launched against the law enforcement officers who did not stop or could not prevent the attacks and threats against Armenian citizens How many social media users have faced proceedings over their messages targeting the Armenian citizens on the basis of ethnicity and beliefs and inciting violence and attacks against them over the last year?

CLICK - One Person Detained over Armenian Church Attack

What happened?

In early morning hours on May 31, 2019, Arpine T. sent off her husband Sarkis T. Shortly afterwards, the door of their house in Samatya was knocked. Two unidentified persons wearing masks injured Arpine T. with a knife and told her that "it was just the beginning" in running. Arpine T. was taken to the İstanbul Training and Research Hospital after the incident.

The house of the couple was reportedly marked two months before the incident. High Priest Zakeos Ohanyan from the Turkish Armenian Patriarchate spoke about the incident and said that papers containing hate speech were previously hung on their walls and a cross was drawn. (RT/SD)

 

http://bianet.org/english/minorities/226766-minister-of-interior-unaware-of-attacks-targeting-armenians-in-turkey

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Greek City Times

Netflix and over 400,000 websites banned in Turkey
by Paul Antonopoulos
July 4, 2020

Over 400,000 websites, including Netflix, are banned in Turkey,
according to the “Bans on the Web 2019″ report published by the
Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD).

The report found that as of 2019, a total of 408,494 websites, are
banned in Turkey, meaning the true number is likely much higher today.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan promised on Wednesday that
social media platforms will be controlled or shut down after his
family was insulted by social media users. The very next day, Netflix
was blocked in Turkey.

However, Erdoğan does not have his eyes only set on Netflix, but is
also looking at Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and
others by requesting them to have legal representation in Turkey, so
courts can receive the identity of users, which would be a severe
breach of online anonymity.

The 2019 report found 130,000 websites, 7,000 Twitter accounts, 40,000
individual tweets, 10,000 YouTube videos, and 6,200 Facebook posts
were banned by law No.5651.

“Important statements that the Law No.5651 was used in a broad sense
that would lead to arbitrary practices were also included in the AYM
ruling,” the report said.

Video streaming giant YouTube was among the platforms that Turkey
banned for extended periods over the years, as reported by Ahval.
YouTube was first banned in 2007, when a Greek user uploaded a video
highlighting that Turkey’s founding father Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was
gay.

Unsurprisingly, among the hardest hit were news website, with at least
5,599 news articles banned in 2019, with news networks removing 3,528
of them to avoid a wider ban on their services, according to İFÖD.
Hürriyet removed 336 articles from its website, Milliyet 187 and T24
171.

Out of news websites more critical of the government, OdaTV removed
126 articles, showing 98 percent compliance, while the website Sol
removed 100 percent of its 69 banned articles. Evrensel followed with
46 articles removed, Ahaval corresponded.

Turkey is one of the lowest ranked countries for media freedoms in the
world, is the second most susceptible country surveyed on the European
continent to fake news, has the most journalists jailed in the whole
world, and 90% of media is government controlled.


https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/07/04/netflix-and-over-400000-websites-banned-in-turkey/__;!!LIr3w8kk_Xxm!5IV2NtZ2bvnz73sfzCcarn4JbH2bHd0rj8BIUFiAVvCsVIBnCf5OY13mZ0Rnog$

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Public Radio of Armenia

July 10 2020

Society 17:45 10/07/2020Region

UNESCO warns Turkey against Hagia Sophia mosque conversion

The UN's cultural agency UNESCO warned Turkey Friday against converting the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul into a mosque, urging dialogue before any decision is taken, AFP reported.

The Hagia Sophia, which was first a cathedral then a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul, is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of an area designated as "Historic Areas of Istanbul."

"This inscription entails a number of commitments and legal obligations," a UNESCO spokeswoman told AFP.

"Thus, a state must ensure that no modification affects the exceptional universal value of the property inscribed on its territory," the spokeswoman said, adding that any modification requires prior notification to UNESCO and possibly examination by its World Heritage Committee.

She noted that the Hagia Sophia was inscribed within the "Historic Areas of Istanbul" as a museum, a position that had repeatedly been communicated to Turkey through letters.

"We call on the Turkish authorities to initiate a dialogue before any decision is taken which could undermine the universal value of the site," the spokeswoman said, adding that this message was reiterated to the Turkish ambassador to UNESCO on Thursday.

The source reminds that Turkey’s Council of State, its top administrative court, is looking at a case brought by a Turkish NGO that would allow the Hagia Sophia to be re designated as a mosque, a move backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The decision is expected later Friday, according to Turkish media.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2020/07/10/UNESCO-Hagia-Sophia/2325510

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Public Radio of Armenia

July 12 2020

Lebanese-Armenian TV host to stand trial for “insulting” Turkey’s Erdogan

Lebanese-Armenian TV host Neshan Der Haroutiounian will stand trial for “insulting” the Turkish president and the Turkish people , the Arab Weekly reports.

Der Haroutiounian will be tried in court in October for “publicly and directly offending” Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish people on his talk show ‘Ana Hek’ on Al Jadeed TV.

Responding to a message from a viewer who called the host a refugee and accused him of racism for calling Erdogan evil, Der Haroutiounian confirmed “… [he is] evil and the son of a million evil men” before clarifying his attack was directed at “Erdogan, the [Turkish] regime, the Ottomans and the Turks.”

“If you consider me a refugee, then I am more Lebanese than you, and I am proud of my country, Lebanon, more than you are,” he added.

The remarks prompted a swift response from Turkish authorities who contacted the Lebanese foreign ministry and demanded the state institution take “necessary measures” against the media personality.

The Turkish Embassy mobilized dozens of protesters to demonstrate in front of the Al Jadeed TV station against “insulting the Ottoman state and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.”

Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) said that “according to information provided to the Public Prosecution Office, Der Haroutiounian will be referred to trial before the Court of Publications Chamber in Beirut.”

However, the Arab Weekly quoted a Lebanese journalist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as saying that there were no grounds for the judicial charges against Der Haroutiounian.

“This is a matter of a historical dispute that has no prospect, knowing that it is about a great crime against the Armenian people – a crime that Turkey refuses to recognize. This in itself continues to provoke Armenians wherever they are,” the journalist said.

Colleagues from different media outlets have been showing solidarity with Neshan Der Haroutiounian on Twitter.

https://en.armradio.am/2020/07/12/lebanese-armenian-tv-host-to-stand-trial-for-insulting-turkeys-erdogan/

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The Arab Weekly

July 10 2020

Lebanese freedoms not immune to Ankara’s encroachment

On Thursday, the Beirut public prosecutor referred Der Haroutiounian to trial on charges of “insulting” Turkey. The trial is set to begin on October 8.

Friday 10/07/2020

A Kurdish protester holds a placard bearing the portrait of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a demonstration against the latest Turkish military offensive in northeastern Syria, in central Beirut’s Martyrs Square on October 13, 2019. (AFP)

BEIRUT – Recent developments have shown that even Lebanon, where Turkey has no military presence or shared borders, is not immune to Ankara’s interference.

Lebanese political sources said that Turkish prosecutors’ claims against Armenian-born journalist Neshan Der Haroutiounian for “insulting” the Turkish president are part of ongoing confrontations between Lebanese Armenians and Turkey, which is accused of carrying out a genocide against Armenians between 1914 and 1923.

Some Lebanese Armenians’ harsh criticism of Turkey seems to embarrass Lebanese authorities, who have tried to intimidate them into observing certain “red lines.”

There are numerous external forces pressuring Lebanon, starting with Iranian proxy Hezbollah. Turkey is now attempting to curb Lebanon’s hard-fought freedoms, of which its citizens are rightly proud, by also exerting pressure on Lebanese authorities.

On Thursday, Beirut referred Der Haroutiounian to trial on charges of “insulting” Turkey. The trial is set to begin on October 8.

Lebanese news agency NNA said that “according to information provided to the Public Prosecution Office, Der Haroutiounian will be referred to trial before the Court of Publications Chamber in Beirut.”

A Lebanese journalist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that there were no grounds for the judicial charges against Der Haroutiounian.

“This is a matter of a historical dispute that has no prospect, knowing that it is about a great crime against the Armenian people — a crime that Turkey refuses to recognise. This in itself continues to provoke Armenians wherever they are,” the journalist told The Arab Weekly.

Der Haroutiounian hosted former Environment Minister Wiam Wahhab during the “Anna Heek” (This is how I am) programme that aired on the Al Jadeed satellite channel.

Wahhab, who is the head of the Arab Tawhid Party, said in the interview that the Turkish president was “sly” before the campaign against Der Haroutiounian began.

In response to Wahhab’s statements, a Lebanese national intervened in the programme and attacked Der Haroutiounian, saying “Neshan, the refugee, showed his racism,” referring to Der Haroutiounian’s Armenian origins.

Neshan Der Haroutiounian (Al Jadeed TV)

Der Haroutiounian responded fiercely to the provocation, doubling down on Wahhab’s position.

“A son of a million malicious people … Erdogan, the regime, the Ottomans, and the Turks,” Der Haroutiounian said.

“If you consider me a refugee, then I am more Lebanese than you, and I am proud of my country, Lebanon, more than you are,” he added.

The Turkish Embassy intervened in the dispute and mobilised dozens of protesters to demonstrate in front of the Al Jadeed TV station against “insulting the Ottoman state and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.”

The protesters raised Turkish flags, chanted slogans in support of the Ottoman Empire and Erdogan and called on Al Jadeed TV and those in charge of the programme to “apologise for what happened.”

Under the hashtag “The New Ottomans,” Facebook users posted videos showing protesters holding Turkish flags and demonstrating in front of the Al Jadeed TV building.

In early June, a similar online campaign targeting Der Haroutiounian was launched, with supporters of the Turkish president hurling racist insults and using a defamatory hashtag on Twitter in response to his criticism of Erdogan.

Observers said that Turkey has succeeded in exploiting Lebanon’s political vacuum that has been caused by mounting social and economic crises.

Ankara, according to observers, managed to infiltrate the country and create a lobby to silence critics of Ottoman history and Erdogan’s expansionist policies in the region, by which Lebanon, like Syria and the rest of the Mediterranean countries, is affected.

Observers warned of the risks Der Haroutiounian’s trial could pose, not only to Lebanon but to the entire region. They pointed out that Turkey is seeking to create media, political and legal lobbies to prevent any criticism of its old and new colonial policies.

Ankara is also trying to advance a self-serving agenda, a reality that functions in the same radical and intransigent way as anti-Semitism and exposes the critics of the Ottoman Empire to legal charges, the observers said.

The Turks benefit from Muslim Brotherhood support in the region, as they glorify Ottoman history at the expense of Arab countries – a trend that is especially harmful in the Libyan conflict.

This trend is also seen in Ankara’s expanding influence in Tunisia, Yemen and Somalia. Islamists in these countries consider Turkish expansionist manoeuvres to be a “victory” for them and their vision of the Arab and Islamic world.

https://thearabweekly.com/lebanese-freedoms-not-immune-ankaras-encroachment

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Christianity Today

July 24 2020

Hagia Sophia’s Muslim Prayers Evoke Ottoman Treatment of Armenians

As Turkish president Erdoğan joins hundreds in celebration, Christians in the diaspora mourn their lost homeland and cultural heritage.

Jayson Casper

July 24, 2020 10:57 AM

Image: Burak Kara / Getty Images

Hundreds of people pray inside Hagia Sophia Mosque during afternoon prayer after its official opening on July 24 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Declared a mosque in principle, Hagia Sophia is now a mosque in practice.

Following his decree earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Erdoğan’s joined a coronavirus-limited 500 worshipers to perform Friday prayers in the sixth-century Byzantine basilica, underneath the covered frescoes of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

Hundreds more gathered outside.

International condemnation resounded after the Turkish Council of State ruled to revert the UNESCO World Heritage Site back to its Islamic status. Conquered in 1453 by Ottoman sultan Mehmed II, the massive church was turned into a museum by the founder of the modern Turkish republic, Kamal Ataturk, in 1934.

Underreported in much of the criticism was a wider complaint.

“The action of the Turkish government evokes heavy memories on the desecration and destruction of holy sites of the Armenian people and other Christian nations by the Ottoman government for centuries,” said Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

There are an estimated 11 million Armenians worldwide, including 3 million in their modern nation-state.

Representing the diaspora from the Holy See of Cilicia, in Lebanon, Catholicos Aram I went into more detail.

“Soon after the Armenian Genocide, Turkey confiscated thousands of Armenian churches and transformed them into bars, coffee shops, and public parks,” he said, “ignoring the reactions and appeals of the international community.”

As Erdoğan is doing again now—and not just to the Hagia Sophia.

Turkey has assured the frescoes will be uncovered for all visitors (3.7 million last year) outside of prayer times—and now without a museum entry fee. More than 400 other churches continue to serve the 1 percent of Turks that are Christians.

But Erdoğan’s remarks in Turkish revealed a wider agenda.

“The resurrection of Hagia Sophia is the sound of Muslims' footsteps all around the world,” he said, “… a salute to all those symbolic cities of civilization from Bukhara to Andalusia.”

The geography stretches from Central Asia to Spain, casting Erdoğan in the shadow of the caliphs. And the date of first prayers, June 24, corresponds to the signing of the 1923 Lausanne Treaty that established the Republic of Turkey—ending the Ottoman Empire and 1,300 years of the Islamic caliphate.

Erdoğan—who as a boy dreamed of restoring the Hagia Sophia as a mosque—has hinted the treaty now constricts Turkish sovereignty. And while there is no suggestion Turkey will undo its provisions to recognize its Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, and Jewish communities—with constitutional guarantees for freedom of religion—renewing Islamic prayers represents a long history of disregard toward their Christian cultural heritage.

“I’m not surprised by the declaration of Erdoğan, it was very much in line with historic Turkish policy,” said Arda Ekmekji, a Sorbonne-educated archaeologist and dean of arts and sciences at Lebanon’s Armenian evangelical Haigazian University.

“Ataturk was the only exception to extremist Turks camouflaged as Europeans.”

Ekmekji, author of Towards Golgotha, a translation of her grandfather’s journey from Izmir to Jerusalem fleeing genocide, highlighted the 1913-14 Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate census in Turkey.

At that time, 1.9 million Armenians lived in 2,925 villages, hosting 2,538 churches, 451 monasteries, and 1,996 schools.

Following the genocide, she said, their homes were tallied and assigned by number to relocated Balkan Muslims. Laws were passed to transfer ownership of “abandoned” properties.

And while some religious buildings were able to be kept by church-based foundations, the law required a set number of local stakeholders. As the population dwindled, these also passed to the state.

In 2005, the Turkish government prevented research into original property deeds.

“The Ottoman records … must be sealed and not available to the public, as they have the potential to be exploited by alleged genocide claims and property claims against the State Charitable Foundation assets,” read the order.

“Opening them to general public use is against state interests.”

Today, Turkey hosts only 75,000 ethnic Armenian citizens, with less than 15 active churches. Whereas most of eastern Turkey used to be known as Western Armenia, the vast majority now live in Istanbul.

In 1974, UNESCO documented 913 Armenian heritage buildings declared empty, 464 vanished completely, 252 in ruins, and 197 in need of restoration.

One such basilica could fit inside the Hagia Sophia. The 7th century Cathedral of Mren, located near Kars on the Armenian border, like others, “could crumble to the ground any day now,” said Christina Maranci, professor of Armenian Art and Architecture at Tufts University.

She believes Turkish policy toward Armenian heritage is often one of “slow bureaucracy and purposeful neglect.”

The former is to blame, she says, for the three years she spent obtaining permission to do 3-D laser scanning of Mren. This imaging technique is often the first step in a restoration process. But it can also be the final, lasting memory, should the structures collapse.

The latter is seen through a quote given by a frustrated Turkish Minister of Culture.

“What we are up against is an undeclared policy by certain narrow-minded individuals within the state, of discrimination against Armenian monuments,” said Husseyin Celik, in 2002.

“The fear of these policymakers is that if Christian sites are restored, this will prove that Armenians once lived here and revive Armenian claims on our land.”

But there is more than just neglect and bureaucracy; there is also appropriation. While Mren has been left alone to decay, Maranci recalled early-career visits to the 10th century Cathedral of the Holy Apostles in Kars, which in 1993 was turned into a mosque.

Celik belongs to the ruling AKP party in Turkey, which during Erdoğan’s early years as prime minister (from 2003–2014) liberalized religious space for both Muslims and Christians. While a 1935 statute states that no new religious foundations may be established, during this time many Protestant churches were able to register as “cultural foundations.”

While continuing to refuse the word “genocide,” Erdoğan reached out to Armenians to console over the historic “deportations.” In 2011, a Restitution Decree provided a legal channel for compensation or property retrieval by dispossessed communities. And in 2018, the Syriac Orthodox Church received back 50 properties, including its oldest surviving monastery.

But progress has been slow.

In the same Tur Abdin area on the southeastern border with Syria, the Federation of Syriac Associations said 2,500 churches and 300 monasteries remain. Meanwhile, a 2014 decision to restore 11 properties to the Greek Orthodox Church has not yet been implemented.

Maranci, herself a granddaughter of a genocide survivor, lauded the efforts of many Turks to address the historical injustice. Chief among them is Osman Kavala, who was instrumental in helping secure funding and permission for her work on the Cathedral of Mren.

Kavala is celebrated worldwide for the work of his Anadolu Kültür (Anatolian Culture) foundation, in restoring the ruins of Ani on the Armenian border. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ani was once known as the City of 1,001 Churches.

He is now in prison, on what Maranci believes are trumped-up charges of trying to overthrow the regime.

“Many Turks want to preserve the monuments,” she said, “but maybe don’t feel comfortable saying so in the current climate.”

But for Elizabeth Prodmorou, former vice chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, cultural heritage is akin to human security. It enables minority populations to create community, as well as preserve their history through periods when they may have lacked official protection.

“Hagia Sophia raises the global profile of the cultural heritage policy in Turkey,” she said, “that has been erasure and destruction at worst, or else appropriation.”

Within her role as director of the Initiative on Religion, Law, and Diplomacy at Tufts University, Prodmorou highlighted Turkey’s recent efforts to expand this policy even further.

Last year the government requested an agreement with the United States to regulate the trade of Turkish artifacts. Under the auspices of the US Cultural Property Implementation Act, which intends to curb illegal looting of artifacts, Ankara claimed provenance over the entire Turkish cultural heritage, stretching from the prehistoric period to 1923.

The wide timeframe defines Turkish control over all history within its modern borders, inclusive of civilizations earlier than the state and perhaps of an Ottoman ethos laying claim to its empire.

These factors, along with the modern republic’s failure to live up to its UNESCO obligations, have led the US Association of Art Museum Directors to petition the State Department to deny Turkey’s request.

“The greatest threat to Turkey’s rich cultural heritage isn’t looting from nonstate actors,” Prodmorou said, “but from the Turkish state itself and its openly declared neo-Ottoman revisionist project.”

And as with the Hagia Sophia, this project has taken a turn away from conciliation.

In 2011, Erdoğan ordered the removal of a 100-foot sculpture in Kars, depicting a Turk and an Armenian shaking hands. He pledged the full support of the Turkish army to Azerbaijan, currently involved in border skirmishes with Armenia.

And since the release from prison of American pastor Andrew Brunson following the advocacy of President Trump, Erdoğan continues a policy of quietly denying residency permits to longstanding foreign leaders of the Protestant community, while Turkish law denies believers the right to train their own pastors.

In its turn to religious nationalism, Turkey may be pursuing a restoration of its worldwide Islamic leadership. Alternately, Erdoğan may simply be appealing to his electoral base.

But overlooked in much of the Hagia Sophia controversy is the damage conversion may do to the 1,500-year-old structure itself. Icon-covering curtains may have to be drilled into the walls. And a prayer carpet increases a destructive humidity.

“Turkey is putting aside the health of the monuments for other political issues, and in the meanwhile, they are falling down,” said Maranci.

“Once we’ve lost them, they are never coming back.”

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/july/hagia-sophia-mosque-prayers-armenian-heritage.html

[Yervant1]

Public Radio of Armenia

July 25 2020

Turkey adds fuel to the fire: Armenian Ambassador comments on recent Azerbaijani aggression

Successful negotiations can be ensured only when the sides decide to pursue the same goals, Armenia’s Ambassador to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia Tigran Mkrtchyan said in comments to Lithuania’s Public Radio.

“In any conflict, if you want everything or nothing, you won’t have any progress in negotiations. We believe that the negotiations must be based on the solutions proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, which Armenia has welcomed, but Azerbaijan has always rejected them in this or that way. Another reason is the revenue from the oil used to buy large amounts of military equipment in Azerbaijan. This has created a misleading picture in that country that Azerbaijani leaders can resolve this conflict by military means. It’s time to understand for all, and particularly for Azerbaijan, that the conflict doesn’t have any military solution,” said Ambassador Mkrtchyan.

He also noted that the Armenian economy is suffering from Turkey’s actions: “Turkey’s role in this entire issue is very destructive since 1994. This time their rhetoric was particularly aggressive, in contrast to the rest of the international community, including Lithuania, which calls for a peaceful solution to the conflict, and respect for the ceasefire signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite these calls, Turkey adds fuel to the fire. This poses a serious threat, given that Azerbaijan is targeting our civilian buildings and threatening to blow up a nuclear power plant in Armenia. This is an unprecedented threat that looks like nuclear terrorism.”

He stressed the importance of compliance with the ceasefire and international commitments, and stressed the need to allow international observers into both sides of the border and Nagorno-Karabakh.

“We talk about the act of aggression of Azerbaijan, but people can say, how can we know about it if there are no independent observers to confirm that? So, the question is why aren’t there such ceasefire violation monitoring mechanisms? The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group have repeatedly proposed it since 2015. Armenia supported that. After the conflict, in April 2016 the proposal was repeated. Armenia has always supported this, but Azerbaijan has been rejecting it up until now,” the Ambassador noted.

https://en.armradio.am/2020/07/25/turkey-adds-fuel-to-the-fire-armenian-ambassador-comments-on-recent-azerbaijani-aggression/

[Yervant1]

Public Radio of Armenia

July 27 2020

The only role Turkey can play in the Karabakh conflict is to keep as far away as possible, Armenian Ambassador says

Azerbaijan’s latest attack came as no surprise to Armenia, as Azerbaijan was among few countries in the world that publicly refused to join the UN Secretary General call for a global cease-fire during the COVID pandemic, Armenia’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Tigran Balayan said in an interview with Hetzel Media.

“The 12 July attempt by the Azerbaijani Armed forces to take control of positions of Armenian forces in the North-East of our state border, the situation quickly deteriorated and turned into exchange of artillery shelling and use of kamikadze drones, targeting of civilian infrastructure, kindergarten, even factory of mouth mask (so much needed in COVID19 times) in Armenia’s Tavush region had to stop working and supplies to other countries,” the Ambassador said.

“One doesn’t need to be a political scientist to understand that all have been done to distract the attention on deepening political, financial, social migration crises in Azerbaijan,” he added.

Speaking about the Karabakh conflict settlement, Amb. Balayan said “Our stance is crystal clear: there is no military solution to this conflict. The war is not an option, and should be totally and publicly ruled out. We are fully committed to the peaceful resolution of the conflict i a way that meets the interests of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in equal measure as it is expected for Azerbaijan. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are working intensively to propose a solution, but each time Azerbaijan authorities refuse to accept the proposals, declaring the military option as a potential solution to the conflict.”

“Armenia is confident that only a compromise-based solution can bring to a peaceful settlement. This has been and remains the commitment of Armenia,” he noted.

Ambassador Balayan said “Turkish role is particularly concerning, because we have been observing a very destabilizing role of Turkey in its other neighbourhoods – the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East. Now what we are observing is an attempt to export this factor of instability in our region, in the South Caucasus.”

“The only role Turkey can play in this conflict, is to keep itself as far away as possible. Turkish unilateral, unconditional political, economic and military support of Azerbaijan’s bellicose stance is only complicating the situation,” he stated.

When t comes to Russia, Tigran Balayan said “As a Minsk Group Chair country and bilaterally Russia has been very constructively working over decades with the other two Co-Chairs countries to find an acceptable solution, a compromise-based solution for all the parties concerned – to Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Azerbaijan.”

“Actually, Russian is the country, which managed to broker truce between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh in 1994, as well the cessation of hostilities after the so called April Aggression of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh in 2016. Armenia has an allied relationship and strategic partnership with Russia and we are working extensively on expansion of multifaceted ties with Russia,” he noted.

“At the same time Russia, Israel and a number of other countries continue to sell sophisticated armaments to Azerbaijan, which uses them to target civilians and the civilian infrastructure. We are voicing alarm over this indicating that countries supplying Azerbaijan with weapons must clearly understand that the use of these weapons against civilians is a crime,” the Ambassador added.

He added that the United States as a Minsk Group Co-Chair country does its best to bring the sides closer to the solution. “In contrast to the EU, the US implements several humanitarian projects in Nagorno-Karabakh, financing very important demining projects.”

“One should perceive clearly that Azerbaijan is to be blamed for the lack of solution to the Karabakh conflict, not the Co-Chairs, Armenia or Artsakh, as the ruling elite in Azerbaijan regards this conflict as the raison d’etre of their rule, suppressing opposition voices, closing independent media and putting civil activists behind the bars, and writing off all the problems to the unresolved conflict with Nagorno-Karabakh,” Amb. Balayan stressed.

He noted that “as long as the international community will continue efforts to keep the imaginable balance and will not call things by their proper names, will have the same situation and constant danger of war, destruction and suffering.”

https://en.armradio.am/2020/07/27/the-only-role-turkey-can-play-in-the-karabakh-conflict-is-to-keep-as-far-away-as-possible-armenian-ambassador-says/

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

July 28 2020

Armenian woman, her 5-year-old son attacked by Turkish speaking men in US

A 34-year-old Armenian woman and her 5-year-old son were assaulted by two Turkish speaking men in Northeast Philadelphia, the United States, Region Monitor reported.

Their car was stopped at a red light when one man approached it and started ripping Armenian symbols and flags off the vehicle.

In the meantime, the other man was beating on the driver’s side door window threatening the woman and shouting at the other man to “remember this car.”

The woman was fortunately able to safely drive off, the source said.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2020/07/28/Armenian-woman-attack/2335479

[Yervant1]

Public Radio of Armenia

July 29 2020

Armenia to suspend military inspections by Turkey on its territory

In the context of Azerbaijan’s attacks on Tavush region since July 12, Turkey has been resorting to unprecedented threats against Armenia and unilateral support to Azerbaijan. The holding of joint Turkey-Azerbaijan large-scale military exercises, started today, further aggravates the situation, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

In light of the above, on July 29th the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Armenia to the OSCE circulated a Note Verbale informing the OSCE participating States and State Parties to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, that the Republic of Armenia will suspend military inspections by the Republic of Turkey and guest inspectors from Turkey under the CFE treaty and the Vienna Document on the territory of the Republic of Armenia.

According to the Note Verbale, this decision of Armenia is based upon the principles enshrined in the CFE Treaty and Vienna Document and derives from Armenia’s security interests and concerns.

“Any military inspection conducted on the territory of Armenia by Turkey, which has been openly supporting Azerbaijan’s military operations against Armenia and resorting to unprecedented threats, particularly since 12th July 2020, will adversely impact the security interests of Armenia and may undermine security of its population,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Armenia remains committed to the implementation of the CFE Treaty and Vienna Document, underlining that only military inspections by Turkey and participation of guest inspectors from Turkey on the territory of Armenia are a subject of this suspension.

https://en.armradio.am/2020/07/29/armenia-to-suspend-military-inspections-by-turkey-on-its-territory/

[Yervant1]

Gatestone Institute

July 27 2020

Turkey on the Warpath

by Uzay Bulut
July 27, 2020 at 4:00 am

Share208

• The Erdogan regime has been militarily targeting Syria and Iraq, sending its Syrian mercenaries to Libya to seize Libya's oil, and continuing to bully Greece. It is now provoking ongoing violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

• "Until the Syrian people are free, peaceful and safe, we will remain in this country." — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Reuters, July 21, 2020.

• "Crimes committed against Yazidis [in Syria] include forced conversion to Islam, rape of women and girls, humiliation and torture, arbitrary incarceration, and forced displacement." — Yazda.org, May 29, 2020.

• One of Turkey's main targets also seems to be Greece.... If such an attack took place, would the West abandon Greece?

Turkey is currently involved in quite a few international military conflicts -- both against its own neighbors such as Greece, Armenia, Iraq, Syria and Cyprus, and against other nations such as Libya and Yemen. These actions by Turkey suggest that Turkey's foreign policy is increasingly destabilizing not only several nations, but the region as well.

In addition, the Erdogan regime has been militarily targeting Syria and Iraq, sending its Syrian mercenaries to Libya to seize Libyan oil and continuing, as usual, to bully Greece. Turkey's regime is also now provoking ongoing violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Since July 12, Azerbaijan has launched a series of cross-border attacks against Armenia's northern Tavush region in skirmishes that have resulted in the deaths of at least four Armenian soldiers and 12 Azerbaijani ones. After Azerbaijan threatened to launch missile attacks on Armenia's Metsamor nuclear plant on July 16, Turkey offered military assistance to Azerbaijan.

"Our armed unmanned aerial vehicles, ammunition and missiles with our experience, technology and capabilities are at Azerbaijan's service," said İsmail Demir, the head of Presidency of Defense Industries, an affiliate of the Turkish Presidency.

One of Turkey's main targets also seems to be Greece. The Turkish military is targeting Greek territorial waters yet again. The Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported:

"There have been concerns over a possible Turkish intervention in the East Med in a bid to prevent an agreement on the delineation of an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Greece and Egypt which is currently being discussed between officials of the two countries."

Turkey's choice of names for its gas exploration ships are also a giveaway. The name of the main ship that Turkey is using for seismic "surveys" of the Greek continental shelf is Oruç Reis, (1474-1518), an admiral of the Ottoman Empire who often raided the coasts of Italy and the islands of the Mediterranean that were still controlled by Christian powers. Other exploration and drilling vessels Turkey uses or is planning to use in Greece's territorial waters are named after Ottoman sultans who targeted Cyprus and Greece in bloody military invasions. These include the drilling ship Fatih "the conqueror" or Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, who invaded Constantinople in 1453; the drilling ship Yavuz, "the resolute", or Sultan Selim I, who headed the Ottoman Empire during the invasion of Cyprus in 1571; and Kanuni, "the lawgiver" or Sultan Suleiman, who invaded parts of eastern Europe as well as the Greek island of Rhodes.

Turkey's move in the Eastern Mediterranean came in early July, shortly after the country had turned Hagia Sophia, once the world's greatest Greek Cathedral, into a mosque. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan then linked Hagia Sophia's conversion to a pledge to "liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque" in Jerusalem.

On July 21, the tensions arose again following Turkey's announcement that it plans to conduct seismic research in parts of the Greek continental shelf in an area of sea between Cyprus and Crete in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.

"Turkey's plan is seen in Athens as a dangerous escalation in the Eastern Mediterranean, prompting Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to warn that European Union sanctions could follow if Ankara continues to challenge Greek sovereignty," Kathimerini reported on July 21.

Here is a short list of other countries where Turkey is also militarily involved:

In Libya, Turkey has been increasingly involved in the country's civil war. Associated Press reported on July 18:

"Turkey sent between 3,500 and 3,800 paid Syrian fighters to Libya over the first three months of the year, the U.S. Defense Department's inspector general concluded in a new report, its first to detail Turkish deployments that helped change the course of Libya's war.

"The report comes as the conflict in oil-rich Libya has escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers pouring weapons and mercenaries into the country."

Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when an armed revolt during the "Arab Spring" led to the ouster and murder of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Political power in the country, the current population of which is around 6.5 million, has been split between two rival governments. The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), has been led by Prime Minister Fayez al Sarraj. Its rival, the Libyan National Army (LNA), has been led by Libyan military officer, Khalifa Haftar.

Backed by Turkey, the GNA said on July 18 that it would recapture Sirte, a gateway to Libya's main oil terminals, as well as an LNA airbase at Jufra.

Egypt, which backs the LNA, announced, however, that if the GNA and Turkish forces tried to seize Sirte, it would send troops into Libya. On July 20, the Egyptian parliament gave approval to a possible deployment of troops beyond its borders "to defend Egyptian national security against criminal armed militias and foreign terrorist elements."

Yemen is another country on which Turkey has apparently set its sights. In a recent video, Turkey-backed Syrian mercenaries fighting on behalf of the GNA in Libya, and aided by local Islamist groups, are seen saying, "We are just getting started. The target is going to be Gaza." They also state that they want to take on Egyptian President Sisi and to go to Yemen.

"Turkey's growing presence in Yemen," The Arab Weekly reported on May 9, "especially in the restive southern region, is fuelling concern across the region over security in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb.

"These concerns are further heightened by reports indicating that Turkey's agenda in Yemen is being financed and supported by Qatar via some Yemeni political and tribal figures affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood."

In Syria, Turkey-backed jihadists continue occupying the northern parts of the country. On July 21, Erdogan announced that Turkey's military presence in Syria would continue. "Nowadays they are holding an election, a so-called election," Erdogan said of a parliamentary election on July 19 in Syria's government-controlled regions, after nearly a decade of civil war. "Until the Syrian people are free, peaceful and safe, we will remain in this country."

Additionally, Turkey's incursion into the Syrian city of Afrin, created a particularly grim situation for the local Yazidi population:

"As a result of the Turkish incursion to Afrin," the Yazda organization reported on May 29, "thousands of Yazidis have fled from 22 villages they inhabited prior to the conflict into other parts of Syria, or have migrated to Lebanon, Europe, or the Kurdistan Region of Iraq... "

"Due to their religious identity, Yazidis in Afrin are suffering from targeted harassment and persecution by Turkish-backed militant groups. Crimes committed against Yazidis include forced conversion to Islam, rape of women and girls, humiliation and torture, arbitrary incarceration, and forced displacement. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its 2020 annual report confirmed that Yazidis and Christians face persecution and marginalization in Afrin.

"Additionally, nearly 80 percent of Yazidi religious sites in Syria have been looted, desecrated, or destroyed, and Yazidi cemeteries have been defiled and bulldozed."

In Iraq, Turkey has been carrying out military operations for years. The last one was started in mid-June. Turkey's Defense Ministry announced on June 17 that the country had "launched a military operation against the PKK" (Kurdistan Workers' Party) in northern Iraq after carrying out a series of airstrikes. Turkey has named its assaults "Operation Claw-Eagle" and "Operation Claw-Tiger".

The Yazidi, Assyrian Christian and Kurdish civilians have been terrorized by the bombings. At least five civilians have been killed in the air raids, according to media reports. Human Rights Watch has also issued a report, noting that a Turkish airstrike in Iraq "disregards civilian loss."

Given Turkey's military aggression in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Armenia, among others, and its continued occupation of northern Cyprus, further aggression, especially against Greece, would not be unrealistic. Turkey's desire to invade Greece is not exactly a secret. Since at least 2018, both the Turkish government and opposition parties have openly been calling for capturing the Greek islands in the Aegean, which they falsely claim belong to Turkey.

If such an attack took place, would the West abandon Greece?

Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16278/turkey-warpath?fbclid=IwAR2Ytl0L7sn-D1DImvRCWIu7PuP1t8U1f15_H0tlzdGW-cHOt_f5BOh2xh0

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Aug 1 2020

Expert: Armenia should start sensibly interfering in Turkey's domestic developments

Taking into account the unprecedented impudence and provocative actions of the Erdogan regime, Armenia should start sensibly interfering in Turkey's domestic developments, Head of the Yerevan State University Chair of Iranian Studies Vardan Voskanyan said in a Facebook post on Friday.

“In particular, it refers to the Kurdish and Alevi issues, but that interference should be deliberately planned, aimed at forming a circle of Armenia's allies inside Turkey,” the expert wrote.

"We should be able to compensate for the limited territory and human resources of Armenia with intellectual dominance and clear-cut steps based on it in an effort to create a wide range of allies of our country and to bring about at least new serious challenges for the enemies on their own territory,” he said.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2020/08/01/Armenia-Turkey/2337665

[Yervant1]

Who does this? Even the dead can't rest in peace in ErDOGan's Turkey!

Stockholm Center for Freedom, Sweden

Aug 12 2020

Armenian graves desecrated amid climate of hostility towards minority groups in Turkey

By SCF

-

August 12, 2020

Some of the graves in the Armenian cemetery of either the Surp Pırgiç or Karasun Manug church foundation in the Sincan district of Ankara have been desecrated amid a growing climate of hostility and repression towards minority groups in Turkey, the Kronos news reported.

The incident was first reported by Diana Yayloyan, a researcher working on Armenian-Turkish Normalization Projects for TEPAV, an Ankara-based think tank. According to her account, the graves were probably vandalized during an attempt to find items of value such as gold teeth.

Talking to Kronos about the incident, İstanbul deputy and vice chairman of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) Mustafa Yeneroğlu said it was an embarrassment that the graves were vandalized and that the bones of the deceased were scattered. “The bones need to be buried again and the area must be secured. To be civilized one has to preserve cemeteries and cultural heritage,” Yeneroğlu said.

The attack reflects a growing climate of hostility and repression towards minority groups in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In May a pro-government magazine, Gerçek Hayat, published a special 176-page edition that accused Armenians and other Christians in Turkey of terrorist activities and of participating in a failed coup in 2016.

On May 23 a man ripped a cross from the gate of the Armenian Surp Krikor Lusaroviç (Saint Gregory the Illuminator) Church in the Kuzguncuk district, on the Asian side of İstanbul. Less than three weeks before this attack a man had attempted to set fire to the gate of the Dznunt Surp Asdvadzadzni Church in İstanbul’s Bakırköy district.

Yeneroğlu said, after learning about the incident on social media, he had discussed the issue with Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş. According to Yeneroğlu, Yavaş is personally following the matter. “I would like to thank him,” he said. “Preserving the memory of all those who lived in these lands is among our most important responsibilities to the next generations.”

Ankara’s Sincan district was in the news last week with the rescue of a 24-year-old Yazidi slave by her relatives. The woman was originally abducted from Iraq by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants during the Sinjar massacre in August 2014 and sold to an ISIS militant who brought her to a house in Sincan, where she lived with his two wives and four children. Her family was able to broker a deal with the militant for her release.

https://stockholmcf.org/armenian-graves-desecrated-amid-climate-of-hostility-towards-minority-groups-in-turkey/

 

[MosJan]

[Yervant1]

Public Radio of Armenia

Aug 13 2020

Armenian church left neglected, looted in Turkey

Ergen church in the province of Dersim (Tunceli) was built by Armenians 1,300 years ago, but now stands looted and in ruins without its original custodians, Rudaw reports.

Located 15 kilometres from the center of the province’s town of Hozat, the house of worship is not listed as a tourist site due to recent fighting between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“Looters are constantly digging and destroying it here,” the website quotes visitor Milayim Yildiz as saying.

Locals are calling for the church to be renovated and reopened for tourism.

“Eight years ago, archaeologists came here, they did some research and said they would restore it. They came from Georgia, Armenia and all over Europe […] but no changes have been made yet,” claims the village’s mukhtar Ali Tezkir.

Tourists and visitors who come to see this ancient church are, on one hand, in awe at the historic structure that has remained for hundreds of years, but on the other saddened by its demise.

“I have read a lot about this place and know its history. I was eager to see it but am saddened by the sight of it,” said tourist Guler Emektar.

In 2012, the Erzurum Department of Culture and Environmental Protection answered the request of Dersim’s Tourism Directorate to renovate and protect the church from vanishing. So far, no steps have been taken.

https://en.armradio.am/2020/08/13/armenian-church-left-neglected-looted-in-turkey/

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Turkish climbers’ litter on Mount Ararat resembles landfill

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15:53, 18 August, 2020

YEREVAN, AUGUST 18, ARMENPRESS. Turkish climbers have littered Mount Ararat at an altitude of 4200 meters to an extent that photos taken in the area appear to show a large pile of trash resembling a landfill.

The Turkish Sabah newspaper said in an article that the video from the mountain was posted on social media.

The author of the article mentions how people who litter beaches or picnic parks are called “ignorant”, whereas this pile of trash is caused by professional mountain climbers.

“We are in trouble if even mountain climbers have started to litter the nature,” Sabah said, adding that taking an empty juice bottle back during descend shouldn’t have been such a difficult thing to do for the climbers.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1025258.html?fbclid=IwAR3QsuTgEVe74OuDGqn2_PH2Rw339HKnSqFl-OI5iRJS7l_dM4SwkF7VQW0

[Yervant1]

Public Radio of Armenia

Aug 20 2020

“Why don’t you protect the Armenian Cemetery in Ankara?” Paylan asks Turkish Minister

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MP Garo Paylan has submitted a parliamentary question to Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy about the photos showing the damage on an Armenian cemetery in Sincan, Ankara, Bianet reports.

He noted that the Stanoz Armenian Cemetery was declared a protected area in the 1990s and added, “This area’s loot by treasure hunters and contractors deeply upset the Armenian community in Turkey and all our conscious citizens.”

He asked the following questions to the minister:

Why don’t you protect Ankara Stanoz Armenian Cemetery?

Do you have a plan to protect the numerous Armenian cemeteries in the country?

Have you had an attempt to catch the treasure hunters, who loot the Stanoz Armenian Cemetery?

Located in the Zir Valley in the Sincan district’s Yenikent neighborhood, the cemetery has a second-degree protection area status.

A part of the cemetery, which has agricultural lands next to it is also used as a picnic area. The barbed wires put by the Sincan Municipality to protect the cemetery are removed and cemetery’s land is added to the land of the vineyard houses in the valley.

The barbed wires around the cemetery pulled by the Sincan Municipality in recent years have been removed and added to the land of the vineyard houses built in the valley.

Photographs of human bones coming out of places dug by treasure hunters in the cemetery have been seen on social media many times.

https://en.armradio.am/2020/08/20/why-dont-you-protect-the-armenian-cemetery-in-ankara-paylan-asks-turkish-minister/

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Aug 21 2020

Politics 18:04 21/08/2020Region

Erdogan converts another former church into mosque

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday ordered another ancient Orthodox church that became a mosque and then a popular Istanbul museum to be turned back into a place of Muslim worship, AFP reported.

The decision to transform the Kariye Museum into a mosque came just a month after a similarly controversial conversion for the UNESCO World Heritage-recognised Hagia Sophia, the source reminded.

Both changes reflect Erdogan's efforts to galvanise his more conservative and nationalist supporters at a time when Turkey is suffering a new spell of inflation and economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus.

But they have added to Turkey's tensions with Greece and its Orthodox Church.

The Greek foreign ministry called the decision "yet another provocation against religious persons everywhere" by the Turkish government.

It is noted that the 1,000-year-old building's history closely mirrors that of the Hagia Sophia -- its bigger neighbour on the historic western bank of the Golden Horn estuary on the European side of Istanbul. The Holy Saviour in Chora was a medieval Byzantine church decorated with 14th-century frescoes of the Last Judgement that remain treasured in the Christian world.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2020/08/21/Erdogan-converts-another-former-church-into-mosque/2347098

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Sept 17 2020

European Commission urges Turkey not to intimidate neighboring countries

The European Union understands Turkey’s difficulties, but does not consider them to be an excuse for its aggressive behavior in the region, Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday in the European Parliament.

"Yes, Turkey has a problematic neighborhood. And yes, it accepts millions of refugees, for which we support it with significant funding. But none of this can justify its attempts to intimidate its neighbors," von der Leyen said.

Head of the European Commission noted that although Turkey is geographically close to the European Union and will always be its close neighbor, the misunderstanding between Ankara and Brussels is growing.

"Turkey is and always will be an important neighbor, but although we are geographically close, the distance between us is likely to continue to grow," she said.

Von der Leyen also added that Greece and Cyprus "can always count on European solidarity in protecting their sovereign rights."

Turkey has recently been actively searching for deposits in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, which has led to tensions with Greece, Cyprus and other European countries, which believe that the Turkish side is looking for deposits in areas not belonging to it.

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2020/09/17/European-Commission-urges-Turkey/2362129

[Yervant1]

Greek City Times

Sept 24 2020

Greeks, Armenians and Christians among the most targeted groups for discriminatory Turkish mediaby Paul Antonopoulos

In what will come of little surprise, Greeks, Armenians and Christians were among the most targeted groups in the highly controlled and discriminatory Turkish media, according to a 2019 Turkish-language report.

Groups targeted in 2019 due to their national, ethnic, religious and / or sexual identity (top ten):

More specifically:

Greeks:

– They were presented as “enemies” due to tensions in Imia, due to certain historical events and due to tension in the eastern Mediterranean.

– Together with Greek Cypriots, they were characterized as a “threat” to the Turks in articles about Cyprus.

– Accused of violating human rights of refugees.

Greek Cypriots:

– were targeted in relation to the 45^th anniversary of Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the 36^th anniversary of the “foundation” of the unrecognized “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”

Christians:

– They were targeted because of the March 2019 mosque attack in New Zealand.

– They were presented as a threat to the interests and security of Turkey during the illegal Operation ‘Peace Spring’ of the Turkish military against the Kurds in Syria.

– They were targeted in connection with the diplomatic crisis between Turkey and EU countries, but also the EU itself, in light of ‘Christian identity’.

The 10 newspapers in which most of the articles were recorded with hate speech and / or racist discrimination rhetoric:

The so-called “progressive” Kemalists, as can be seen, are among the top 10 most hateful media outlets in Turkey, demonstrating that racism and discrimination in Turkey is not just reduced to the radical policies and beliefs of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Turkey is one of the lowest ranked countries for media freedoms in the world, is the second most susceptible country surveyed on the European continent and its surrounds to fake news, has the most journalists jailed in the whole world, and 90% of media is government controlled, which is why racism and discrimination against ethnic and religious groups is commonplace in Turkish media.

https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/09/24/greeks-armenians-and-christians-among-the-most-targeted-groups-for-discriminatory-turkish-media/

[Yervant1]

Panorama, Armenia

Sept 25 2020

Turkey slams US speaker over remarks on Trump, Erdogan

Turkey’s foreign minister on Friday accused US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of “blatant ignorance” over her comments that questioned U.S. President Donald Trump’s commitment to democracy and his alleged “admiration” of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other leaders accused of authoritarian rule, AP reported.

Pelosi criticized Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses elections in November, and called on the U.S. president to honor his oath of office and the U.S. Constitution.

“We do know who he admires. He admires (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, he admires Kim Jong Un, he admires Erdogan in Turkey,” Pelosi said.

She added: “But I remind him, you are not in North Korea, you are not in Turkey, you are not in Russia, Mr. President.”

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu took to Twitter to admonish Pelosi over her remarks.

”(Pelosi’s) rise to become Speaker of the House is what is truly worrisome for American democracy, given her blatant ignorance,” Cavusoglu wrote. “You will learn to respect the Turkish people’s will.”

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2020/09/25/Turkey-US-speaker/2367268