Member of the European Parliament François-Xavier Bellamy has called on Europe to break the silence and not leave Armenia alone against Turkey and Azerbaijan.

In an article for Le Figaro newspaper, MEP François-Xavier Bellamy notes that as a result of the 2020 Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression Armenia suffered thousands of victims. 

The MEP also wrote about Azerbaijan’s refusal to hand over Armenian prisoners of war, noting that this kind of an inhumane blackmail by Azerbaijan must not continue for long and that Europe must show that it hasn’t completely lost its principles.

The EU countries have elaborated sanctions against Turkey if it demonstrates aggressive behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean or other regions, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS, French Minister of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune said in a speech at the National Assembly.

‘’We have reached a point where Europe has adopted a firm, joint and clear position for Turkey. We do not strive for escalation, but we protect our interests’’, Clément Beaune said.

According to him, Turkey should make a choice between de-escalation or remaining faithful to its aggressive behavior.

‘’We have prepared measures, including sanctions in case there is the necessity’’, the French politician said.

It could prevent the transmission of coronavirus. For those infected it could shorten the duration of the illness and reduce the severity of symptoms.

The spray, developed by Canadian company SaNOtize, kills the bug in the upper airways, preventing it from incubating and going to the lungs, lab tests in the US and Britain showed.

Patients treated with spray saw an average viral log reduction of 1.362 in the first 24 hours, which shows a decline of around 95 per cent of the virus.

Within 72 hours the viral load plummeted by more than 99 per cent.

Dr Stephen Winchester, chief investigator of the UK trial, said: “I expect this to be a major advance in the global battle against the pandemic.

“Simply stated, I think this could be revolutionary.”

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/2689351/nasal-spray-kills-off-covid/

mediamax

During the war, the strong back and later the way of migration are mainly the responsibility of the woman – on their shoulders is the fate of children, the elderly and the disabled, and the gaze in the direction of the shots is on the side of the husband, brothers and sons. The daughter of Paytsar Tsaturyan from Hadrut, a 90-year-old mother whose life was endangered in a peaceful settlement and Lira Tsaturyan, who was “between” her three sons on the battlefield, confesses, “I am divided.”

90-year-old Paytsar Tsaturyan was in the village of Mets Tagher with his daughter, from where the journey of the first and not yet finished migration of a century began. The oldest Tumetsi is sure with surprising optimism, “Hadrut must be given, Shushi must be given.” According to him, one should not waste time, and he wants to tell the whole world what happened to him.

Tells the Bright Fate

I open my eyes, I see the torment, I sacrifice. We did not see him, the war started in 1941, they took him away, he remained missing. I am 10 years old, one of my sisters is 4 years old, the other is on the cradle. Grandma and I took care of everything.

We came to Hadrut again, we made all kinds of equipment, my eldest grandson brought everything and filled it, you would come in and say that this is not a house, it is a warehouse. It did not become worthwhile, what should we do? Մի This girl of mine is a refugee from Baku, she is a refugee now հիմա

During the first war, we were sitting on our balcony in Tumi, when I heard a roar, I said, “What is this roar?” It fell to pieces, fell on the garlic clove. We have not seen that one, that time. But this one is in Zulu, they tore us to pieces. They must give the punishment, take it abroad so that they can give the punishment. We say build a house, they continue to tear us apart.

The road to unfinished migration

At the end of that road I died dead, I was very cold. I can’t stand the road, I’m dying.

The first day it exploded, I was scared, my legs were weak. Then it got worse. My grandson called, what? “Mama, the Turks are coming, come here.” Suddenly… My brother-in-law came from Shekher to take us. On the way they knocked (hit) so high in the air… They finally took us to their house.

8 people from Hadrut are crying in that room, they are hungry. You are lying under the window ս My daughter was also making bread for those 8 people. When they hit me, the glass shattered on me, but the curtain made of cloth kept me… Ed saved me. It baked in my head… After the Red Market was hit, the house’s house went up, the windows shattered. If you saw that caregiver’s house, you would have fun, it is a large family with many, well-built (beautiful) rooms. Constantly from top to top ha thump, thump ha thump …

I am dead in the car. We came to that age group. Let’s see, it is a mess, it is a dirty moment, let my caregiver not pass. They say ordering that no one should pass. Vech against, vech lie. The first part of the car is cold, I’m cold, they say no, it ‘s an order. We waited for a long time, my in-law handed over the machine gun, the papers, everything he has to pass us. They left it like that. Finally we went to Goris, people were waiting outside to be accommodated in hotels. My brother-in-law said. “For now, sleep in our house.” We were well received and kept. On the third day they take us to Tatev… I’m not well, my heart is broken… They say, “Grandma, do not be afraid, do not be afraid.” They took us to the end, don’t say home, tell a king’s palace, clean, beautiful եցին They took good care of us. Now this girl is my daughter, she is also a refugee from Baku.

“The New Turks”

I stayed in Aghdam for several years, my man was doing a lot of work, we are very familiar with them (meaning the Azerbaijanis), we are not familiar with these new Turks. There is no humanity, I am a sacrifice. Is Idi Pen ready for the plane to hit the people? You must not sacrifice, you must punish.

Hadrut must be given, Shushi must be given. What am I to do in Aghdam, let them give us a piece of our surroundings, let us stay in the middle of a piece, what should we do, should we sleep fast? Isn’t it forcing? When you come (addresses Aliyev), you have gained power from Turkey, you have a plane with a plane, what can we do with your hand? Do you have no conscience?

Narrated by Lira Tsaturyan

My parents are Tumets, I was born in Aghdam, I came to Mets Tagher. One day my husband and I lived in Mets Tagher, we went to Kajaran, and he worked at the factory. After the war we decided to return to the village, we thought that whatever should be with us, let it be on our land.

I left the village late, my 90-year-old mother could not leave next to me. I was alone with an old woman, she also has problems with moving, how could I take her, where would I go? It is true that cars came from Yerevan to transport people, but I could not take my mother alone to the village, it is a big area, and my sons are all in positions. They called, they said. “Mom, get ready to go out,” I said, “where should I take that 90-year-old woman?” It is very difficult չկա My husband is not there, my children, wherever I am, I am divided…

Every day I looked at which of the neighbors left and who stayed. I always said to those who were leaving, “Where are you going?” I even laughed at the neighbors, saying, “Who do you leave your houses with?”

Source: https://mediamax.am/am/news/hadrut/42724/

Garo Paylan, a member of the Turkish Parliament of Armenian descent from pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on social media for using the word “gavur” (infidel), Stockholm Center for Freedom reports.

“You use this hate expression knowing there are citizens who have been victims of hate crimes fed with the slur of ‘gavur’ for generations. Shame on you!” Paylan said in a Twitter post.

Emphasizing that Erdogan had engaged in hate speech, Paylan asked if Erdogan would apologize during his speech in parliament. “As an Armenian who has been subjected to hate speech with the word gavur many times, I want it to be known that it is unacceptable for the president to use this word,” he said.

HDP MP Garo Paylan has said that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's use of the pejorative word “gavur” (meaning “infidel”) during a speech on April 11 amounted to hate crime. Paylan asked in a parliamentary question if Erdoğan will apologize for his remarks. https://t.co/RnkrHgDErZ

— Duvar English (@DuvarEnglish) April 12, 2021

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan resorted to discriminatory language when criticizing the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) during a speech at the Union of International Democrats (UID) Women’s and Youth Committee.

“We are sorry to see that although the opposition has a Turkish identity, they are resorting to the methods of the infidel in attacking us [the government] under the guise of criticism,” he said. The word used by Erdogan, “gavur,” which translates as infidel, is often employed as a religious and ethnic slur against non-Muslims and non-Turks. It also insinuates barbarity, and opposition politicians accused Erdogan of hate speech by using the word.

During the speech Erdogan accused Western politicians of fueling Islamophobia. “They [Europe] cannot accept Islam. They do not want to see how far Turkish migrants have come since the 1960s,” he said.

According to Erdogan, Western politicians have been targeting Muslims and particularly him in an attempt to mask their own failures in their own domestic and foreign policies. He accused the Turkish opposition of being part of this “insidious plot” by voicing the opinions of Western politicians in its criticism of his government.

Once again, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did not miss the opportunity to make unfriendly and impudent—to put it mildly—statements against Armenia. Moreover, according to tradition, Aliyev managed to express contradictory thoughts.

At a Baku conference, entitled “New vision for South Caucasus: Post-conflict development and cooperation,” Aliyev first stated that his country had no territorial claims against any country, including Armenia.

However, later Aliyev stated that Armenia’s Zangezur was “historical Azerbaijani land,” at the same time noting that “Zangezur was transferred to Armenia in 1920; 101 years ago.” “Before that, this territory belonged to us [Azerbaijanis]. They [Armenians] call Lake Goycha, ‘Sevan.’ It is enough to look at the map of the beginning of the 20th century; you will not see Sevan there. The same applies to Irevan [i.e., Armenia’s capital Yerevan] as well. They [Armenians] destroyed the historical part of Irevan. It is an obvious fact that Azerbaijanis, including my ancestors, lived there. I said we would go back there. I did not say we would return there by tanks. I said we would go back. That means, why not? If we return the Zangezur corridor, if we use that road, why not return to Irevan? The time will come and we will do it, “he added.

By Harut Sassounian

I read the heartbreaking experience of an Armenian soldier who was wounded in the recent Artsakh War and repeatedly denied medical treatment in Armenia. This is so shameful. The Armenian government should see to it that young men, who risked their lives to defend the homeland, have their wounds treated without any bureaucratic hassles and rude refusals.

Simon Hovhannisian, a soldier wounded in the 2020 Artsakh War, wrote an open letter in Armenian, published by Hetq (an investigative journal in Armenia) on April 3, 2021, describing how he was turned away from numerous medical facilities when he sought treatment. Regrettably, his nightmarish experience is not unique. Many other wounded soldiers have faced similar inexcusable difficulties when seeking treatment.

Hovhannisian wrote that on October 3, 2020 he went to the military center in Yerevan and volunteered to fight in the war. On Oct. 25, having received the proper authorization, he was transferred to the Mardakert military unit in Artsakh and served on the frontline from Oct. 27 to November 18.

On Nov. 10, shortly before the ceasefire, he was hit by missile shrapnel. During the next eight days, he tried to contact military officials seeking medical assistance for him and other soldiers. Facing indifference, he tried on his own to go to the military regiment. On the way, he encountered an ambulance and convinced the driver to take him and two others to a medical facility to get help. They were referred to the temporary hospital in Drmbon village, where he was told that he suffered a contusion. However, since there was nothing they could do for him, they suggested that he go to Yerevan.

Hovhannisian finally arrived in Yerevan after paying 45,000 drams (around $90) from his own pocket. He went to the military unit there, explained his situation, presented the documents and sought assistance to be admitted to a hospital. The military unit told him: “You are no longer registered with us. It is not our job. Go to the Military Commissariat.” The Commissariat in turn told him: “You are no longer in the service. You have to go to a civilian clinic.”

At the civilian clinic, he was told: “We do not have the appropriate specialist for your ailment. The ear, nose and throat specialist will return from his vacation in a month. Come back, he will check you. We don’t even know where else to refer you to.”

At the Commissariat, he was told: “My boy, I am already telling you for the second time, you are not on our list. Go to a civilian hospital.”

At the privately-owned Asdghig hospital, he was told: “You need to be seen by several specialists. If you need the state to cover your medical bills, then bring a document that you have government insurance. We will then serve you.”

He then went to the Kanaz hospital where he was told: “Your document from the Commissariat is old. Go get a new document, so we can give you fresh papers.”

At the Commissariat he was told: “Come back in two days to pick up your new document.” When he went back, the hospital told him: “You are already discharged from the military. We can’t give you such a document and can’t examine you.”

Tired of the run-around, the wounded soldier went to the Nayiri private hospital. After the examination, he learned that he had a contusion, loss of hearing, and concussion.

He paid for the medicines and the examination. He then found out that he was eligible for several government programs that could have offered him free medicines and medical care. He was also told that he could have applied for free military care for the handicapped.

So he applied to the Ministry of Social Services which promptly rejected his application. They said: “You are not on the list of the Defense Ministry.” He then phoned the Ministry of Social Services, explaining his problem. He was told to call another phone number. After two days of no one answering the hotline, he was given a third phone number. He called that number the whole day. Finally, in the evening, someone answered, and rudely said: “Why are you calling me? I do not deal with such matters.”

He called back the hotline. They told him: “Call the Defense Ministry.” No one answered there. He called the Defense Ministry’s Treatment Center. No answer. He sent an email. Again, no answer!

He then called the Military Commissariat. They told him: “Brother, why haven’t we received your papers from Artsakh until now confirming where you were?” He told them his whole story all over again. They replied: “We will inquire and call you.” They never called back!

He called again the Defense Ministry’s Treatment Center. He was told: “Give us the hospital’s medical evaluation, so we can add you on our list.” He responded that he could not provide that document since the hospital had refused to treat him. They told him to go to the Military Commissariat. He applied there one last time and asked for their assistance. He was told: “We have received no papers, all questions remain unanswered. If you want to solve your problem, go to Mardakert, pick up your documents and come back.”

The wounded soldier then wrote a letter to Antranig Kocharian, Chairman of the Parliament’s Defense and Security Committee, explaining his whole story. He received two ‘absurd’ phone calls saying: “Why did you write a letter? What is the problem?” He told them his story. They told him: “We need you medical evaluation.” He said he did not have it because they did not treat him. They told him: “We will call you,” but he never heard from them again.

The wounded soldier ended his sad saga with the following powerful words: “Now what? What’s next? Where are you, officials? Wake up! It has been more than six months. There are thousands of other soldiers like me…. Whichever office you go to, sitting with legs crossed, they are drinking coffee, writing posts on social media, saying how patriotic we are, and expressing their regret: ‘Sorry boys, you died for us.’ How did it happen that you got blinded in the last day of the war and you don’t give a damn about anyone’s pain and problems? You are suggesting that this wounded soldier go to Mardakert and bring back documents. In addition to psychological and security problems, I ask you, don’t you see the degree of your cynicism? Are you telling the same things to the parents and relatives of lost soldiers or a badly handicapped volunteer with no documents? Please solve not only my problem, but those of all of us without any delay. Otherwise, we are the ones that will send you to hell and I hope that the public is with us on this issue.”

This is very shameful. I am surprised that not a single Armenian official has apologized to this wounded soldier and others like him and arrange for their immediate medical care. Otherwise, when the next war happens, no young man will volunteer or want to serve in the army. Regardless of any partisan political issues, these wounded soldiers are the sons of our nation and they deserve the utmost care. They paid their dues to the homeland and now it’s the Armenian government’s turn to take care of them.

From: Global Affairs Canada,

Statement

April 12, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada 

The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs today issued the following statement:​

“Last fall, in line with our robust export control regime, the Government of Canada suspended export permits for military goods and technology to Turkey pending the results of an investigation into allegations that Canadian technology was being used by Azerbaijan in the military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Those suspensions followed the decision to suspend the issuance of new export permits to Turkey in the fall of 2019, following its military incursion into northeastern Syria.

“Global Affairs Canada, in consultation with the Department of National Defence, has since conducted a thorough review of all suspended and valid export permits for all military goods and technology destined to Turkey. 

“Following this review, which found credible evidence that Canadian technology exported to Turkey was used in Nagorno-Karabakh, today I am announcing the cancellation of permits that were suspended in the fall of 2020.

“This use was not consistent with Canadian foreign policy, nor end-use assurances given by Turkey.

“This morning, I spoke with Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, to reiterate Canada’s concern and to initiate a dialogue mechanism between Canadian and Turkish officials to build mutual confidence and greater cooperation on export permits to ensure consistency with end-use assurances before any further permits for military goods and technology (Group 2) are issued.

“Turkey is an important NATO ally and applications related to NATO cooperation programs will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.“

Associated link

• Final Report – Review of Export Permits to Turkey

Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2021/04/statement-fromminister-garneauto-announce-the-cancellation-of-export-permits-to-turkey.html

Rita and Maxim Babayan left their village home in Garni, in Armenia, and resettled in the Kashatagh District of Artsakh twenty-five years ago.

Last year’s war in Karabakh forced them to return, emptyhanded and with no home awaiting them.

“We brought with us a long credit history, a suitcase of clothes and our parrots,” says Rita Babayan, trying to dispel the sadness in her eyes.

She says it never occurred to her that they’d be leaving Artsakh for good.

“We went with a family of five and came back with three families,” said Maxim, Babayan.

Their three children grew up in Kashatagh and started families of their own.

The sixteen people forced to flee Artsakh were scattered here and there in the homes of relatives.

Rita and Maxim have found a rented apartment in the village of Jrvezh and moved there with the family of one of the sons. Their only property are the colorful parrots they take with them from house to house.

Mrs. Babayan recalls with admiration the village of Ghochants in Kashatagh, which was their first destination in Artsakh.

“We lived a fairytale life in Ghochants. It was an interesting, adventurous life. It is a typical Armenian village, covered with greenery all year round. It has wonderful nature, surrounded by lush forests. There are wonderful churches in the village. It was quiet there. The air was clean, the crops were spotless, and on our way back from Berdzor we would collect walnuts and hazelnuts in sacks.”

“We had a 2,000-square-meter apple orchard, I did not use any medicine,” said Maxim.

The couple was the seventh Armenian family to settle in Ghochants. 

Mrs. Babayan says they were well received, otherwise no one could have endured the difficult financial situation and living conditions.

“We slightly improved the house allotted to us and made it livable. For the first four years there was no electricity in the village. We lived by candlelight. A thin wire was then installed in everyone’s house with a light bulb,” says Mrs. Babayan, who worked as a teacher.

Ghochants had 27 families, a large number for the area. The village had just been formed after the 1990s Artsakh War and families from all over Armenia moved there. Some wanted to escape their past lives, seeking a new start. Some wanted to be a part of the new Artsakh experiment.

“We lived a full community life. The houses were far from each other. To communicate you either had to cross a gorge or climb a mountain. But the distance did not stop us having good neighborly relations,” Ms. Babayan says.

She says that when they moved to Kashatagh, their little boy was four. Their eldest son left for military service a month later. Mrs. Babayan recalls that the villagers gathered for a farewell celebration. One neighbor killed a wild boar, another caught some fish. They all brought flour from their homes, baked lavash and gata, and said goodbye to their son.

Ghochants lies twenty-one kilometers from Berdzor. The road twists and turns through gorges and valleys.

Once a week, a truck would make the trip. Those wishing to go to Berdzor, the nearest town, would hitch a ride.

Mrs. Babayan says she and the other villagers pitched in, renovated a building, and turned it into a school.

“One brought the door, the other the window, another bought paint, and so on. The number of students was growing. We had up to 27 students in the school. Any of the residents who had some type of education could teach something. We agreed on who would teach what. We went to Berdzor, introduced ourselves to the person in charge of regional education and returned with our positions confirmed. That’s how we set up our school,” she says.

Mrs. Babayan worked as a teacher for 23 years, her husband Maxim taught military training at the same school for 21 years. 

In 2014, Rita and Maxim Babayan moved to Pakahan, another village in the Kashatagh. She says that the number of students in Ghochants had decreased again, forcing her to look for a new job. Upon learning that there was a teaching vacancy in the south of Kashatagh, in Pakahan, they moved there.

The school weas housed in a large, well-maintained building, where more than fifty students studied.

 The family decided to finally settle in Pakahan. They got a bank loan to repair and expand their dilapidated house.

“Last year we grew 2.5 hectares of cucumbers. We hoped to repay the loan with that amount. We already had to harvest the cucumbers, and we were almost finishing the construction work when the war started,” says Maxim.

“It was October 3. I was making preserves and my husband, wine, when we were ordered to leave the village. We could see fire and smoke from our village and heard gunshots. But the fighting did not reach our area. We left the food on the table and left because we thought we would return,” says Mrs. Babayan.

“We only took our passports, a suitcase of clothes, the parrots and left the village in a neighbor’s car. My neighbor also took a suitcase with her little cat,” Babayan.

They went to the village of Melikashen in Berdzor, where their daughter’s family lived, and stayed there until October 27, hoping to return.

They returned empty-handed to Armenia.

“We were not allowed to go and get our furniture. We left behind what we had created for 25 years: a house, newly bought furniture, cars, even family photos and documents,” says Mrs. Babayan.

Despite their own predicament, the couple mainly regrets the loss of so many young people.

The displaced Babayan couple, who lost their belongings, emphasize that they only regret the lives of young people, nothing else comes to mind.

The family spent the best years of their lives, 25 years, in Kashatagh. When asked what she misses the most, Mrs. Babayan replies, “I only miss the memories.”

“The first wedding in Ghochants was at my house. The first child was born at my house. All my joys and sorrows are linked to that village,” says Maxim Babayan. “We love the village very much, but no matter what happens, I will not return there. People left their graves there.”

Source: https://hetq.am/en/article/129572