The ambassadors of France and the USA in Azerbaijan openly disdained the government’s invitation to visit Shush. This was announced by Hikmet Hajiyev,

head of the foreign policy department of the Azerbaijani president’s office, during the conference in Shushi.

“It should be evaluated as a non-recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,” Hajiyev said.

He assessed the ambassadors’ move as “a disrespectful attitude towards the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, because, according to those countries, the conflict is not over yet.”

“It is extremely interesting to watch how this “peace-loving” government prepares “proud citizens” for national suicide. Without exaggeration,

the current situation in Armenia will become the subject of in-depth studies by psychologists and analysts in the future, as to how our state and people “happily and merrily” committed national suicide. For example, already some pro-government media organizations and “talking heads” are slowly starting to “justify” that Armenia has no option and must agree to the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” in one form or another. In other words, they are already convincing us “from below” that we have no choice and will have to hand over the transit road passing through Syunik to the Turkish-Azerbaijani terrorist group,” political analyst Arman Abovyan told “Hraparak” about this.

The analyst says that these days we will again hear that “there is no option”, that we are “left alone” and that if we do not agree, the Turkish-Azerbaijani gang will start a war, etc. Here he notes that, of course, they will not say that this will actually fix the future war prospects and that the partition of Armenia for the benefit of the enemies will not bring “peace”, but the opposite. Or they will go a more “direct” way and actually provide a corridor, however, they will convince us again that it is not a “corridor”.

“In any case, the dismemberment of Armenia, according to the projects of the Turkish-Azerbaijani group, will proceed with massive informational pressures on the “proud citizens”. By the way, we will see the same picture when they convince us again that territories in Tavush, Gegharkunik, Ararat or Syunik should also be handed over to the Turkish-Azerbaijani gang. In other words, they will convince us all that “there is no option” and we must hand over our house (in the literal sense of the word) to the Turkish-Azerbaijani gang, otherwise they will “start a fight”. We also have good news, otherwise they will say that I only write “bad things”. “In the conditions of the shameful inflation in Armenia and the enormous decline in the real incomes of “proud citizens”, the government has decided to increase pensions and allowances by two to three thousand drams,” concluded Arman Abovyan.

Narine Ghukasyan

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© 2008 – 2021 «Հրապարակ օրաթերթ»

Three Armenian candidates, Michel Setlakoui, Selin Haytai,an and Sona Lakhoian, have nominated their candidacy for the parliamentary elections of Ghana’s Kepeg province to be held on October 3.

Sona Lakhoyan graduated from Gongortia University’s political science department and received a master’s degree in public administration from the same university. she has been a member of the education committee of Laval city for 7 consecutive years. she has an active participation within the Armenian community, providing her services to the Homecoming Community and the Armenian National Committee. Selin Haytayan is an expert on economic development and a consultant for Harvard Business Review. she is the director of international relations of Ubisoft company. she served in the municipality of Montreal for 7 years. she studied law at McGill University. Lawyer Michel Setlaku has been a member of the Mont Royal Municipal Council for five years and has nominated his candidacy as the mayor of Mont Royal in 2021, but was unsuccessful. As a lawyer, he received his professional certificate from the University of Montreal. Michel Setlakou’s uncle is Raymon Setlakou (1928-2021), who made an important contribution to the approval of the Armenian Genocide recognition bills by the Ghana’s old house and parliament.

The scandal surrounding a civil service exam has painted a grim picture of Turkey’s bureaucratic corruption.
By Pinar Tremblay,

August 24, 2022

The recent cancellation of a standardized exam betrayed the extent of institutional failure and tampering in Turkey directly affecting the lives of more than a million people.

The news broke after allegations that questions of the Public Personnel Selection Examination (KPSS) were leaked before it was conducted on July 31. The scandal resulted by dismissal of several officials and the cancellation of the test. Turkey’s Center for Assessment, Selection and Placement (OSYM) denied the fraud claims circulating on social media. The growing public outrage prompted Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to weigh in, announcing an investigation into the allegations on Aug 2.

In an unusual move, Erdogan acknowledged the possibility of fraud. “We will never allow even a single child of ours to be wronged,” he tweeted.

A day later the director of the OSYM was dismissed. More than a million examinees are now preparing for the new KPSS exam set for Sept. 17. 

Although details remain unclear, the investigation has indicated that some questions included in the exam were previously published in a KPSS prep book and had also been provided to some examinees beforehand.

The KPSS, which is the first step to becoming employed in Turkey’s public service, has been in the center of several controversies over more than 10 years. Dozens of Gulenists were convicted of involvement in KPSS fraud when the movement was influential in the bureaucracy during its de facto alliance with Turkey’s ruling party. After the 2016 coup attempt, Turkey designated the movement led by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen as a terrorist organization, accusing it of masterminding the uprising that left more than 200 people dead. 

In response to questions about the KPPS investigation, Erdogan targeted Gulenists as well as the political opposition, accusing them of trying to drive a wedge between the youth and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

According to Burak Bilgehan Ozpek, a political science professor at TOBB University in Ankara and a political commentator, several factors are at play in the scandal. 

“In the past we have seen Gulen movement members providing advantages to their own members in government positions and college placement,” Ozpek told Al-Monitor. “After [the coup], Gulenist members were purged from these institutions but we did not observe a proper reconstruction of these institutions. Priority has evolved as loyalty to Erdogan and partisanship. The OSYM could not be immune to this trend.”

Ozpek also argued that the centralized structure of the OSYM, the institution responsible for all the standardized tests in the country, makes the system “vulnerable to attacks.”

Institutional tampering and favoritism have taken on fresh prominence as the case triggered a widespread outcry in the country. Opposition parties and government critics accuse the government of filling the public service with its cronies. 

Indeed, despite having top scores, several KPPS examinees have failed to pass in-person interviews for public employment. Interviews are also said to include political or even ideological questions to eliminate candidates who do not share the ruling party’s worldview. 

Although Erdogan had promised that the switch to the presidential system would make Turkey’s bureaucracy more efficient, statistics show the number of public employees has grown by 32% in Turkey since he assumed sweeping executive powers. 

The KPSS fraud also betrays the level of corruption in the Turkish bureaucracy, particularly in the standardized tests conducted by the OSYM.

According to Ozpek, the success rates of public imam hatip schools, which offer extensive Islamic studies and have become a dominant element in the education system, in college placement exams also raises questions.

“The success of imam hatip high schools in college replacement tests has become impressively high after 2016. The exam results show students graduating from these high schools are topping the lists. How can this be explained?” Ozpek asked. “These kinds of questions will remain because right now the public perceives the state as a bundle of institutions that serve the AKP ranks.”

We asked Central Committee deputy Kim Balayan how he evaluates yesterday’s meeting. The latter mentioned that he participated and was very proud of it.

“Most of the society is disappointed with today’s authorities, so I participated in that meeting like everyone else. The meeting is justified. My expectations were justified, those gathered were really concerned about the independence of the Republic of Armenia. Those who promised to come at the preliminary meeting, but decided not to come without informing anyone, were indecent,” he said.

Let’s remind that yesterday, on the initiative of Edgar Ghazaryan, the former head of the staff of the SC, about 30 deputies of the Central Committee had a meeting, during which the Declaration of Independence and the deviation of the Armenian authorities from it were discussed. Then a final statement was adopted, which was read in Republic Square.

Hayk Gevorgyan

Ամբողջական հոդվածը կարող եք կարդալ այս հասցեով՝ : https://hraparak-am.translate.goog/post/f136fad705284b813f8f6b98db5b8e93?_x_tr_sl=hy&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=nui,sc

© 2008 – 2021 «Հրապարակ օրաթերթ»

Former deputy Artur Ghazinyan wrote on his Facebook page.

“The Turkish-Azerbaijani pressures on providing the so-called “bell corridor” through the sovereign territory of Armenia are reaching a critical point.

The de jure government of RA, through the lips of its “revolutionary” leader, has excluded any “corridor logic” and is trying in every possible way to prevent this “corridor”. The reasons have nothing to do with patriotism or state interest. at the base is the desire to keep power at any cost.

According to point 9 of the statement of November 9, Armenia has committed to ensure uninterrupted and safe communication between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan, which should be monitored by the border guard forces of the FSB of the Russian Federation.

It is also noted that with the agreement of the parties, new roads can be designed and built. In that statement, there is no mention of providing a “corridor” through the territory of Armenia, while there is the obligation of Azerbaijan to provide and guarantee a transport corridor between Armenia and Artsakh.

Within the framework of this logic, the de jure government of Armenia has decided to place border checkpoints on the eastern border of Armenia, and the National Security Service and Police forces have been instructed to ensure the unhindered and uninterrupted movement of Azerbaijanis along specified roads.

In my opinion, this was a political move aimed at showing Russia and Iran that Armenia fulfills its obligations under the November 9 statement, and the demands of the Turkish and Azerbaijani authorities to open a “Zangezur Corridor” contradict that statement.

The fact that Azerbaijanis will not use these roads is understandable, because by accepting the proposal presented by RA, they will have to give up their demands for a “corridor” of regional-strategic importance and significance.

And the Turks and Azerbaijanis are not going to give up the so-called “Zangezur Corridor”, because they are well aware that they will never have a second such opportunity.

And what will happen if the attempts of Armenia’s de jure government fail and they face a dilemma? either agree to the Turkish-Azerbaijani demands and hand over the sovereign territory of Armenia for the “corridor”, or enter into a new bloody war, involving Russia and Iran.

Both will be a disaster not only for Armenia, but also for the entire region, because this war will be much more large-scale and comprehensive, and the casualties and destruction will be ten times more than during the 44-day war. The entire territory of Armenia, including Yerevan and Cascade, will turn into a battlefield of active military operations.

In the current situation, the ONLY rational and correct step of the de jure government of Armenia will be the resignation of the prime minister and the formation of a new interim government, which will renounce all the verbal agreements of the government that preceded it, and Azerbaijan and Turkey will be temporarily deprived of the international legitimacy to exert impermissible pressure on the government of Armenia.

The choice is very simple. Surrender of the sovereign territory of RA to Azerbaijan, a new bloody and disastrous war, or simply resignation.

There is simply no fourth way. . .”