The EU is facing “major challenges” in dealing with NATO ally Turkey and Russia, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday.

The pair made the remarks during a meeting to discuss European issues, ranging from ties with Moscow to the block’s battle against COVID-19 variants, ahead of an EU summit next week, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported.

“On the one hand, there are differences of opinion. On the other hand, we are dependent on each other if we want to shape certain issues together,’’ Merkel said, speaking on Turkey. “That is the migration issue, that is the issue of the future of Libya, that is the issue of the future of Syria.” 

Turkey has been an official EU candidate country since 1999 and has maintained a customs union deal with the bloc since January 1996. Accession negotiations formally began in October 2005, however have stalled in the last few years due to what is being called Turkey’s failure to comply with required criteria pertaining to the EU candidacy.

In 2016, at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis, Turkey agreed to take back people who travelled to Greece irregularly and take steps to limit the crossings. In return, the EU promised to provide funds to support the near four million Syrian refugees in Turkey.

Turkey is heavily involved in Libya and the main backer of the internationally 

recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) against Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), which is supported by Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

Turkey also maintains a military presence in neighbouring Syria, where it has launched multiple operations targeting Kurdish forces linked to an insurgency on its own soil.

Iran’s ultraconservative cleric and judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi has won the presidential election held on June 18, receiving 17,8 million votes according to the preliminary results, reports TASS.

28 million 600 thousand people participated in the voting.

The final results will be published within the day.

Four candidates were running for the president: Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council Mohsen Rezaee (more than 3 million 300 thousand votes), Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi, Deputy Parliament Speaker Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi (over 1 million votes) and former Governor of the Central Bank Abdolnaser Hemmati (more than 2 million 400 thousand votes).

After coming to power, we will immediately decrypt the process of unblocking of roads. This is what third President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said today.

“In addition, we will incorporate the Armenian national interest in the process.

We will set up a committee that will lead a probe into the circumstances behind the 44-day war in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), and after the probe, those who led the country to capitulation will be severely punished. We will restore Armenia’s territorial integrity, as well as develop and approve plans to modernize the Armed Forces.

We will effectively coordinate the relations between Armenia and Artsakh in order to protect the interests of Armenians of Artsakh so that they don’t have to rely only on Russian peacekeepers. In addition, we will restore settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group, with a guarantee for exercise of the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and the priority of the status of Artsakh.

We will review the structure of the Government of Armenia and reinstate the Ministries of Agriculture, Culture and Diaspora, as well as carry out reforms in the education system.

The Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora relations will be revisited and reinterpreted, and the trilateral ties will be coordinated successfully. We will launch talks over the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement signed between the European Union and Armenia,” he added.

A group of British politicians who are members of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Armenia have written to the UN Security Council President Sven Jürgenson, slamming the ‘both-sides’ narrative adopted by many during Azerbaijan’s invasion of Artsakh, reports the Armenian National Committee of UK.

Read the letter in full below:

Your Excellency,
We are writing to you as members of the UK Parliament and representatives of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Armenia to express our concern and fears for the fate of Armenia during this period of national insecurity following the invasion and incursion into Armenia’s internationally recognized borders. We call upon you to help resolve this latest provocation and prevent another illegal war.

Early last month Azerbaijan’s military forces infiltrated the borders of Syunik, the southern region in the Republic of Armenia, intending to take Lake Sev. They advanced three kilometers towards the village of Verishen and it is understood there were about 250 Azerbaijani armed forces stationed there aiming to move towards Vardenis and Sisian. The takeover of these strategic heights took place days before large-scale Azerbaijani military drills along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The situation intensified late last month when Azerbaijan’s military shot dead an Armenian soldier near the village of Verin Shorzha after Armenian border patrols tried to stop the latest Azerbaijani advancements. The location of the incident was well within the Armenian borders. Two days later, on May 27, Azerbaijan captured six Armenian soldiers near the borders of Gegharkunik.

It is without doubt that the latest provocations are a direct attack against the Republic of Armenia and a threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

These incursions come as no surprise as President ALiyev has made several xenophobic and aggressive statements against Armenia since the ceasefire agreement on 9th November 2020. He has vowed to take over 40% of the country’s territory, including capital Yerevan. Last month he threatened to use force to take control of the corridor between Azerbaijan and Nakhijevan through the Syunik region. Azerbaijan’s government has since then openly declared their illegal plans to establish several “corridors” through Southern Armenia and expressed their desire for these corridors to come under the control of the Russian Federation Security Service. Azerbaijan’s president has repeatedly stated he will only negotiate with Russia and not Armenia about her sovereign territory.

The international community remained mostly silent when Azerbaijan invaded Nagorno Karabakh, together with the help of Turkey and Syrian mercenaries, carrying out well-documented war crimes during the 4-day war in 2020. The impunity enjoyed by Azerbaijan has given them the confidence to threaten the territorial integrity of Armenia further, this time for away from the conflict zone.

The lack of condemnation from the international community has emboldened Azerbaijan to continue with their state-sponsored war crimes, ethnic cleansing and atrocities. Azerbaijan’s treatment of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives is one of the many examples demonstrating their disregard for human rights and international conventions. We have prepared a document listing Azerbaijan’s human rights violations since the war to highlight the scale of the atrocities committed.

The only way to protect Armenia’s sovereignty is to ensure the international community has a presence in the region, curbing further expansionist plans by certain regional powers. While Armenia may be a small and military insecure nation, its economic potential cannot be ignored. Its growing tech sector, further infrastructure developments especially in the energy sector offer a positive not benefit for the global community. Armenia once again scored higher than her neighbors in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2020 and this form of governance should be encouraged across the region to ensure regional stability. We therefore call upon you to mediate a peaceful resolution to the latest provocations by:

• Calling on Azerbaijan to withdraw its forces immediately and cease open provocations, instead of reverting to the “both side-ism” which suggests Armenians should retreat from their own borders.
• Condemning Azerbaijan’s further attempt to disturb regional peace.
• Condemning the capturing of the 6 Armenian soldiers and demand the release of all POWs and captives detained in Azerbaijan.
• Supporting the creation of a UN-operated security buffer zone along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, which can prevent a new war and stop regional powers from exploiting the current conflict. The buffer zone is also necessary to guarantee the rights of those residing along he border and would offer vital security for the citizens of Armenia.
• Fully supporting the efforts to settle the political status of Nagorno-Karabakh under the guidance of the OSCE Minsk Group and carry out a legally binding border demarcation to establish a means for achieving lasting peace in the region.

Azerbaijan is acting with impunity and the international community has a duty to stop ethnic cleansing of the Armenians in the region.

Armenia’s history dates back over three millennia and it is imperative we preserve the region’s history and culture, and support modern day Armenia’s future potential.

We hope you will join us and support our call to action. We would like to be more than happy to meet your colleagues and you to discuss the human rights violation report we have put together or further discuss Azerbaijan’s latest provocations.

Washington, D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) has long advocated for and welcomes the democratic progress of Armenia. We commend the Armenian people for their civic engagement and continued participation in elections where they have regularly turned out in large numbers. In 2018, the United States congratulated the people of Armenia on the conduct of their December 9 parliamentary elections and the International Election Observer Mission involving the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and the European Parliament (EP) found that “the 9 December [2018] early parliamentary elections were held with respect for fundamental freedoms and enjoyed broad public trust that needs to be preserved through further electoral reforms.”

For Sunday’s elections, multiple observer groups are present from the OSCE, Europe, the Eurasian Union, and the United States. We look forward to their assessments once again. The Assembly takes note of the vigorous campaigns being waged, the vibrancy of free speech, and the diverse voices that are putting forward their views about the important issues surrounding the security and future of the Armenian people in the aftermath of last Fall’s devastating war launched by Azerbaijan with the full backing of Turkey. The Assembly agrees with the recent statement issued by Artsakh’s National Assembly that “Erdogan’s uninvited visit to Artsakh’s occupied territories, in particular Shushi, [is] a threat and a new attempt to display force. This is the continuation of the opening of [the military] ‘trophy park’ in Baku which supposes adoption of new moral and psychological pressures against the Armenian people in the post-war period.”

Armenia’s record on democracy stands in sharp contrast to the Erdogan and Alivev regimes’ records in Turkey and Azerbaijan; another successful election in Armenia will give the United States an excellent opportunity to reward democracy and also take a stand against further ethnic cleansing and encroachment on Armenia’s independence. In 1915, and after World War I, following the Armenian Genocide, Armenians were left to face alone similar threats which led to Sovietization and the continuation of the Genocide. We are dedicated to seeing that history does not repeat itself. The Assembly strongly supports the rule of law and good governance both in Armenia and Artsakh. Respecting the will of the people and the building of robust democratic institutions are cornerstones of any democracy. The Assembly believes that Armenia’s young democracy, like Artsakh’s, deserves support. The results of Armenia’s June 20th parliamentary elections should serve as an opportunity for the country to come together and chart a course for a future that unites everyone.

We all understand this election is taking place in the context of extreme loss, pain, and continuing aggression. Democratic elections and coming together to deal with these existential challenges are all the more important now. We continue to be proud of those showing such spirit and resilience.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

GLENDALE – On June 17, the Consulate General of Armenia in Los Angeles hosted a reception in honor of Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian to express gratitude for the Council member’s consistent support to Armenia and Artsakh. The reception was attended by public, religious, political and cultural leaders and community representatives. After the welcoming remarks by Consul General of Armenia in Los Angeles Ambassador Armen Baibourtian, speeches were delivered by Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, the Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of North America, Salpi Ghazarian, Director of the University of Southern California’s (USC) Institute of Armenian Studies, prominent lawyer Rafi Ourfalian, and Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian of the California State Assembly. The speakers highly appreciated the work of Councilmember Krekorian for the sake of the Homeland. All the clergymen present at the event said a prayer for Paul Krekorian and his wife Dr. Tamar Krekorian.In his speech,

Consul General of Armenia Ambassador Armen Baibourtian noted the importance of Paul Krekorian’s activities and efforts for the City of Los Angeles, the State of California, the U.S. as well as Armenia and Artsakh in both capacities of an Assemblymember of the California State Assembly and a Councilmember of the Los Angeles City Council. “There are many examples that attest to Paul Krekorian’s full and unwavering devotion towards the welfare and betterment of the Homeland of Armenia and Artsakh,” said Ambassador Baibourtian in his speech. Back in 2012, the Los Angeles City Council adopted the Los Angeles-Shushi Friendship City agreement, and in 2013, the Los Angeles City Council recognized the independence of the Republic of Artsakh as a sovereign state by a special adopted resolution as a commitment to the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh. Within the first days of the Artsakh War in the fall of 2020, Paul Krekorian began to unite and consolidate California American political and state leaders in pursuit of ending the Azerbaijani unleashed war against Artsakh. As a result, and thanks to his efforts, on October 5, 2020, U.S. Congressmen, California Assembly leaders and members, and Los Angeles City Council leaders and officials spoke at a joint press conference.

During the 44-day war and in its aftermath, thanks to Paul Krekorian, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously adopted a resolution confirming the support of the City of Los Angeles to the people of the Republic of Artsakh. At Paul Krekorian’s initiative, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously adopted yet another resolution, in which it demanded Azerbaijan to immediately release the Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) and captured civilians. Moreover, November 9th was declared as a Day of Remembrance and Commemoration of the victims of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Artsakh.Ambassador Baibourtian added that “the continued support for Armenia and Artsakh also have a consolidating effect and a unifying role for the Armenian community of California”.LA City Councilmember Krekorian stated: “My response to the kind words of commendation and encouragement expressed today would be very brief – I was just doing my job. We should always be with our Homeland and cherish it.”In the concluding part of the program, Anna Mouradian, Chief of Staff of LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, presented certificates of appreciation to Councilmember Paul Krekorian and his spose Dr. Tamar on behalf of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.During the event, Armenian folk tunes were performed by duduk layer Jivan Gasparyan jr., the grandson of the world-famous Jivan Gasparyan, as well as guitar player Andranik Kzirian.

ԼՈՍ ԱՆՋԵԼԵՍՈՒՄ ՀՀ ԳԼԽԱՎՈՐ ՀՅՈՒՊԱՏՈՍՈՒԹՅՈՒՆԸ ԸՆԴՈՒՆԵԼՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ ԷՐ ԿԱԶՄԱԿԵՐՊԵԼ՝ Ի ՊԱՏԻՎ ԼՈՍ ԱՆՋԵԼԵՍԻ ՔԱՂԱՔԱՅԻՆ ԽՈՐՀՐԴԻ ԱՆԴԱՄ ՓՈԼ ԿՐԵԿՈՐՅԱՆԻ

ԳԼԵՆԴԵՅԼ – Հունիսի 17-ին Լոս Անջելեսում ՀՀ գլխավոր հյուպատոսությունն ընդունելություն էր կազմակերպել՝ ի պատիվ Լոս Անջելեսի քաղաքային խորհրդի անդամ Փոլ Կրեկորյանի՝ երախտագիտություն հայտնելու Հայաստանին և Արցախին շարունակական աջակցության համար։ Ընդունելությանը ներկա էին համայնքի հասարակական, կրոնական, քաղաքական և մշակութային առաջնորդներ և գործիչներ։ ՀՀ գլխավոր հյուպատոս, արտակարգ և լիազոր դեսպան Արմեն Բայբուրդյանի բարիգալստյան խոսքերից հետո ելույթով հանդես եկան Հայ առաքելական եկեղեցու Հյուսիսային Ամերիկայի Արևմտյան թեմի առաջնորդ Հովնան արքեպիսկոպոս Տերտերյանը, Հարավային Կալիֆորնիայի համալսարանի Հայկական ուսումնասիրությունների կենտրոնի ղեկավար Սալբի Ղազարյանը, ճանաչված իրավաբան Րաֆֆի Ուրֆալյանը և Կալիֆորնիայի նահանգային Ասամբլեայի անդամ Ադրին Նազարյանը։ Բոլոր ելույթ ունեցողները բարձր գնահատեցին Փոլ Կրեկորյանի հայրենանվեր գործունեությունը։ Ներկա գտնվող հոգևորականներն միասնաբար ազոթեցին Փոլ Կրեկորյանի և իր տիկնոջ՝ դոկտ․ Թամար Կրեկորյանի համար։ՀՀ գլխավոր հյուպատոս, դեսպան Արմեն Բայբուրդյանն իր ելույթում կարևորեց Փոլ Կրեկորյանի հայանպաստ գործունեությունը, որով հայազգի գործիչն աչքի է ընկել և Կալիֆորնիայի նահանգային Ասամբլեայի անդամի պաշտոնում, և իբրև Լոս Անջելեսի քաղաքային խորհրդի անդամ։ «Բազմաթիվ են օրինակները, որոնք վկայում են հայրենիքին և Հայաստանի ու Արցախի բարօրությանը Փոլ Կրեկորյանի անմնացորդ նվիրումի մասին», իր ելույթում ասաց դեսպան Բայբուրդյանը։ Արցախյան պատերազմի հենց առաջին օրերին Փոլ Կրեկորյանը ձեռնամուխ եղավ ամերիկացի քաղաքական և պետական գործիչների համախմբմանը՝ հանուն Արցախի դեմ Ադրբեջանի կողմից սանձազերծված պատերազմի դադարեցման։ Նրա ջանքերի շնորհիվ 2020թ․ հոկտեմբերի 5-ին համատեղ մամուլի ասուլիսով հանդես եկան ԱՄՆ կոնգրեսականներ, Կալիֆորնիայի նահանգայի խորհրդարանի առաջնորդներ և անդամներ, Լոս Անջելեսի քաղաքային ղեկավարներ և պաշտոնյաներ։ Պատերազմի ավարտից հետո Փոլ Կրեկորյանի շնորհիվ Լոս Անջելեսի քաղաքային խորհուրդը միաձայն բանաձև ընդունեց, որով վերահաստատեց Լոս Անջելես քաղաքի աջակցությունը Արցախի Հանրապետության ժողովրդին։ Փոլ Կրեկորյանի նախաձեռնությամբ Լոս Անջելեսի քաղաքային խորհուրդը միաձայն մեկ այլ հռչակագիր ընդունեց, որով Ադրբեջանից պահանջեց անհապաղ ազատ արձակել հայ ռազմագերիներին և գերևարված խաղաղ բնակչությանը, ինպես նաև նոյեմբերի 9-ը հռչակվեց ադրբեջանական ագրեսիայի զոհերի հիշատակի օր։ Կրեկորյանի՝  Արցախին անվերապահ աջակցության վկայություններից է այն, որ դեռևս 2012 թվականին Լոս Անջելեսի քաղաքային խորհուրդը Լոս Անջելեսն ու Շուշին հռչակեց բարեկամ քաղաքներ, իսկ 2013 թվականին Լոս Անջելեսի քաղաքային խորհուրդը հատուկ ընդունած հռչակագրով ճանաչեց Արցախի անկախությունը՝ իբրև ինքնիշխան պետություն։«Հայաստանին և Արցախին շարունակական աջակցությունը նաև համախմբող դեր ունի Կալիֆորնիայի հայ համանքի համար», ասաց դեսպան Բայբուրդյանը։Լոս Անջելեսի քաղաքային խորհրդի անդամ Փոլ Կրեկորյանն իր խորին երախտագիտությունը հայտնեց ՀՀ գլխավոր հյուպատոս, դեսպան Արմեն Բայբուրդյանին՝ իր պատվին ընդունելություն կազմակերպելու համար։ «Գնահատանքի այդ հրաշալի խոսքերը լսելով, ես կարող եմ միայն ասել, որ դա պարզապես իմ պարտականությունն է։ Մենք պետք է միշտ հայրենիքի կողքին լինենք և այն  փայփայենք>>, նշեց Կրեկորյանը։Միջոցառման ընթացքում հնչեցին հայկական ժողովրդական մեղեդիներ հռչակավոր դուդուկահար Ջիվան Գասպարյանի թոռան՝ դուդուկահար կրտսեր Ջիվան Գասպարյանի և կիթառիստ Անդրանիկ Կզիրյանի կատարմամբ։

Pinar Tremblay,

Turkish exceptionalism in the Middle East when it comes to secular education is over. Although Turkish textbooks had problems in the past of omitting embarrassing moments in history, never before have K-12 public school students been taught to feel obliged to see jihad as a responsibility of every good Muslim.

In March, the research institute IMPACT-se published a study of 28 new Turkish textbooks that revealed anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, Turkish ultra-nationalism as well as sympathy for causes of jihadist movements are now routinely encouraged. Non-Muslims are regularly referred to as “infidels” in textbooks. And the concept of jihad is seen as a key term, researchers found, that has been set at the foundation of the new curriculum. IMPACT-se, based in Jerusalem, describes itself as “a research, policy and advocacy organization that monitors and analyses education across the world.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s legacy on the education system has been profound. His oft-repeated goal to raise “pious generations” is coupled with his praise of imam hatip high schools (IHL). IHLs were originally designed to train government appointed clergy, but since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2003, their numbers have surpassed 5,000. Gradually middle schools were converted to imam schools and tens of thousands of students were left with no choice but to attend these schools.

IHL curriculum has spread to regular high schools as well. Hundreds of thousands of Turkish students are now compelled to take “elective” classes from IHL curriculum, such as courses titled “the Holy Quran” or “the life of Prophet Mohammed.” In practice these classesare “mandatory electives” as there are no other options. If and when families try to keep their children out of these classes, their children risk the possibility of being ostracized even in the affluent Istanbul neighborhoods.

Zehra Kulali, the chairperson for the Bolu district of Egitim-Sen, an independent NGO that brings together K-12 teachers, told Al-Monitor that even kids in pre-school are not immune to Islamic education. “The education ministry concluded an agreement with the provincial office of the mufti (Islamic clergy) and clergy gained access to the pre-school classroom,” Kulali said. Children aged 3 to 6 are now receiving 6 hours per week of moral values education. Kulali and other experts are concerned about increasing politicization of education, which reflects itself in gender-segregated classrooms and Quran classes for 4 year olds.

Teaching Sunni Islamic values poses concerns even for pious Muslims. For example, students are taught about polygamy as an Islamic practice and the ability of men to receive swift verbal divorce. These Islamist values are reinforced by a new style of Turkish sitcoms, where polygamy is regularly portrayed. A female Islamist sociology professor, who works for a state university and asked to remain anonymous, told Al-Monitor, “My generation fought shoulder-to-shoulder with men for headscarf rights. But polygamy is a redline for the majority of women in Turkey at my age — whether pious or secular.” Yet for the younger generation “this is changing,” she said, since “they see polygamy is a well-established norm at school, on TV, even in real life.”

“In secular education, we could question authority but now students are asked to be subservient, especially girls. As a mother and a grandmother, I am worried,” she added.

Women are frequently portrayed in headcover in textbooks and books the education ministry recommends for young children. IMPACT-se’s report quotes a passage from the 2014 Basic Religious Knowledge textbook as the first in advocating hijab.

“Veiling, which started with Prophet Adam and Eve, is a reminder to all the nations by the prophets, as an order of Allah. Likewise, the last Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also put forward a set of principles in this regard.”

And some say the impact of the curriculum changes can already be seen outside schools. Ebru, a businesswoman with two daughters in primary school, told Al-Monitor, “I can afford a private school so my daughters are growing up shielded from most of the Islamist rhetoric. However, they are not immune. In the grocery store the other day a teenager said: ‘Your girls are of marriage age, they should not dress like kids.’ They are 10 and 12, they are children. It is traumatic just to go out to the store.”

Another sign of discontent is the skyrocketing rise in the number of private schools. Some parents are so worried about the curriculum changes and the quality of teachers in state schools that, despite growing economic difficulties, they opt for private schooling.

The AKP has allowed the expansion of influence of religious groups in education. The Gulen movement was heavily involved in education until the 2016 coup attempt. The vacuum created by their purge was filled with other religious orders.

New foundations established by Erdogan’s close associates, such as TURGEV, Muradiye, and Ensar Endowments, also play an important role in Turkey’s education system. These foundations are legally allowed to raise funds on their own for educational activities, but also are given access to preferential and generous government funding.

Darwin’s theory of evolution was deemed too complex for high school students and taken out of the curriculum in 2017. Secular and scientific education has been replaced with heavily Islamic curriculum. It was in 2012 when Quranic verses entered the textbooks. A few years later, all new schools were required to build a prayer hall and a dedicated bathroom to wash before prayer.

There are several eye-opening statements added in the new Turkish curriculum. For example, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is described as religious war against Muslims. IMPACT-se’s report reveals that there is a strong effort to delegitimize Zionism, with books referring to the “Zionism problem” as a plan to bring bloodshed to the Middle East. “Jihad war has been introduced into textbooks and turned into the ‘new normal’ with martyrdom in battle glorified,” the report notes. In several instances verses from Quran are used to support the idea of jihad.

In the 2019 edition of the Religious Culture and Moral Knowledge textbook, a chapter titled “some concepts in the Quran” introduces jihad as “an effort for the sake of something… The armed struggle against enemies to protect the homeland is one of the most commonly known meanings of jihad…In this regard it [jihad] is the struggle of the human being against evil and Satan.”

The report also notes the “ambiguous” nature of some texts on extremist groups like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. For example, the Contemporary World and Turkish History textbook describes Al-Qaeda as a terrorist group, yet at the same time says the “practices of the US constituted one of the reasons” behind Al-Qaeda’s attack on September 11, 2001.

The AKP has also introduced “recent history” into the curriculum.

For the first time, anti-Americanism has also entered Turkish textbooks. America is blamed for the weak Turkish economy, the devaluation of the lira, and the military coups.

Books already portray the 2013 Gezi Park protests as a rebellion organized against the government’s democratization and economic policies, the IMPACT-Se report finds. The Contemporary World and Turkish History textbook states: “Even though the cooperation of various capital groups and foreign intelligence forces had an effect on the Gezi Park actions [protests], most of the activists, unaware of these effects, participated in the actions [protests] in line with their own wishes.”

However the extent of the impact of these curriculum changes remains to be seen. Studies indicate that deism — the belief in god but without religion — is on the rise in Turkey. And in 2018, Turkey ranked below the OECD average in math and reading scores in PISA testing, and the average level of student’s life satisfaction in Turkey was one of the lowest among PISA-participating countries. At the same time, however, students’ interest in learning about other cultures ranked among the highest. Thus students rather unhappy with the xenophobic education system are still eager to learn about other cultures. This intellectual curiosity might be a slim hope for education in the post-Erdogan era.

Gallup International in Armenia has released the updated records of its pre-electoral survey revealing the highest chances of victory for the team led by the country’s second president.

Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia Alliance received 28.7% of preliminary votes as opposed to Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party; an estimated 10.8% of the respondents gave preference to I Have the Honor Bloc led by a former chief of the National Security Service (NSS).

The other political forces running for the National Assembly on June 20 had uncomparably lower advantages, according to Arman Navasardyan, the organization’s representative in Armenia.

“The opinion polls suggest that 5.4% of the respondents will vote for the Prosperous Armenia party, 5.2% – for Bright Armenia, 2.8% – for the alliance of democrats Shirinyan-Babajanyan, 2.6% – for the Republic party, 1.5% – the Armenian National Congress, 1.2% – for the political party Our Home is Armenia, 1% – the national conservative movement 5165, 0.8% – the Armenian Fatherland party, 0.7% – the National-Democratic Pole, 0.6% – the Just Armenia party, 0.4% – the Sovereign Armenia party and 1.1% – for another [political force]. Some 5.2% of the respondents refused to respond to the survey; 2.7% said ‘none’ and 4.1% hesitated to answer,” he told reporters on Friday.

Addressing the predicted voter turnout, Navasardyan said 51.1% of their respondents sounded “strongly determined” about exercising their civic duty, with only slightly less than 30% saying they “will not definitely head to polls”.

Navasardyan also complained about increasing pressure, including by the government team, which he said has been “unprecedented in nature” for both the organization and personally himself.

Azerbaijan’s death toll in the war is 18,000 people. Hrant Bagratyan, the leader of the Freedom Party and former PM of Armenia, on Friday told this to reporters regarding the Azerbaijani side’s casualties in the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war last fall.

“Azerbaijani opposition media write about it. This is what people living in [Azerbaijani] villages say, where the graves of the casualties are tens of times more than at us. The [actual] casualties [of Azerbaijan] are not 2,700, as [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev says; he is lying. Aliyev had to stop [the war while] in Shushi [city of Artsakh]; [Russian President Vladimir] Putin did not stop it. He [Aliyev] no longer had anyone to send to the fight; there were no troops [left],” he said.

“Yesterday [Armenian acting PM] Nikol Pashinyan admitted that he could not materialize the heroism of our boys. Ask at the General Staff [of the Armed Forces], and they will tell [you] there how 28 Armenians destroyed 300 Azerbaijanis, 24 tanks, and 11 armored vehicles; there are many such accounts,” Bagratyan added.

Sati Spivakova, a famous Russian actress, TV presenter and writer of Armenian descent, on Wednesday issued an emotional wake-up call for Armenians ahead of Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections.

In a public post on Facebook, she said she cannot remain silent any longer, appealing to all those who “have sober judgment and can feel.”

“Today, Armenia looks like a house with broken doors, through which enemies and looters are prowling, claiming mythical rights… this house has a smell of decay, the voices of innocent murdered children and the sounds of the bells of decapitated churches are heard here,” she wrote.

“Wake up! We are losing our homeland. 8 months is a sufficient period for overcoming the post-war depression. Very often elections are formal, but not this time, not in our case,” the actress said.

She blamed caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for Armenia’s defeat and thousands of casualties in last year’s war in Artsakh.

“A madman with a hammer, who declared a war against the entire Armenian civilization, intelligentsia, church, a pseudo-democrat who revealed his true self, an illiterate demagogue and a manipulator clinging to power, who announces that he is proud of the defeat, an anti-leader, for whom any sane person is constantly ashamed: do we really deserve it?

“Thousands of victims, thousands of disabled people, thousands of homeless families, thousands of widows and orphans, lost lands, trampled sanctuaries, unprotected borders, endless humiliation, a complete spit in society. All this is a result of the activities of the “My Step to Hell” bloc.

“We are capable of putting an end to this nightmare. We are capable of becoming the architects of our revival. Armenia has a chance to restore the most important thing, the national dignity, after waking up on June 21. The rest takes time, we need to be strong, resolute and have faith.

“Today, only Robert Kocharyan and his team can restore our dignity that has been taken away from us, clean our land from dirt and protect our borders. Everything will be fine. May God Bless us all!” Spivakova said.