administrator, Author at Gagrule.net

68 passengers arrive by Damascus- Qamishli –Yerevan flight

April 18, 2013 By administrator

April 17, 2013 – 19:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Damascus- Qamishli -Yerevan flights will henceforth operate on a regular basis, the manager of Syrian Airlines Yerevan office said.

In conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, Svetlana Hovhannisyan said 68 passengers arrived, 12 departed by the first flight.

The flights will operate every Tuesday, 03:10 am, with one-way ticket price set at AMD 165 000, with two-way ticket to cost AMD 245 000.

Syrian Airlines operated Damascus- Latakia-Yerevan flights following the suspension of flights to Aleppo, with the last flight scheduled for February 5. According to Ms. Hovhannisyan, no information was provided as to the flights to Aleppo and Latakia.

Serzh Sargsyan congratulates Yezidi community of Armenia on New Year

April 17, 2013 By administrator

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan sent a congratulatory address to the Yezidi community of Armenia on occasion of New Year.

“I cordially congratulate the Yezidi community of Armenia on occasion of New Year – Melek Taus.

I wish the New Year to become a year of success, happiness and opulence for the Yezidis of Armenia, and our Yezidi compatriots to preserve and develop their national and cultural traditions,” the President said.

“Dear representatives of the Yezidi community of Armenia,

Today, we share your happiness, and rest assured that we are also ready to brotherly share your concerns, and that the problems of your community remain in the focus of our attention.

I once again congratulate you on the occasion of the holiday and wish you all the best.”

Remember, Remind, and Reclaim: Guidelines for the Genocide Centennial

April 17, 2013 By administrator

BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN

Armenian communities around the world are gearing up for the Centennial of the Genocide on April 24, 2015, by coordinating their commemorative plans at the local, regional, and international levels.

A Pan-Armenian Centennial Committee was established in Armenia two years ago consisting of the leadership of the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh (Karabagh), heads of religious denominations, and representatives of major Armenian political, charitable, and cultural organizations. Local committees have also been formed throughout the Diaspora. As reported earlier, the international committee of Armenian Genocide experts met in Yerevan last month to recommend specific projects to be adopted by the Pan-Armenian Centennial Committee during its May 30 meeting.

On April 6, the Centennial Committees of eight Middle Eastern countries (Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran represented by committees in Tehran, Esfahan, and Tabriz,) met in Beirut to coordinate their plans on a regional basis. Also attending was Hayk Demoyan, Secretary of the Pan-Armenian Centennial Committee in Armenia.

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia, presided over the meeting and gave a timely keynote address outlining the principles that should guide the regional committees in planning for the Centennial. Aram Vehapar succinctly formulated the objectives in three key Armenian words: “Hishel, Hishetsnel, yev Bahanchel” [To Remember, To Remind, and To Reclaim].

His Holiness went on to explain: “for 100 years, we stressed the remembrance of the Genocide. We lit candles, organized commemorative evenings, and published books. These important activities will imbue our youth with the sacred testament and souls of our martyrs. Yet, we should not singly focus on this subject. For 100 years, we reminded people through demonstrations, lobbying, and raising our voices. We aim to continue
these activities with different approaches. However, it is imperative that we stress our demands for restitution.”

The Vehapar reminded the attendees about the international conference organized by the Catholicosate of Cilicia a year ago with the theme: “From Recognition to Restitution,” with the participation of international legal experts. “We need legal experts in order to present, defend, and pursue our claims appropriately in international courts,” the Catholicos stated.

Aram I went on to suggest a division of labor between the Republic of Armenia and the Diaspora: “We should work in unison. Our approaches and emphasis could be different from one another; and sometimes they must be different! Let’s not forget that Armenia is a state, and the Diaspora is a diaspora. Neither the state nor the diaspora can speak on each other’s behalf. Each has its own unique voice and function. But, there should be intra-Armenian harmony and coordination. In other words, we should plan and work with a common purpose, holding on firmly to our demands for restitution.”

The Catholicos then urged Armenians to include the far-flung regions of Africa, the Far East, and South America within the scope of the Centennial activities. Turning to the Middle East, Aram I made three important points:

1. The pursuit of the Armenian Cause in the Islamic world requires a special approach, because Turkey is a Muslim state.

2. Turkey’s ever-increasing and penetrating influence in the region is a serious problem. “In my meetings with leaders of countries in the region, I always tell them: ‘you have kept your doors very wide open in front of Turkey. The day will come when you will recognize your mistake. Turkey uses different masks.’ Therefore, we must be alert as the genocidaire is closely following our steps. We will not retreat and will not weaken in the face of Turkish meddling.”

3) Genocide is not an event that belongs to the past. The Diaspora is a consequence of the Genocide, and in a sense, it is still continuing.

Catholicos Aram I concluded by categorizing the Armenian efforts for recognition and restitution into three dimensions: historical, political, and legal. “The time has come, without ignoring the first two, to place a clear priority on the legal aspect. In this regard, we have a massive amount of work to accomplish,” he stated.

Significantly, Hayk Demoyan, Secretary of the Pan-Armenian Centennial Committee, also speaking at the regional meeting in Beirut, noted: “We know that we cannot undo some of the consequences of the Armenian Genocide, such as the lost lives and destroyed churches, nevertheless, the major consequence is the loss of the territories!”

AYF Announces Genocide Commemoration T-shirt

April 17, 2013 By administrator

GLENDALE—For the second year in a row, the Armenian Youth Federation – Western Region decided to print a community T-shirt to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. With that a decision was also made to start a design contest for the design of the shirt.

Over the past month, the AYF-WR held the Contest with all the Western Prelacy Armenian Schools. After countless submission, the AYF decided that the winner of the community shirt for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide was Osheen Manukyan from Chamlian Armenian School.

The T-shirts will be passed out at all the Prelacy Schools as well as sold at cost of printing to anyone who would like the shirt by the Armenian Youth Federation. The cost of the T-shirts will be $5 and will be available on www.AYFWest.org.

Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian-American youth organization in the United States working to advance the social, political, educational, and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.

93% of Armenian population to benefit from EU free trade agreement

April 17, 2013 By administrator

April 17, 2013 – 15:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The results of the research revealing the influence of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement on the economies of Armenia and EU were announced on Wednesday, April 17 in Yerevan.

According to preliminary report, 93% of Armenian population will benefit from the agreement that may promote economy growth, increase in incomes, and a certain drop in prices. The agreement will also boost the country’s economic competitiveness, increasing export possibilities for Armenia.

ECORYS (Netherlands,) CASE (Poland,) as well as independent experts from Armenia are in charge of the research, with final results to be released in September-October 2013.

Mustafa Barzani the man who betrayed Kurds and his own family too (By Hamma Mirwaisi)

April 17, 2013 By administrator

By Hamma Mirwaisi

Mullah Mustafa promised us Kurds an independent country and democratic system with free election with rule of laws at least that is what the name of his KDP stand for. He betrayed us Kurds because he appointed two of his sons into the KDP polite bureau. He betrayed his own family by appointing two younger sons instead of older sons. His older son Aubad-allah Barzani was in prison with Sheik Ahmed Barzani for over thirteen years. Mullah Mustafa betrayed them for Massoud and Idris Barzani. Mullah Mustafa Barzani pushed Aubad-allah Barzani and Sheik Ottoman Barzani son of Sheik Ahmed Barzani to join Saddam Hussein with 8000 Barzani whom got executed by Saddam Hussein later on.

Idris Barzani dies mysteriously. As known publicly that Massoud Barzani was trained by Israeli Mossad (intelligence agency for the Israeli government) according to “Israel-Kurds” publications in Kurdistan. Massoud are accused of killing his own brother Idris Barzani.
The Barzani Sheiks bring the tribal Kurds under the control by the marriage of the tribal chef daughters. They done that successfully with Sherwani tribe and they tried to do that with Zebari tribes too. The Barzani Sheiks married few Zebari girls and Mullah Mustafa Barzani married daughter of Mahmood Agah Zebari by name of hamial khan before departing to Russia. Hamial khan gives birth to Massoud in Mehabad Iran before the departure of Mullah Mustafa Barzani. She returns to her father home and Massoud Barzani grow up under the teaching of trader Mahmood Agah Zebari. He learns to betray Barzani from his grandfather.

Massoud Barzani is half Zebari and Half Barzani and Mullah Mustafa knows about the animosity between Barzani and Zebari very well. In 1958 when Sheik Ahmed Barzai got out of Iraqi prison, he ordered the assassinations of Ahmed Agah Zebari the older brother of Mahmood Agah Zebari because of his support to Iraqi Governments. This assassination of Ahmed Agah Zebari put frictions between Mullah Mustafa Barzani and his older brother Sheik Ahmed Barzani plus his older sons too. Is Mullah Mustafa Barzani picked Massoud Barzani under the pressure of his wife hamial khan or he just hated Kurds and his own family? Yes Mullah Mustafa Barzani did lot of good things. But he had many fault too. He appointed younger son with half Zebari, He did not send Abraham Ahmed and Jalal Talabani to the Kurdish people court to be executed for their betrayal and crime against the Kurdish people.

Mullah Mustafa Barzani betrayal of yesterday, we Kurds and Barzani are paying for it today. We Kurds do not have research and analysis to point out the truth about those who lead us. We love leaders unconditionally that is the reasons we do not have country. Are we making the mistakes today? The Kurds should answer these questions.

First the Kurdish people should know that Massoud Barzani have the same age as mine. When I was Peshmergah, he was known to be pro-Talabani in his early age. He was fund of Talabani lie and monopolizations just like his nephew Nechirvan Idris Barzani does today.
The year was 1961 the Kurdish people revolted under the leadership of Mullah Mustafa Barzani. The First casualties were from Jaff people he was brother of Koaxai Ishmael Talin from Dukan region. Mullah Mustafa promised us Kurds an independent country and democratic system with rule of laws. He was exiled for thirteen years before coming back to Kurdistan. They wrote books about that how hard it was to be away from family and relative for thirteen long years. I am personally now exiled for thirty three years and most of the Kurds are more or less the same as mine. Thanks to Mr. Massoud Barzani and Mr. Jalal Talabani,www.ekurd.netthe entire Kurdish populations want to get out of the country.
Mullah Mustafa was very assured about himself any Kurds defected to join the Iraqi Governments or any other Governments in the regions; he called them “Homo”. That was the insult for people in the region. It is not like western society which does not make any sense. He was always calling Abraham Ahmed and Jalal Talabani a homo because they joined enemies of Kurdish people.

Mullah Mustafa inherited the leadership from his brother Sheik Ahmed Barzani, whom he inherited from Sheik Abdul Salam Barzani. The Barzani families were disciple of Mawalan Khalid Naqshbandi Sufi Sheikh from Jaff people. The Barzani Sufi Sheikh worked as the preacher of Sufi sect of Islam. The idea of Sufism brought in by Mawalan Khalid Naqshbandi from India. The Barzani Sufi Sheikh started with preaching in small village initially. The people from four large Kurdish tribes who they become their followers are joined them in Sufism. Initially they were very nice to people with their teaching and guidance. Bit by bit they took over the live of populations. They controlled the people and took away the power of tribal leaders. The largest tribe joined them were the Sherwani (Barzani) tribe. The Sherwani tribe leader was Hamma Agah Sherwani, I had family relationship with one of his son, and I meet him when he was under house arrest.

Hamma Agah Sherwani explains to me how Barzani family took over their lives. He said the families were very poor, we helped them financially. In time they become rich and establish military forces from Sufi members. They can marry any beautiful girls but they do not want others to marry their daughters. His problem started when one of Mullah Mustafa’s daughters falls in love with Hamma Agah Sherwani’s son. That adventure landed them massacre by Massoud Barzani; he killed most of their males. After many years he pay their children amount of money for their father loses. The Barzani Sheiks have cousins to marry each others generations from generations. They think of themselves to be holy or untouchable people in Kurdistan. They think of themselves to be above the people in Kurdistan. Incidentally which bring me to other families in that region; they are called Deazai tribal chefs. One of their doctors invites me to his house and I meet his handicap daughter, he told me this is the product of our stupid system. The genetic pool is shrinking which will produce retard and handicap children according to the doctor.

The questions are do you think that Massoud Barzani are retard mentally or not? If it is not the why he is doing this to his own family and Kurdish people. Mullah Mustafa Barzani had few sons. Among his son he picks up two of them by name of Massoud and Idris Barzani to lead the Kurdish people. The older ones defected and joined Saddam Hussein Government with 8000 Barzani Sufi members because of that. Massoud and Idris bring in the Iranian military to Iraq which generated anger within Saddam Hussein,www.ekurd.netkilled 8000 Barzani including Massoud brothers. It is just like Mr. Jalal Talabani and his assistance Mr. Nawshirwan Mustafa brings in Iranian forces in purpose through the Jaff regions so giving Saddam Hussein a chance to kill Jaff people because both man above has a hatred toward Jaff people and they are not considering Jaff people to be human being. They are calling this policy anti tribalism. They do not understand that tribes are human being too.

Today in Kurdistan with the help of US Forces both Barzani and Talabani family are controlling the region. Large numbers of Kurds in that region are migrating to Europe. Many of them are drowning in Sea between Turkey and Greek including my own sister with her baby girl and with large group of Kurds. The live is harder for the people under Barzani and Talabani than Saddam Hussein.
The questions are why Mullah Mustafa picks this half Barzani to replace him. He did know how Zebari aga is. Today the people Mullah Mustafa suppose fight for them to be free are suffering in the hand of his half Zebari children and grandchildren; including those who are suffering are the sons of Sheik Abdul Salam Barzani and other members of his own family. Is Mullah Mustafa Barzani made a mistake by picking his half Zebari son to replace him or not?

In conclusions only Barzani Sheik family members and Kurdish people will know the answer. They do need to speak out now before it is too late, otherwise we will have Zebari Massoud as King of the regions. He is in process to build us system like Saudi Arabia family rule. He has to be stopped now.

References

European court orders Turkey to pay 1.4 million euro for Şemdinli raid on the Iraqi border

April 16, 2013 By administrator

European court has ordered Turkey to pay more than 1,4 million euros in pecuinary and non-pecuinary damages to relatives of 12 missing villagers after a military raid in Şemdinli district on the Iraqi border.

According to the relatives of the victims, Turkish military and gendarmerie forces raided Ormancık village of Şemdinli on July 24, 1994. There also were claims that the forces were part of an illegal intelligence organization inside the gendarmerie known as JİTEM.

The residents were told by the army to gather at the helicopter landing pad, which was in the main square. The men of the village were stripped naked and beaten. Two villagers, Emine Çelik and Zübeyda Uysal, who were pregnant at the time of the events, were also beaten when they protested against the security forces’ conduct and both eventually suffered miscarriages. Furthermore, Kerem İnan was killed by a non-commissioned gendarmerie officer when he did not obey the order to gather in the main square.

The relatives told the European court that the security forces set fire to the houses in the village. Cemal Sevli, Reşit Sevli, Aşur Seçkin, Salih Şengül, Yusuf Çelik, Naci Şengül and Kemal İzci were put in military vehicles by the soldiers to be taken to the military base. On the way to the base, the soldiers stopped two cars in which ten villagers were travelling. The soldiers let the four children in the cars go, but arrested Hayrullah Öztürk, Abdullah İnan, Mirhaç Çelik, Seddik Şengül, Casım Çelik and Hurşit Taşkın. The soldiers then set fire to the villagers’ cars.

Villagers were then forced to leave Ormancık and Turkey by the security forces. They then crossed the border into Iraq.

Between 1994 and 1997, the villagers lived in the Atrush refugee camp, which had been established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in northern Iraq. In March 1997, following the closure of the camp by the United Nations, the applicants moved to Suleymaniyeh, a city in northern Iraq. During the autumn of 1997 they finally returned to Turkey and began living in Şemdinli.

Fourteen relatives of the missing villagers, Meryem Çelik, Zübeyda Uysal, Misrihan Sevli, Emine Çelik, Marya Çelik, Hamit Şengül, Fatma Şengül, Besna Sevli, Hanife İzci, Şakir Öztürk, Kimet Şengül, Hazima Çelik, Şekirnaz İnan and Hamayil İnan, appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on Sept. 10, 2002, after exhausting all domestic judicial instances.

The applicants claimed that that state security forces were responsible for the killing and forced disappearance of their relatives. They asserted that their rights protected by Articles 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 13 and 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) had been violated.

The court has found that the authorities were liable under Article 2 of the Convention for the disappearance and death of the applicants’ relatives and failed to live up to its obligations. The court also found that there there has been a violation of Article 5 of the Convention on account of the unlawful detention of the missing villagers.

The court said in its decision that there has also been a violation of Article 3 of the Convention on account of the suffering of the applicants to the disappearance of their relatives.

The court awarded 11 applicants 60,000 euro each in respect of pecuniary damage.

The court also found that the applicants suffered non-pecuniary damage and awared 11 applications 65,000 euro each in respect of non-pecuniary damage. The court also awarded Şengül and Öztürk 32,500 euro each and İnan 20,000 euro.

The court said it considers it reasonable to make a joint award to the applicants of the sum of 5,200 euro to cover the fee of their legal representative in the proceedings before it.

Police, protesters face off outside Turkish embassy

April 16, 2013 By administrator

April 16, 2013 10:18 AM
The Daily Star

BEIRUT: Families of the nine remaining Lebanese hostages in Syria clashed Tuesday with security forces trying to prevent them from storming the Turkish Embassy in Rabieh, north of Beirut.

Riot police and Lebanese Army commandos managed to push the dozens of protesters back. Security forces, however, allowed the protesters to set up a tent outside the embassy.

“We’re not going to stop our actions,” ex-Lebanese hostage Awad Ibrahim told The Daily Star from Rabieh.

“We are going to target all the Turkish interests in Lebanon, including Turkish Airlines offices, factories, shipments and the embassy,” he vowed.

Ibrahim, one of the two Lebanese hostages released late last year, said the relatives plan to head to Beirut port later in the day in an effort to prevent Turkish vessels from unloading their shipment.

The brief confrontation came a day after the families of the nine Lebanese hostages targeted Turkish interests in Beirut as part of their protest over the failure to secure the release of their loved ones.

The relatives rallied outside the fish market in Beirut’s Karantina neighborhood shortly before midnight Monday, preventing drivers of refrigerated trucks from unloading their cargo. Their move was part of a recent decision to boycott Turkish products in a bid to pressure Ankara to do more to secure the release of their relatives.

The protesters vowed to adopt even harsher measures.

“Since we got fed up with false promises, we will continue to step up our action until the release of the kidnapped [men],” said Adham Zogheib, speaking on behalf of the relatives.

He said the relatives plan to target “entire Turkish interests [in Lebanon] by all methods and means.”

Police and the Lebanese Army deployed Tuesday along the road leading to the Turkish Embassy in Rabieh after they received a tip-off that the relatives intend to stage a sit-in outside the premises.

Turkey has said it is making every possible effort to secure the release of Lebanese hostages held in Syria since last May.

“There are no updates over the case but we are following up, especially after the actions of [the hostage’s] relatives. We are upholding efforts in this area,” Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon Inan Ozyildiz said Sunday.

Eleven Shiite Lebanese were abducted in the region of Aleppo, north Syria, on their way back home from a pilgrimage in Iran 10 months ago.

Ibrahim was released in September. Another hostage was let go in August.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2013/Apr-16/213893-lebanese-hostages-families-move-against-turkish-goods.ashx#ixzz2QdR6KZ98
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

Turkish composer and pianist convicted of blasphemy on Twitter

April 16, 2013 By administrator

By: Constanze Letsch in Istanbul
The Guardian, Monday 15 April 2013

Fazil Say describes verdict as ‘sad for Turkey’ after being given suspended 10-month prison sentence for series of tweets

Composer Say Fazil was accused of denigrating Islam in a series of tweets including a retweet of a verse by the 11th-century Persian poet Omar Khayyám. Photograph: AP

A Turkish court has convicted pianist and composer Fazil Say of blasphemy and inciting hatred over a series of comments he made on Twitter last year.

The musician was given a suspended 10-month jail term. His lawyer, Meltem Akyol, said his client would have to serve the term if he committed a similar offence within the next five years.

Say, who was not present at the hearing, issued a statement calling the verdict “a sad one for Turkey“. He denied the charges, saying they were politically motivated.

The 43-year-old went on trial in October accused of denigrating Islam in a series of tweets earlier last year. In one message he retweeted a verse from a poem by Omar Khayyám in which the 11th-century Persian poet attacks pious hypocrisy: “You say rivers of wine flow in heaven, is heaven a tavern to you? You say two huris [companions] await each believer there, is heaven a brothel to you?” In other tweets, he made fun of a muezzin (a caller to prayer) and certain religious practices.

Artists and intellectuals have repeatedly been targeted in Turkey for voicing their opinions, and Say’s case has renewed concerns about the Turkish government’s stance towards freedom of expression. The composer has been a vocal critic of the ruling AK party and Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan and his government have been accused of wanting to dismantle Turkish secularism and of curbing freedom of expression. In a report published at the end of last month, Amnesty International called the lack of freedom of speech in Turkey one of the country’s “most entrenched human rights problems”.

The first government reaction after the court ruling came from Ömer Çelik, minister for culture and tourism. “I would not wish anyone to be put on trial for words that have been expressed. This is especially true of artists and cultural figures”, he said speaking at the London Book Fair, but stressed that there was “a court decision”.

Khayyám became a trending topic on Twitter in Turkey after the verdict, with many re-posting the contentious verses.

In 1998, Erdogan himself was jailed for “inciting religious hatred” after reciting a poem attributed to the Ottoman writer Ziya Gökalp.

Senior Iranian cleric: History will judge Turkey’s betrayal of Syria

April 16, 2013 By administrator

The Syrian fire will one day reach Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Iranian Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi was quoted as saying by Iran’s Mehr news agency.

Commenting on Turkey’s Syria policy at a meeting with Syrian ambassador to Tehran Adnan Mahmoud, the senior Iranian cleric said, in part, “One day the history will judge the betrayal of those countries which sent terrorists to Syria to carry out killings in universities, schools and mosques. Those like Erdogan and the Kings of Saudi Arabia and Qatar will be fairly condemned in the course of history.”

Earlier, referring to Turkey’s policy to its neighbors, particularly Syria, Naser Makarem Shirazi said, in part, “The Turkish authorities have turned off 180 degrees from the path of Islam. They arm terrorists and send them to Syria to kill their Muslim brothers. State relations have nothing to do with us, but we announce that our entire nation feels disgust for you.”