Armenian News... A Topalian 9 editorials
BIAnet, Turkey
Sept 24 2019
New Obligations for Patriarch Candidates 'Attempt to Usurp Right to be Elected'
Pınar Tarcan
Ahead of the election of the 85th Patriarch of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, the Ministry of Interior laid the condition that the patriarch candidates must be from Turkey. HDP MP Paylan has said, "This is an attempt to usurp the right to be elected."
The Ministry of the Interior has issued a directive to the Patriarchate and the Enterprising Council who prepare to elect the 85th Patriarch, stipulating the condition of "being part of the class of bishops of the Armenian Patriarchate of İstanbul" to be elected.
The Enterprising Council will hold a meeting tomorrow (September 25) to evaluate the order of the ministry. Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Garo Paylan has spoken to bianet on the decision, saying that "what is done in this state cannot be called an election."
Paylan indicated that the have been many patriarch elections in Turkey and all of them were attended by Armenian clerics from around the world.
"Apart from Armenians in Turkey, there are many clerics from Sivas, Malatya, Adana, İstanbul and all of these candidates were able to participate in all elections, they had the right to be elected."
Only three candidates meet the requirements
"Now, for the first time in the history of the Republic of Turkey, a directive by the Ministry of Interior brings a new restriction to the election of the Patriarch.
"They say, 'You will choose among Armenians in Turkey.' We have only three high cleric candidates who meet these requirements.
"This directive is an attempt to usurp the right of natural candidates to be elected and we never accept it.
"It cannot be called an election in this state."
"The Armenian Patriarchate has the right to appeal the decision. In fact, when Mesrob Mutafyan was being elected 20 years ago there was a similar attempt but the enterprising committee of the time objected to the decision and the situation was corrected.
"Now the same objection must be made and this restriction must be removed by the ministry officials. Otherwise, it cannot be called an election.
"The climate of fear affects minorities"
"I will talk about this matter in parliament, as well as initiatives by talking to government officials," he said, adding that he will submit a parliamentary question tomorrow.
"But it is important that the Armenian society and all political parties, all democrats of Turkey to embrace the Armenian Patriarch ballot box.
"The government creates a climate of fear, and especially minority peoples may be more affected by this climate.
"In this sense, the Armenian community should not be left alone against this usurpation of rights. We expect the support of the greater community on this issue. "
The patriarch election crisis
Former Patriarch Mesrop Mutafyan had been suffering health problems since 2008. The government replaced him with Aram Ateshian in 2010 because Mutafyan was unconscious in the hospital and could not perform his duties.
While the patriarch's severe health problems remained stable for more than 9 years, an election decision was made in October 2016 at the request of the Armenian community. In March 2017, the Karekin Bekchiyan was elected the Governor of the Patriarchate to take the Patriarchate to the elections.
The Ministry of Interior did not respond to a petition for the elections that were sent in August 2017. Meanwhile, Atashian did not resign despite the beginning of the election process.
The Governorship of İstanbul announced that proceedings regarding the election of Bekchiyan are invalid and all the decisions taken by Bekchiyan will be declared invalid. It called Bekchiyan the "so-called governor of the Patriarchate.
İstanbul Governorship then canceled the election of the Patriarch. Karekin Bekchiyan, who received the approval of the majority of the Armenian community, said, "The dark campaigns have reached a very ugly extent. I am afraid that this attitude will further deteriorate and even corrupt our society." After the decision, Bekchiyan left Turkey.
Following the death of Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan on March 8, the process began to elect the new Patriarch.
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 25 2019
Netanyahu reminds Erdogan of ‘terrible slaughter of Armenian people’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reminded Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the “the terrible slaughter of the Armenian people”.
Netanyahu called on Erdogan to “stop lying” after the Turkish leader accused Israel of occupying Palestinian territories while addressing the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
"He who doesn't stop lying about Israel, slaughters the Kurds in his own country, and denies the terrible slaughter of the Armenian people – shouldn't preach to Israel. Erogan, stop lying,” the Israeli PM wrote on Twitter.
In his remarks at the UN session, the Turkish president said “today the Palestinian territory under Israeli occupation has become one of the most striking places of injustice.” He held up a map of Israel and Palestine to demonstrate Israel’s changing border from 1947 to today.
Earlier on Monday, Erdogan likened the Jewish state’s Gaza policies to the Nazi treatment of the Jews during a meeting with US Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, The Times of Israel reported, citing Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.
Erdogan said “we view the Holocaust in the same way we view those besieging Gaza and carrying out massacres in it.”
25 Sep 2019
Mnatsakanyan, Mammadyarov Meet in New York
Armenia’s Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov met Monday in New York, on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, to continue their ongoing negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution.
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov of Russia, Stéphane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the United States, as well as the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk also participated in the meeting.
The sides discussed a wide range of issues related to the Karabakh peace process and assessed the current realities on the ground, with Mnatsakanyan emphasizing the need for strengthening the ceasefire and decreasing tensions along the border.
The need for comprehensive steps for developing an atmosphere of trust was also emphasized including through the implementation of previously reached agreements.
According to Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, Mnatsakanyan pressed for the return of an Armenian soldier who crossed the border—known as the line of contact—into Azerbaijan.
Mnatsakanyan also stressed that need for adhering to commitments that each side has made toward the resolution of the conflict and pointed to concrete steps that Armenia and Artsakh have taken to advance the process.
Ahead of the meeting with Mammadyarov, Mnatsakanyan met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs.
Armenpress.am
24 September, 2019
Two large mine fields cleared by Armenian de-miners in Syria
Two large mine fields comprising an area of 90,000 square meters near the Al Huseyna settlement in Aleppo have been cleared by Armenian de-miners.
An official ceremony took place on September 24th where Ruben Arakelyan, the head of the Armenian Center for Humanitarian De-mining and Expertise, handed over mission complete certificates to Mohamed Kumait Assi El Sheikh, Member of the executive office
in Aleppo Governorate for Aleppo City Council. The event was preceded by a joint terrain inspection.
The certificates are certifying that the number 1 and number 2 hazardous areas are cleared and inspected, safe and fit for use.
During the de-mining operation the specialists discovered more than 50 explosive remnants of war from the area, the team’s spokesperson Nazeli Elbakyan reported from Syria.
The Syrian side expressed gratitude to the Armenian side for the support and noted that “this is a historic day which once again reiterates the centuries-old friendship between two peoples.”
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
Arminfo, Armenia
Sept 25 2019
Nikol Pashinyan on Amulsar program: We need to use our resources for Armenia`s full development
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan considers it improper to demonize the mining industry. He stated this at a meeting with representatives of the Armenian community of New York, answering the question why the new government does not consider revising the legislation in this area so as not to face possible blackmail of mining investors in the future.
According to Pashinyan, the Armenian government must be completely honest, both with the Armenian and international public. As the prime minister pointed out, the new government inherited the problem from the previous one, and its solution in one way or another can affect the rating of modern Armenia. "We should go into the details of the problem to the utmost to find the solution based on facts and risk studies is," he noted.
As the head of the Armenian cabinet indicated, whether it is good or bad, but the fact is that at the moment the Armenian government has no reason to ban the operation of the Amulsar mine. Perhaps such a basis will appear tomorrow, in a month, but it is possible that it will not. "Today's United States was created on the basis of the mining industry. One should not be afraid of it as well as the technology sector. It's another matter if we can provide a way in the modern world to operate mines that will not cause at least tangible substantial harm to life and human health. Any manifestation of civilization can be risky from an environmental point of view, "said Nikol Pashinyan, urging to get rid of such phobias. "My position is as follows - we must use our resources for the full development of Armenia," the head of the Armenian government concluded.
To recall, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on September 9 live on Facebook said that at the moment there is no legal basis to prohibit the operation of the Amulsar mine. Nikol Pashinyan also officially called on the residents of Jermuk to unblock all roads leading to the Amulsar mine. Meanwhile, on August 19, experts at Earthlink & Advanced Resources Development (ELARD) said during a video conference that the Lydian source data was not complete and, in general, the EIAof 2016was insufficient to guarantee the environmentally sound operation of the mine.
As Pashinyan assured, the Lydian leadership committed themselves to 100% safe operation. In addition, he said that he ordered the inspection body to study the project in detail, and the criminal case in the Investigative Committee (under Art. Concealment or intentional misrepresentation of information on environmental pollution), previously entrusted to Yura Ivanyan, a relative of the former Minister of Nature Protection Aramais Grigoryan, who approved the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Amulsar development, has been transferred to the deputy head of the Investigative Committee Arsen Ayvazyan. "A new investigation team will be formed, which will consider the facts, give answers to questions in the framework of the criminal case," Pashinyan said.
In response, environmentalists, activists and residents of the resort town of Jermuk said they were not going to unblock the roads leading to the Amulsar field. "We do not understand the position of the prime minister, who agreed to open the mine solely on Lydian's" honest word "about its 100% safe operation," said Jermuk residents, stressing that they would negotiate exclusively around the closure of the mine.
Arminfo, Armenia
Sept 25 2019
Pashinyan called on men from the American Diaspora to marry Armenian girls
"If your business is going very well, be sure to buy an apartment in Yerevan, if not very - in one of the regions of Armenia," said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a meeting with representatives of the Armenian community in New York calling on Armenians living in the USA.
Nikol Pashinyan called on Diaspora representatives to spend at least a month in Armenia and apply for RA citizenship for at least a month. "And if funds allow, be sure to open a business in Armenia. These actions can become a small bridge connecting the Armenian with Armenia. And most importantly, to marry Armenian girls. Of course, emotional connection is the most powerful, but it's good to physically back it up," joked the head of the Armenian government.
Arminfo, Armenia
Sept 24 2019
In 2020, measures to improve demography will be introduced in Armenia: Avinyan announces new programs to stimulate fertility and assist young families
Starting in 2020, the Armenian government will start implementing new programs to stimulate the birth rate, as well as to promote young families and families with children. This, according to the office of Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, he said at a meeting of the Council on improving the demographic situation.
"The government is decisive in improving the demographic situation in the country, so based on the results of discussions at the last meeting, we can fix that in 2020 we will start new programs to stimulate the birth rate, as well as to help young families and families with children," he said.
Thus, according to Avinyan, since 2020:
1. The lump-sum allowance for the birth of the first child will be increased 6-fold from 50 thousand drams to 300 thousand drams.
2. The size of the one-time allowance for the birth of a second child will be doubled - from 150 thousand drams to 300 thousand drams.
3. The monthly allowance for working mothers will be increased by about 41% - from 18 thousand drams to 25 thousand drams.
4. A new type of childcare allowance will be introduced in rural areas: until the child is two years old, mothers will be paid 25.5 thousand drams a month.
5. Work will be carried out to phase out such a vicious phenomenon as the "wait list to kindergartens." In preschool and school institutions, work will be carried out to expand the services of extended care and training, in particular, care will be organized according to the principle of co-financing from 08:30am to 7:00pm. As a result, the working parent should be able to organize the care of the child in preschool or school institutions located near the place of residence or work.
6. Since 2020, ambitious programs will be launched, under which the state will provide both lump-sum cash assistance and prepaid insurance in the regions to purchase housing on a mortgage due to the birth of a child. The preliminary budget of the program will be approximately 500 million drams. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the amount will be more than enough as a start. In parallel, work will be carried out on targeted housing programs in the regions, and the Committee for Urban Planning is already doing this.
According to Tigran Avinyan, these programs are only the beginning, and from 2021 a new national ideology should be discussed. "That is, discussions should be held in advance, but from 2021 three children in a family should become the average norm for us. And all our programs should aim to ensure that from 2021 any average family in Armenia has the desire and opportunity to have at least three children, "he said.
To recall, on August 5, speaking at a rally in Stepanakert, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan named bringing the country's population to 5 million by 2050 among the global challenges facing the state.
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 24 2019
Turkish authorities introduce patrol to stop Armenian flag waving at Ani ruins
Kars Governor’s Office and the local branch of Turkish Gendarmerie have adopted a decision to introduce a 24-hour patrol at the site of Ani ruins. The decision is intended to prevent numerous Armenian tourist visiting the site from waving the flag of Armenia.
In an interview with the outlet, Goksel Gulbey, the head of anti-Armenian Turkish NGO called “Association Struggling against baseless Armenian lies” has welcomed the decision, arguing for years Armenians have visited Kars, Ani ruins, Aghtamar island Van, Mount Ararat and waved the national flags of Armenia and Karabakh.
RFE/RL Report
Former Armenian Police Chief Found Shot Dead
September 24, 2019
Naira Bulghadarian
A former chief of the Armenian police, Hayk Harutiunian, has been found shot to
death in his home, law-enforcement authorities said on Tuesday.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee said Harutiunian had a gunshot wound to his
head when police officers discovered his body in his country house in Bjni, a
village 45 kilometers north of Yerevan, on Monday night. They also found a
pistol and a spent cartridge lying next to him, read a statement released by
the committee.
The statement added that the law-enforcement agency is conducting an
investigation into a suicide resulting from threats, humiliation or negligence.
Investigators have already questioned “witnesses” and established that
Harutiunian “consumed a considerable amount of alcohol” prior to his death, it
said.
Harutiunian ran the Armenian police from 1999-2008, during former President
Robert Kocharian’s rule. He headed two other security agencies after Kocharian
was succeeded by Serzh Sarkisian in April 2008. The 63-year-old had held no
state positions since being dismissed in 2014 as chief of a Justice Ministry
division managing Armenia’s prisons.
Harutiunian was a key witness in an ongoing investigation into the March 2008
post-election violence in Yerevan, which left eight opposition protesters and
two police servicemen dead. Unlike Kocharian and several other former senior
officials, he was not arrested or indicted following last year’s “Velvet
Revolution” which toppled Sarkisian.
Citing anonymous sources, two Armenian news websites alleged that moments
before his death Harutiunian complained to another person that he is being
pressured by the authorities to give false incriminating testimony against
Kocharian and a retired senior police officer.
A spokeswoman for the Investigative Committee, Naira Harutiunian, dismissed
those claims as untrue. She said at the same time that investigators have
interrogated an unnamed person who “was with [Harutiunian] at the site of the
incident.” The latter assured them that the former police chief did not allege
any pressure exerted on him in connection with the 2008 unrest probe or any
other issue, Harutiunian wrote on Facebook.
In a separate post, Harutiunian announced that the Investigative Committee has
moved to question the authors of the two news reports about “circumstances of
the case subject to clarification.”
Meanwhile, residents of Bjni who knew Harutiunian personally expressed shock at
the news of his death. The mayor of the village where Harutiunian is understood
to have spent most of his time in recent years said he would never expect the
police general to commit suicide.
“I can’t imagine him doing that,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “He was
not a weak guy, he was a very tough guy.”
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