Daily Archives: April 30, 2014

The answers of Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian to the questions at the National Assembly

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նալբանդյանը կառավարության նիստում

Tevan Poghosyan: On April 23 Turkish PM made a statement to which Yerevan responded that it was a new form of genocide denial. Obviously, I share your opinion. Indeed, it is very regrettable Erdoganthat there is such an Erdogansituation on the 99th anniversary. Nevertheless after your response Erdoğan Erdogankeeps talking and admiring his own statement.  Moreover, on April 29 he made an “heroic” statement that the proof that no genocide was committed is that the Armenians are living in Turkey today. There has been no answer from our side on this claim. What is your opinion on that?

 

Edward Nalbandian: Today a large number of Jews live in Germany, but  no one would dare to put under the question the reality of the Holocaust. Turkey had better follow Germany’s example through recognition, condemnation and apology.
In 1915 Talaat told Germany’s Consul General that there is no Armenian question because there are no more Armenians. 99 years later Armenians together with the international community struggles for the exclusion of new genocides, new crimes against humanity and wait for civilized steps from Turkey.

 

Tevan Poghosyan: Thank you. Taking the opportunity of your presence, I would also like to  hear your opinion on the following matter. Azerbaijan assumes presidency in the CoE in a few days. During the last few days we can see the situation on human rights in that state,  and how many representatives of NGOs have been arrested, accused and beaten. As a Foreign Minister of a state that presided the Organization what is your view on that? Are you going to raise that issue in the Council of Europe? What actions do you plan to undertake?

 

Edward Nalbandian: Council of Europe senior officials have already raised that issue. During the last week CoE Commissioner for Human Rights made two statements, according to which the situation with the fundamental freedoms, particularly freedom of speech and in general human rights is deteriorating in Azerbaijan.

 

We are well aware that expressions of Armenophobia,  intolerance, hate speech have become usual phenomenon in Azerbaijan.

 

I think that not only a CoE chairmanship of such a country, but also its membership are not to the honour of the Organization.

 

 

After the Q&A session at the Parliament, answering the correspondent’s question whether Armenia raises at the Council of Europe the issue of the expressions of armenophobia in Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said, “Yes, we do. However, those expressions are so gross, that are obvious and apparent.
For instance, what does the yesterday’s statement by the Azerbaijani head of police mean, that the inhuman treatment of Leyla Yunus is justified by her supposed Armenian origin. Such numerous expressions are well known in the Council of Europe, as well as in other Organizations.

 

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Rihanna Bares Her Breasts on Magazine Cover

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rihanna-bares-her-breastsRihanna shows off a lot of skin on the cover of French magazine Lui. The “Stay” singer took to Instagram on Tuesday, April 29 to show off the hot cover, which shows her baring her breasts and sporting nipple rings. In the photo, the singer only wears a bikini bottom and a hat as she enjoy the sunbath. She then was forced to remove the photo because it violated Instagram’s rules against nudity and she posted it on Twitter instead.

Rihanna apparently was upset after the photo was removed from her account.

In other snaps from the magazine which she uploaded on Twitter, RiRi goes naked near the pool.

Ukraine crisis: EU sanctions target 15 individuals

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The European Union has imposed sanctions related to the crisis in Ukraine on another 15 people, bringing the total number targeted to 48.

The EU said the people are collectively responsible for actions that “undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she was alarmed by the worsening security situation in eastern Ukraine, and she called on Russia to take “concrete steps” in support of an international deal signed this month aimed at easing tensions.

She warned that if necessary, the European Union “will look at possible additional individual measures” related to the crisis.

 

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Jordan Opens Syria Refugee Camp for 130,000 People

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Jordan opened a new, sprawling tent city on Wednesday to accommodate tens of thousands more Syrian refugees who are expected to flee their country’s fighting — another grim indicator for a deadly war now in its fourth year.

camp-syriaThe new Azraq refugee camp is built to host 130,000 people, said Brig. Gen. Waddah Lihmoud, director of Syrian refugee affairs in Jordan. It cost $63.5 million dollars to build, the U.N. said.

Once full — a process expected to take months — the camp will outstrip Zaatari, currently Jordan’s largest camp.

Jordan already hosts some 600,000 registered Syrian refugees, forming 10 percent of the country’s population. Jordanian officials estimate the real number is closer to 1.3 million Syrians.

 

Iran Wants 400 New Planes by 2025 If Sanctions End

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Iran’s top civil aviation official says the Islamic Republic wants to buy 400 new passenger airplanes by 2025 to replace the country’s aging fleet if sanctions over its contested nuclear program are lifted.

Ali Reza Jahangirian of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization told journalists Wednesday that 40 percent of Iran’s commercial airliners have been grounded due to a lack of spare parts. Under terms of interim nuclear deal made in November with world powers, Iran can now import some airplane parts.

Jahangirian did not discuss dollar figures or financing for the future purchases. He did say Iran received “very positive signals” from Boeing Co. and General Electric Co. about getting new spare parts.

 

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Armenians Should Thank Erdogan for… NOT Recognizing the Genocide

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Հարութ Սասունյան

 

By Harut Sassounian

Thecaliforniacourier.com

 

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s statement on the ‘events of 1915’ released in nine languages last week was a major propaganda coup for Turkey, generating worldwide publicity. The announcement was so cleverly crafted that it fooled many in the international community — and regrettably, some Armenians — into believing that he came close to recognizing the Armenian Genocide or at least took ‘an historic’ step in the right direction.

 

In reality, Erdogan’s statement was nothing more than rephrased denial or old wine in a new bottle. Carefully avoiding the term ‘Armenian Genocide,” he conveniently borrowed Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s deceptive terminology of ‘shared pain’ and ‘just memory,’ words that sound conciliatory, but actually equate the murderers with the victims. The Turkish Prime Minister’s reference to millions of Turks and others who also died during World War I is an insult to the memory of the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide. Millions of Germans also perished in World War II, but no one in their right mind and good conscience would equate their deaths with the extermination of six million Jews!

 

Erdogan’s call for a “joint historical commission to study the events of 1915” is another worn out and shrewd delay tactic. If Turkish officials are sincere in wanting to learn the facts of the Armenian Genocide, all they have to do is review the extensive documentation available in their own archives as well as studies conducted by countless historians and genocide scholars around the world. Why did the Turkish government wait for almost 100 years to show an interest in researching this topic? Why are some of the most sensitive Ottoman archives still kept under lock and key, not to mention those that were shredded long ago?

 

I have written many times for several years that:

 

1)    Despite Turkish denials, the Armenian Genocide is a recognized fact by the international community and there is no need to wait for Pres. Obama, Prime Minister Erdogan or anyone else to acknowledge it.

2)    Genocide recognition cannot right the wrongs committed by uprooting and decimating the Armenian people. A more appropriate objective would be to seek justice through legal channels, demanding restitution, both financial and territorial.

3)    The Turkish offer for ‘reconciliation’ is nothing but a sinister ploy to bury the past with a meaningless acknowledgment and apology. True reconciliation is achieved by undoing the enormous damage inflicted on the Armenian nation.

 

It is imperative that Armenians remain vigilant and not be deceived by fake Turkish offers of reconciliation. Between now and April 24, 2015, the Turkish government will probably announce many more publicity stunts to win over the sympathy of the international community and minimize the damage to Turkey’s already tarnished reputation by accusations of genocide.

 

One such Turkish plan is Davutoglu’s cynical statement that the Armenian Diaspora is also Turkey’s Diaspora! There have been media reports that the Turkish government is preparing to grant citizenship to the descendants of former Ottoman subjects, including Armenians. Surprisingly, some naïve Armenians are fooled into thinking that this is a positive step! Just imagine settling in one of the towns of Turkish-occupied Western Armenia or Cilicia as a citizen of Turkey, and having your sons drafted into the Turkish military to ‘defend the Turkish nation’ and take part in the invasion of Kessab or Aleppo or even Armenia! How about being jailed, under article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, because you made the mistake of speaking about the Armenian Genocide to one of your Turkish neighbors!

 

Erdogan’s real intent in issuing his April 23, 2014 statement is to undermine the worldwide Armenian efforts to seek justice as they prepare for the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

 

The fact that the State Department and some European officials reacted positively to Erdogan’s statement is an indication that this was a coordinated attempt to provide cover for the Obama administration and European countries not to deal with the Armenian demands on the genocide issue, using the excuse that Turkey’s leaders are in the process of reconciling with Armenians.

 

Armenians should resist the pressures by third parties to abandon the pursuit of their historic claims. The views of the US government or the EU on Armenian demands from Turkey should be irrelevant. Armenians should be the masters of their own fate and not allow other nations to dictate what is acceptable or unacceptable to them in the pursuit of their national interest.

 

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