Europe supports Turkey-Armenia normalization
Armradio.am, October 22, 2014, https://www.armradio.am/en/
A member of the E.U.’s delegation to Ankara has said that Europe has a “strong interest in supporting normalization” between Turkey and Armenia.
Bela Szombati, a former Hungarian diplomat, was speaking in Ankara on Tuesday at an event on the Armenia-Turkey ‘normalization process’ where he called for civil society groups to engage more in order to overcome “deadlocked” relations, the Turkish Weekly reports.
The event was part of a program which brings together eight civil society groups from Armenia and Turkey with the aim of improving relations between the troubled neighbors.
Szombati, the deputy head of the E.U. delegation to Turkey, said: “With this project the E.U. aims to support … the efforts civil society is making towards the normalization of relations through enhancing people-to-people contacts, expansive economic business links, promoting cultural and educational activities and facilitating dissemination of balanced information.”
Armenia-EU Relations
German foreign minister to pay official visit to Armenia
Aysor.am, October 21, 2014, https://www.aysor.am/en/news/
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will pay an official visit to Yerevan on October 23 at the invitation of Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, Armenian Foreign Ministry said.
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsya will receive the German foreign minister.
On October 23 the foreign ministers of Armenia and Germany will hold talks to be followed by a joint press conference.
On the same day Frank-Walter Steinmeier will visit the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.
Traian Hristea highly assesses Armenian Ombudsman’s activity in the field of human rights defense
Armenpress.am, October 22, 2014, https://armenpress.am/eng/news/
On October 22, Ombudsman of Armenia Karen Andreasyan met with Head of EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Traian Hristea. The Ombudsman and the ambassador discussed issues on cooperation in the field of human rights defense in Armenia, Ombudsman’s Office informed Armenpress.
At the meeting the interlocutors referred to the national project on human rights defense, its application and monitoring.
The ambassador highly assessed the activity of the ombudsman and his staff in the sphere of human rights defense in Armenia and expressed readiness to deepen the bilateral cooperation.
Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan welcomed the role of the EU delegation in preservation of the democratic values in Armenia and human rights defense, stressed the importance of the bilateral cooperation.
General News on Armenia
Armenian PM promotes regional cooperation with Iran
News.am, October 22, 2014, https://news.am/eng/news/
Armenia’s Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan opened the second day of his official visit to Iran with a meeting with Iranian Isfahan province Governor Rasul Zargarpouri, Armenian News - NEWS.am reports.
According to the government press service, PM Abrahamyan stressed the importance of regional cooperation between Iranian provinces and the regions of Armenia. The Isfahan governor thanked the Prime Minister of Armenia for the visit and stressed the important role of Armenian community in the development of Isfahan province.
Opposition Parties Still Debating ‘Regime Change’ Plan
Azatutyun.am, October 21, 2014, https://www.azatutyun.am/
Armenia’s three leading opposition parties campaigning against President Serzh Sarkisian have not yet worked out a plan of joint actions aimed at achieving “regime change” sought by them, a senior opposition figure said on Tuesday.
Ruben Hakobian, the parliamentary leader of the Zharangutyun (Heritage) party, said it is still not clear whether Zharangutyun, the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) and the Armenian National Congress (HAK) will draw up such a “roadmap” in time for their next joint rally slated for Friday.
At their last rally held on October 10 the three parties warned Sarkisian to agree to leave power or face what a top HAK representative described as a “wave of civil disobedience.” Their leaders did not clarify, though, just what they will do if the president rejects their demand. It also remained unclear whether they want him to go now or after the next national elections due in 2017 and 2018.
Armenian MPs undecided about EEU deal as ratification vote nears
Tert.am, October 21, 2014, https://www.tert.am/en/news/
The Treaty on Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is to be submitted to the National Assembly for ratification within 1.5 months after its signing (under the Law on International Treaties). Though he parliamentary factions have repeatedly stated their opinions on the deal since President Serzh Sargsyan’s landmarkstatement (made in September last year), Tert.am has tried to once again clarify positions from different political forces ahead of the voting.
Armenia may declare Dec. 9 as Day of Remembrance of victims of all genocides
Armenianow.com, October 21, 2014, https://www.armenianow.com/
The Armenian government considers it appropriate to declare December 9 as day of remembrance of victims of all genocides, it said on the occasion of a package of legislation related to the condemnation of Ottoman-era genocides submitted by an opposition lawmaker.
By order of a legislative initiative member of the parliamentary Heritage faction Zaruhi Postanjyan presented to the government draft laws on “Condemnation of the Genocides of Pontic Greeks, Assyrians, Yezidis and Other Ethnicities in the Ottoman Empire” and “On Making Additions in the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Holidays and Remembrance Days”. The package is on the agenda of the next session of the government.
The government’s conclusion on the initiative is as follows: “The Government of the Republic of Armenia considers it advisable that instead of the presented proposal December 9 be declared as the day of remembrance of victims of all genocide, considering the fact that the United Nations adopted the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide on December 9, 1948.”
Armenia Taking Preventive Measures Against Ebola
Azatutyun.am, October 21, 2014, https://www.azatutyun.am/
Health authorities in Armenia have installed fever detectors at the national border crossings, trained medical personnel and provided them with protective equipment in an effort to contain a possible spread of Ebola into the country.
No cases of the deadly virus have been registered in Armenia so far, and officials in Yerevan say that the likelihood of that happening soon is very low. They point to the absence of direct communication with west Africa, the epicenter of the latest Ebola outbreak, and tropical animals transmitting the disease. The Armenian government banned imports of animals from Africa in August.
General News on Karabakh
Karabakh FM and German delegates discuss cooperation issues
News.am, October 21, 2014, https://news.am/eng/news/
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Karen Mirzoyan received Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in the German state of Hessen Steven Brian Fera and Landrat of Bergstrasse Matthias Wilkes.
They arrived in Artsakh on the occasion of the opening of the Specialized Auditorium of German language at the Artsakh State University.
During the meeting, the sides discussed a range of issues related to the establishment and development of cooperation between Artsakh and Germany in the educational and cultural spheres
Practical agreements were achieved at the meeting.
ICRC: International humanitarian law doesn’t prevent defendants from standing trial
Times.am, October 22, 2014, https://www.times.am/?p=97801&
The International Committee of the Red Cross responded to the question on the Azerbaijanis, members of the diversion group, who entered into Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) illegally, killed two people in Karvachar and wounded one.
The ICRC is aware of the upcoming trial of the Azerbaijanis, who are being kept in Nagorno Karabakh. According to Azerbaijani Press Agency, spokesperson for the ICRC Baku Office Ilaha Huseynova informed about this.
“The International Committee of the Red Cross regularly visits these people and help them communicating with their families. According to the Geneva Convention, a part of international humanitarian law, the detainees should be treated humanely. International humanitarian law doesn’t prevent defendants from standing trial. International humanitarian law always requires the observance of legal safeguards regarding the trial,” she said.
News from International Sources
Denis Mukwege: winner of Sakharov Prize 2014
European Parliament News, October 21, 2014, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/
Denis Mukwege is the laureate of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2014, following today's decision by EP President Martin Schulz and the political group leaders. Mukwege will be invited to Strasbourg on 26 November to receive the award during the plenary session.
Announcing Mukwege as the 2014 laureate, President Schulz said: "The Conference of Presidents decided unanimously to award Dr Denis Mukwege from Democratic Republic of Congo the Sakharov Prize for his fight for protection especially of women." Mr Schulz said it wasn't a decision against Euromaidan and paid tribute to the other finalists, saying the representatives of Euromaidan will be invited to join the award ceremony in November and that the Parliament will immediately send a delegation with representatives from all political groups to Azerbaijan to meet and to support Leyla Yunus in her fight for democracy and freedom in her country.
Three Azerbaijani Youth Activists Released From Prison
Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, October 20, 2014, https://www.rferl.org/media/
Three members of the Azerbaijani youth organization NIDA -- Elsever Mursalli, Bakhtiyar Guliyev, and Shahin Novruzlu -- were released from prison on October 18 following a presidential pardon. After their release, Mursalli and Guliyev visited the grave of Heydar Aliyev to pay tribute to the late president. Heydar Aliyev is the father of current President Ilham Aliyev, who pardoned a total of 84 people on October 17. Eight members of NIDA were imprisoned last year on charges of organizing mass unrest after taking part in an antigovernment rally.
Why Turkey failed to gain UN Security Council seat
The California Courier, October 22, 2014, https://nebula.wsimg.com/
The Turkish government got a big slap in the face last week when the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to turn down its application for a Security Council seat. In effect, the international community was rejecting Turkey’s hostile policies both at home and abroad.
Turkey’s new Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had arrogantly predicted securing the prestigious seat for their country. The night before the vote, Cavusoglu had hosted a posh party for UN Ambassadors at the world famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, Sassounian writes in a piece titled “Why the UN Rejected Turkey’s Bid for a Security Council Seat”.
After spending several days in New York to lobby personally the UN delegates, Foreign Minister Cavusoglu optimistically told the media: “We think all our nice efforts will, with the grace of God, be reflected onto the ballot tomorrow. Of course, this is a vote and all kinds of results may come out. But, we believe, God permitting, that we will get the result of the work we put in.”
News on Turkey
My film is not is not devoted to Genocide, says Turkish director
Tert.am, October 21, 2014, https://www.tert.am/en/news/
Fatih Akin, the Turkish-German director whose movie "The Cut" stirred up anger over the Genocide issue in Turkey, has complained about facing threats.
In an interview with Evrensel, Akin said the film is neither political nor devoted to the Armenian Genocide per se. He said he was inspired by book written by Hassan Cemal, Cemal Pasha’s grandson.
“If the grandson of someone who was responsible for the era uses the word, why shouldn’t I use it? The book is on sale in book-stores and displayed on shop-windows,” he noted.
“I didn’t search the topic; it found me itself. As a child of a family from Turkey, it was always of interest to me, especially when it turned into a taboo. When something is banned, you become curious and studious. ”
Robertson on Australian TV: The massacres in 1915 were certainly genocide
Armradio.am, October 22, 2014, https://www.armradio.am/en/
Leading human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC has appeared on the ABC’s Lateline program and Sky News Australia to discuss his latest publication on the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian National Committee of Australia reports.
Robertson is currently in Australia to promote his latest publication “An Inconvenient Genocide: Who now remembers the Armenians?”, which was launched to the nation’s media at the National Press Club in Canberra on Tuesday 21stOctober.
In an extensive interview with Lateline program host Emma Alberici, Robertson “cleared up any confusion” that the Armenian Genocide was “genocide”, and also called on Australia to fix its denialist position on the matter.
His publication, published by Random House, is groundbreaking in that the high profile Queen’s Council and former United Nations Judge presents a compelling argument based on fact, evidence and his knowledge and expertise of international law, proving beyond reasonable doubt that the horrific events that occurred in 1915 do indeed constitute genocide.
Intelligence chief: Erdoğan instructed me in operation against KCK
Todayszaman.com, October 21, 2014, https://www.todayszaman.com/
Ankara police searched the addresses of some 18 senior police officers early on Tuesday as part of a new wave of a government-backed operation against the police force, after which one of the detained police chiefs said then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself had him carry out an operation against the outlawed the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK).
Along with 17 other senior police officers, former head of the intelligence department of the National Police Department, Ömer Altıparmak, had his residence searched, after which he turned himself into the Ankara Police Department on Tuesday. He made a press statement prior to entering the police station, explaining the reason for the detention decision against him by saying, “The decision for my detention is the operations that I have conducted and took part in against the KCK and the PKK [the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party] at the behest of then-Prime Minister Erdoğan.”
Stricter police measures don’t contradict EU: Turkish PM
Harriyetdailynews.com, October 21, 2014, https://www.hurriyetdailynews.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has outlined 11 pillars of a bill for “domestic security package” that the government will submit to Parliament in the coming days.
“We are making a revolutionary reform,” Davutoğlu said, addressing his parliamentary group on Oct. 21, adding that the reforms - criticized by many as draconian - aim to protect private life, individual rights and freedoms.
The prime minister dismissed criticisms that the draft bill would give too much power to the police and said the legislation aimed at ending the ambiguity over the use in demonstrations of “weapons of violence.”
All measures will be “in line with EU standards and based on universal standards,” he said.
However, all of the proposed reforms, Davutoglu said, must first be approved by theEuropean Union Harmonization Committee in the Turkish Parliament.
News from Azerbaijani Sources
Malena Mard: We expect that steps taken will change status quo
Apa.az, October 22, 2014, https://en.apa.az/xeber_malena_
“The upcoming meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Paris is a positive step”
Baku. Anakhanum Hidayatova – APA. “I consider that the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents that will take place in Paris this month is a positive step,” said Head of EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, Ambassador Malena Mard, APA reports.
She said that holding such high-level meetings is very important: “We expect that the steps taken will change the status quo.”