By Lucine Kasbarian,
Barzani pressures Êzidîs to fight against the PKK, Êzidîs ‘WE WILL NOT FIGHT THE PKK, WHO PROTECTED US AGAINST ISIS’
Masoud Barzani pressured Êzidîs to fight against the PKK. Êzidîs peshmergas and mukhtars criticized this pressure and stated that they would not fight against a force that saved them from a massacre.
DUHOK – ANF,
Masoud Barzani met with 300 Êzidî peshmergas and mukhtars in the Sıhêle military base in Duhok yesterday, and pressured them to fight against the PKK.
A peshmerga, who wishes to remain anonymous due to security concerns, that participated in the meeting spoke to ANF and said that Barzani pressured peshmergas and mukhtars to fight against the PKK but was met with a harsh reaction.
‘FIGHT AGAINST THE PKK IF NEEDED’
In the meeting, Masoud Barzani stated that the PKK’s existence in Shengal should be ended and asked Êzidî peshmergas and people to take a stance against the PKK openly. Accordingly, Barzani said that the existence of two authorities in Shengal should be ended, and the Êzidî peshmergas and people should take an open stance against the PKK and kick it out of Shengal. Barzani also said that they would fight the PKK if it refuses to leave the city.
‘WE WILL NOT FIGHT THE PKK, WHO PROTECTED US AGAINST ISIS’
The peshmerga that spoke to ANF said that several people objected to Barzani’s pressure to fight against the PKK, saying that the PKK prevented ISIS from massacring Êzidîs and has received a lot of love and devotion from the Êzidîs, who would not fight the PKK under any circumstances.
Reportedly, Barzani could not convince the Êzidîs, who warned Barzani that fighting against the PKK would harm the national union of Kurdish people.
‘NATIONAL UNITY WOULD BE HARMED’
Lastly, the peshmerga that participated in the meeting praised the PKK for contributing to the national union of Kurdish people through its struggle and sacrifice, and emphasized that Êzidî peshmergas would never join a war that would target the PKK and harm the national unity of Kurdish people.
Update: HPG Kurdish Forces inflicted Heavy blow on Turkish troops in Oremar 8 soldier killed
(Firat News Agency) HPG (People’s Defense Forces) Press Office reported that Turkish military conducted one of its most intense bombardments against guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones after the losses they suffered in Northern Kurdistan on May 13.
8 SOLDIERS KILLED IN OREMAR
According to the HPG statement, a Turkish troop attempted to infiltrate into Martyr Gafur area in Oremar territory of Hakkari’s Çukurca district between 19.00 – 23.00 on May 13.
Guerrillas hit this troop at 06:00 this morning, as a result of which 8 soldiers died and their bodies still remain in the guerrilla-held area. Alongside the ongoing bombardment on Martyr Gafur hill starting from 09:00 this morning, clashes in the area are still ongoing.
On May 13, YJA-Star (Free Women’s Troops) guerrillas conducted assassination actions against the Turkish troop deployed in Zeytê outpost, which left 2 soldiers dead. Turkish forces bombed Mergê area and surroundings in the wake of the guerrilla action which was conducted in memory of martyr Rohat Hejar.
ACTION AGAINST MAMREŞ OUTPOST
At 09:00 on May 13, guerrillas hit a truck carrying 10 soldiers after its leave from Mamreş outpost in Hakkari’s Şemdinli district. While the death toll inflicted here couldn’t be verified, casualties were removed from the scene with another truck. Turkish forces shelled the scene and surrounding areas after the guerrilla action.
2 GUERRILLAS FELL IN DERSİM
HPG continued, reporting that Turkish army started an operation near Burmek village of Dersim at 16:30 on May 5 as a guerrilla unit was on move in the area. While the scene was shelled by Cobra helicopters, violent clashes erupted between Turkish forces and guerrillas. 1 soldier was killed and 2 others were wounded during the fighting that lasted till 01:00 at night, while 2 guerrillas also fell fighting here. The military operation was retreated at 15:30 one day later.
OPERATION IN YÜKSEKOVA
HPG stated that Turkish troops launched an operation in Tılore area of Hakkari’s Yüksekova district at 06:00 on May 12. The operation was retreated inconclusively the same day.
ACTION AGAINST SOLDIERS GUARDING THE DAM IN SİLVAN
At 10:30 on May 13, guerrillas hit the soldiers keeping guard at the dam in Amed’s Farqin (Silvan) district. While the number of casualties inflicted here couldn’t be clarified, Turkish troops bombed the area after the guerrilla action.
TURKISH JETS BOMBED GUERRILLA ZONES
HPG continued by reporting continued air strikes yesterday against the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in Southern Kurdistan territory. Accordingly, Turkish jets targeted;
– Sergelê area of Zap region at 11:30,
– Bokriskan and Enzê villages in Qandil region between 14.00 – 18.00,
– Helikopter hill in Xakurkê area at 12:30,
– Kurê Mızgeftê area between 13.00 – 15.00,
– Kani Sarkê area between 11.30 – 13.30 yesterday.
Turkish air strikes also targeted;
– Berbızına area between 02.00 – 03.00 on May 14 night,
– Metina border line between 06.00 – 08.00 on May 12, and between 04.00 – 04.30 on May 13.
ID DETAILS OF FALLEN GUERRILLAS
HPG provided the following ID details of the 2 guerrillas who fell in Dersim;
Nom de Guerre: Rıza Yoldaş
Name-Surname: Murat Tekgöz
Date and Place of Martyrdom: 5 May 2016 / Dersim
***
Nom de Guerre: Sinan Yoldaş
Name-Surname: Haydar Argal
Date and Place of Martyrdom:5 May 2016 / Dersim
USA: First Armenian genealogy conference draws hundreds to Watertown (video)
The first Armenian Genealogy Conference was held at the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center (ACEC), in Watertown, Mass on the weekend of April 9-10.
More than 300 people attended the two-day conference, the Armenian Weekly reports.
Some came from as far as Vancouver, Canada, while two participants flew in from Great Britain.
The program began Saturday with a welcome by the three conference organizers, Tracy Rivest Keeney, Mark Arslan, and George Aghjayan.
Keeney, creator of the Armenian Genealogy Facebook page, led the first presentation, covering the sources most commonly available to genealogists in the United States. She used real cases in highlighting the valuable information that can be gleaned from the sources. Her talk supplied an important foundation, especially for those just beginning their family tree research.
The next presenter, Arslan, provided background on his family research and its evolution to become the Armenian Immigration Project. Initially devoted to immigrants from Keghi, the website has become an extensive database for all immigrants to the United States. Arslan gave examples of the ways to search the databases as well as to link individuals to various records. He also explained how others can help in transcribing records.
Vahe Tachjian, director of Houshamadyan, spoke of the project’s aim to “reconstruct Ottoman Armenian town and village life.” He gave examples of memory items that supply important context, particularly for genealogists. He also explained how people can help expand the project.
Then, both Houshamadyan and Project Save—the Armenian photograph archives and one of the sponsoring organizations of the conference—welcomed attendees to their booths, where participants shared their photographs, family trees, and other memory items, and learned about these two important Armenian institutions.
Following lunch, Luc Baronian, professor of linguistics at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, spoke of the importance of the books, periodicals, and other information contained in the records of Armenian compatriotic unions. Using the examples of Gurin, Ourfa, Albustan, and Gesaria, Baronian detailed early census records, hand-drawn maps, post-genocide lists of villagers around the world, and survivor memoirs to highlight the richness of material available to genealogists.
The final speakers for the day were Janet Achoukian Andreopoulos and Stephen Kurkjian.
Andreopoulos supplied a brief explanation of the different DNA tests available and the companies that offer them. Kurkjian and Andreopoulos then told the story of how a DNA test helped one woman identify her Armenian father. Andreopoulos walked the audience step-by-step through the process and methods she used to unearth the previously unknown father.
The final two hours on Saturday were devoted to networking and actual research. More than 12 volunteers from nearby Family History Centers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helped attendees with their own family research. In addition, based on the village origins of conference participants, photographs of the attendees were taken with others from the same region—the villages fell into 12 regions, and participants were divided into groups accordingly. DNA kits from Family Tree DNA were also made available at a discount.
The day-long program was video-taped by Roger Hagopian, well-known local filmmaker (“Destination Watertown: The Armenians of Hood Rubber” and “Memories of Marash”). The videos (14 parts) are available through the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) YouTube channel:
On Sunday, cosponsors Project Save, the NAASR, and the Armenian Museum of America (AMA) opened their doors to conference participants. Attendees learned more about the missions of the organizations, their extensive collections and resources, and the way they can be used by genealogists. Hamazkayin Boston and the Tekeyan Cultural Association also sponsored the conference. Given the tremendous success of the program, future conferences are currently being planned for other locations.
Russian Analyst: Russia consciously sold war weapons to Azerbaijan against its CSTO ally
Moscow consciously sold war weapons to Azerbaijan against its The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) ally, Deputy Director of Russia’s Institute of Political and Military Analysis, Alexander Khramchikhin writes.
“There can be long and interesting discussion on who Moscow objectively considers more advantageous to be friends with – Yerevan or Baku; or the fact of irreconcilable Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict should be ignored and attempt should be made to uphold neutrality. However, according to the facts, Armenia is a CSTO member, which supports Russia in almost all key international issues. As to Azerbaijan, it isn’t and hasn’t been included in any pro-Russian organization in the post-soviet area and never agreed its foreign policy with Moscow, being guided first of all by its ethnic kindred Ankara,” the analyst writes.”
“For instance, in March 2014, Armenia voted together with Russia in the UN General Assembly in favor of the Crimean issue, which is most important to us, while Azerbaijan voted against Russia. That is, Yerevan is the legal and actual ally of Moscow, while Baku isn’t. The author of the present article is not ready to answer how objectively good or bad this is for Moscow; he merely states the fact. Another fact is that the ally obligations should be fulfilled. In the recent eight years, Russia has demonstrated on the examples of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Crimea and Syria that it is a very strong and reliable ally, while NATO showed on the same examples that the friendship with it is a suicide. NATO is in no way engaged in the Karabakh conflict, while Russia had its first serious “program failure” here.”
“In the recent years, Azerbaijan bought huge amount of modern military equipment from Russia, Turkey and Israel. Azerbaijan bought most of the weapons from Russia, this offensive weapons apparently being designed not for parades in the center of Baku, but for breaking the Armenian fortifications in Karabakh. One doesn’t need to be a diplomat or military officer to understand this. Moscow thereby consciously sold war weapons against its CSTO ally. From a commercial point of view, this was a very successful bargain, but from political standpoint it was dubious, to put it mildly. Moscow’s argument in this connection that “if we don’t sell, others will do that” is even more dubious, if not stronger and tougher in this case. Besides, “others” cannot sell certain things. For instance, merely nobody in the world has an analogue to the most powerful TOS-1A system, while exactly the latter can cause very great harm to Karabakh’s frontline troops. It’s absolutely unclear where Azerbaijan could find analogous T-90. Thus, the argument about “others” is not only rather cynical, but it also doesn’t correspond to reality.
Perhaps understanding all this, Kremlin exerted significant efforts to cease fire and restore the status quo in Karabakh. The trouble is that as mentioned above, this cannot last forever, while Moscow has no magic recipe for “the peaceful settlement of the conflict,” since it doesn’t exist at all. Besides, Yerevan has now very frankly “struck an attitude,” and this is understandable, since Moscow’s attempt to take up a pronouncedly neutral position in the light of the CSTO existence seems a little strange. In fact, Moscow still wants to see in CSTO an analogue to NATO, a powerful united military bloc. Now it can already be said that we will manage to have the analogue to the real NATO – a soap bubble, in which nobody is going to defend others.
Before the April war, Russia announced about the arms supplies, including the same TOS-1A flamethrower systems and Smerch multiple rocket launchers, to Armenia. And this was done by loan (We sold this equipment to Azerbaijan for the full price). This will to some extent restore the balance of forces in the conflict zone and will retain the status quo much better than all the diplomatic efforts, especially considering that the fall in the oil and gas prices has seriously affected the Azerbaijani military budget. Even the current, slightly noticeable military advantage of Azerbaijan doesn’t ensure its victory at all. If this advantage reduces, Baku’s decision on the military operation against NKR will move into doubtful future,” Khramchikhin wrote.
Turkey: Leaked wiretaps of ISIS agents show Ankara routinely ignores terrorist cross-border activity
Thousands of ISIS associates have been routinely crossing into Syria aided by contacts in Turkey, phone calls tapped by Ankara security forces and handed to the media by opposition MP Erem Erdem reveal. He accuses the government of a massive cover-up.
Transcribed phone recordings belonging to Ilhami Bali, well known in Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) ranks and suspected of staging high-profile bomb attacks in Ankara and the mainly-Kurdish border city of Suruc, detail the lack of control along the Syrian Turkish border. The 98-kilometer (61-mile) stretch of border has only two crossings, the Jarablus and Al Rai entry points across from Turkey’s Gaziantep and Kilis.
Pressured by the international community to impose stricter border controls to stem the flood of militants into Syria, Ankara has been erecting walls at key crossing points, but to no avail as surveillance data from the Municipality of Ankara Provincial Security Department revealed.
The transcripts of the recordings have been passed on to the media by Turkish opposition politician, Eren Erdem of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), who is facing a witch-hunt from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government over his repeated allegations of massive cover-up of IS activity on Turkish soil.
While daily logs by the Turkish Armed Forces reveal that Turkish security forces apprehended 961 IS members from 57 countries in 2015, the alleged reality exposed by the Erdem leak, shows that thousands of IS fighters and their family members cross the Turkish border from Syria on a daily basis. But even those who get arrested on the Turkish side are often released at the crossing points.
For instance several documents suggest that IS coordinators helped some 1,400 people cross the Turkish border from September 22 – October 17. In one of the phone conversations, Ilhami Bali asked his interlocutor named Erkek, who according to the conversations helps smuggle people, the exact number of persons he has helped cross the border.
As the men argue about the actual number of all those who entered and left Turkey, the conversation reveals that the actual count of people passing through to the Turkish side is actually more than IS coordinators have presumed.
Another conversations between the two subjects revealed Bali was extremely dissatisfied with Erkek’s performance as he failed to help IS operatives cross the border.
“Did you get our people through?” Bali asked Erkek, who replied that he was not the one guiding the group in question.
“What? Are you the one who is responsible that they got arrested? Don’t lie to me! Don’t lie to me. Eighteen people crossed the border last night. Fifteen of them got arrested when you tried to help them,” Bali said.
“Listen to me, I have warned you,” added Bali, losing his temper. “If I ever hear that you try to pass our guys through, I will come in your house and shoot you to your head. I will shoot your head while you’re in bed.”
READ MORE: RT documentary exposes dirty oil secrets, ISIS ties with Turkey
However, as other conversations have shown, IS operatives and contacts on the Turkish side of the border help those IS affiliates detained by Turkish security forces to evade justice.
“One brother, two sisters and one child were arrested while they tried to cross [at Kilis]. How could this happen? I do not understand,” wondered Erkek in another phone call.
“We have called and gave them the information,” Bali replied. “We talked to the brother who will look after the people who were arrested. Inshallah will look after them.”
More conversations between the two subjects further confirm that those who get arrested are later released through IS connections at police stations.
“The guy from the Gendarmerie called me and said that they were in the smuggler car,” Bali told Erkek in a conversations about another group detained at the border. “Call this guy. The people who got arrested today are at the Gandermarie station. Maybe he can do something… Gendarmerie took them under arrest. If they can let them free they should do that.”
Bali’s conversation with another IS operative, Mustafa Demir, offers apparent proof that the IS terror group is smuggling its fighters into Turkey for medical treatment.
“You know this Abu Abdella Garip who gets out the wounded people? Now Ali Mantara will come. He will bring a brother. He will call you when he arrives… Take the numbers and send them to the administration [of the crossing]. So the administration will look after them,” Mustafa Demir tells Bali.
“Where should I bring Abdullah Garip who helps cross the wounded ones? Should I take him to madrasa?” Bali asked.
“Send them to madrasa and call Ebu Abdallah and tell him that five persons are with Garip Geli… tell him that he should write down their names… So we can control how many left from here,” Demir replies.
In another conversation Erkek asks Bali what should “one wounded person” do when he comes to Turkey.
“I don’t really know. It has nothing to do with us,” Bali replied. “Tell them they should go to the border to the administration there.”
Read More: RT
Tonight at 21 hours on France 2 the final of Eurovsion 2016, Iveta Mukuchyan sing for Armenia in 26th and last place. ARMENIA vote!
Tonight at 21 hours is the final of Eurovision 2016 will be transmitted live from Stockholm (Sweden) on foreign television channels France 2 and France. Armenia, with superb Iveta Mukuchyan perform his performance in 26th and last place. This position obtained by lot, is perhaps not favor -one Armenia favorite to title- which will take about 23 hours … But we believe it! And so Armenia -including viewers can not vote for the representative of Armenia-and especially the Armenians in the European Diaspora of Russia to France, passing through Greece, Germany, the Nether- Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands or Austria are behind Armenia, No. 23 for voting by phone or sms.
After the controversy of the flag of Nagorno-Karabakh and future sanctions announced by the EBU’s Eurovision broadcaster, facing the pressures of Azerbaijan won the competition in very suspicious circumstances, prove that Armenians the planet are secured behind Armenia. Let’s vote! Armenia twelve points Armenia, twelve points …
The order of the passages of Eurovision 2016:
1.Belgique
Czech 2.République
3.Pays Netherlands
4.Azerbaïdjan
5.Hongrie
6.Italie
7.Israël
8.Bulgarie
9.Suède
10.Allemagne
11.France
12.Pologne
13.Australie
14.Chypre
15.Serbie
16.Lithuanie
17.Croatie
18.Russie
19.Espagne
20.Lettonie
21.Ukraine
22.Malte
23.Géorgie
24.Autriche
25.Royaume Kingdom
26.Arménie
Krikor Amirzayan (Գրիգոր Ամիրզայեան)
Syria captures Turkish aid cargo heading to Daesh ISIS in Iraq
Syrian intelligence forces say that they have captured a haul of medical supplies near Aleppo that came from Turkey and was destined for Daesh terrorists in the Iraqi city of Mosul.
In a video released by Russia’s RT television network on Friday, Hussein al-Omar, a colonel in Syria’s Military Intelligence Directorate, said that the lorry, loaded with some 25 tons of medicine and hospital supplies, including a number of dialysis machines, had entered Syria from Turkey’s Bab al-Hawa international border crossing, located on Syria’s northwestern border with Turkey.
He added that the lorry was planned to reach Mosul, Daesh’s de facto capital in Iraq, through the towns of Afrin, A’zaz, and Manbij in Aleppo province. According to Omar, the lorry, loaded in Turkey, bore a Syrian number plate and was driven by two militants from al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front terrorist group, who had received the cargo in the Bab al-Hawa border crossing.
“Through an intelligence operation, we lured them from Afrin to Nubl, arrested them, and brought them here. All of this proves that Turkey is supporting the terrorists, especially Daesh, with meds and all supplies, even with weapons,” the Syrian official further said.
The much-needed aid would be delivered to Aleppo’s local maternity hospital, which sustained damage in a recent shelling attack launched by the Takfiri terrorists, he added.
Turkey has time and again been accused of aiding and abetting militant groups operating in Syria with reports saying that Ankara actively trains and arms the Takfiri militants there, and facilitates their safe passage into the Arab country. Ankara has also been accused of buying smuggled oil from Daesh.
Last year, Russia released satellite images showing long lines of trucks carrying oil from Syria’s Daesh-controlled parts into Turkey. Ankara, however, has rejected the allegations.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has also displaced over half of the Arab country’s pre-war population of about 23 million.
Panama Papers bubble chart shows politicians are most mentioned in document leak database
It appears to show that politicians are mentioned most often, followed by lawyers, business people, entrepreneurs, and those working in association football,
By Hazel Sheffield,
Politicians are by far the most referenced occupation in the Panama Papers.
That’s according to a chart created by a data researcher from Denmark, who used Wikidata to plot the occupations associated with those featured in the leaked documents.
Finn Årup Nielsen, senior researcher from the department of applied math and computer science at the Technical University of Denmark, published the bubble chart on his blog.
It appears to show that politicians are mentioned most often, followed by lawyers, business people, entrepreneurs, and those working in association football.
Nielsen said the flaw with the Wikidata means that only people who are notable enough to get their own Wikipedia page will be included in the data, which might mean many smaller business people featured in the papers don’t count towards the bubble chart.
At least three dozen Americans did business with Mossack Fonseca, the law firm based in Panama that wrote to all its clients to tell them it had leaked their details to the press on April 1.
Among the Americans listed are Len Gotshalk, a former Atlanta Falcons football star who was charged in 2010 with being a key player in a kickbacks scheme to inflate stocks of tech companies. Three days later, he bought a British Virgin Islands shell company that Mossack Fonseca had set up.
Emma Watson’s name has also been found in the searchable database published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
Watson’s spokesperson confirmed the 26-year-old had set up an offshore company, but added that she does not receive any tax or monetary advantages whatsoever. The spokesperson said she uses it for privacy purposes.
Setting up an offshore company is not in itself illegal or evidence of illegal conduct.
A number of past and present world leaders were named in the first leak as having offshore holdings. The database is the largest ever trove of data about offshore companies to be made publicly available.
EU Wants ‘Real’ Fight Against Corruption in Armenia
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—Piotr Switalski, head of the EU Delegation in Armenia, spoke at an anti-corruption seminar in Yerevan on May 13, attended by Armenian Justice Minister Arpine Hovannisian and Education Minister Levon Mkrtchian.The European Union will provide 15 million euros ($17 million) in additional aid to Armenia if its government tackles widespread corruption in the country in earnest, a senior EU diplomat said on Friday.
Switalski complained about a lack of “visible” results of anti-corruption initiatives that have repeatedly been announced by the Armenian authorities.
“The government of Armenia has adopted a number of very important and very good documents,” Switalski said, referring to its most recent anti-corruption strategy and a council headed by Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian.
“But what we need now…is not only new plans, new words and new declarations,” Switalski said during the seminar. “I think the people of Armenia expect real facts and visible proof that the fight against corruption is progressing in Armenia.”
“We have 15 million euros committed to help the government of Armenia fight against corruption,” he added. “But when I say committed I mean committed, not distributed or spent, because…there are conditions.”
“We want to see concrete results. If we don’t see such concrete results, these 15 million euros will not be transferred to the government of Armenia,” warned the diplomat.
The remarks came the day after Abrahamian announced that the government will embark on major reforms in order to confront new security challenges facing Armenia after the escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He said the reforms will include a tougher fight against corruption.
Abrahamian’s influential chief of staff, Davit Harutiunian, insisted on Friday that the government is committed to strengthening the rule of law despite skepticism voiced by opposition politicians and civil society representatives. “If you think that once a decision is made the results will be immediately visible, you are wrong,” he told reporters. “It requires some work and the prime minister ordered the start of that work.”
Commenting on Switalski’s statement, Harutiunian said: “Nobody expects money from Mr. Switalski for combatting corruption. The fight against corruption is not conditional on European Union funding.”
Abrahamian said on Thursday that the government is open to any proposals from the opposition and civic activists and even the common Armenian citizen. He said such proposals should be e-mailed to Harutiunian.
Justice Minister Hovannisian said that as part of the promised reform drive, the government plans to introduce criminal liability for high-ranking Armenian officials underreporting their personal incomes. She said a relevant bill drafted by her ministry will be approved by Abrahamian’s cabinet next week.
Armenia ranked 95th out of 168 countries evaluated in Transparency International’s 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). It was 94th in the 2014 CPI that covered 174 countries and territories.
The head of the Berlin-based watchdog’s Armenian branch, Varuzhan Hoktanian, said the government has yet to take “concrete steps” against corrupt practices among its officials. “I’ve always said that at the heart of corruption in Armenia is a monopolization of the economy, which leads to monopolization of political power, and a merger of the political and business elites,” he said.