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Erdogan Heated rhetoric ahead of EU-Turkey showdown

July 25, 2017 by administrator

Turkey has stepped up its verbal assaults on the Western world, especially Germany, ahead of high-level talks with the EU. One Turkish paper even used the well-worn Hitler comparison.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued to pour oil on a flaming diplomatic dispute on Tuesday, saying that Turkey would no longer be submissive and cede to every Western whim.

“The West wants Turkey to bring about their demands no questions asked … I am sorry to say that that Turkey no longer exists,” Erdogan said, hours before Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was due to meet with high-ranking EU officials in Brussels.

His anti-Western rhetoric was echoed in Turkish pro-government media, with one paper saying that Germany under Chancellor Angela Merkel was worse than during Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime.

“Merkel’s Germany has surpassed Hitler in oppression and hatred,” the paper Yeni Akit said, alleging that Turks living in the country no longer received medical treatment, were sacked arbitrarily and were unable to rent flats.

There is no evidence that the large community of Turkish people in Germany is being subjected to such treatment.

Armenian Renaissance Ahead of Europe

October 18, 2016 by administrator

On the left: Holy Mother pleads for duke Vasak and his sons. Vasak’s book of gospels, 13th century. On the left: Madonna of Mercy, Piero della Francesca

The Renaissance in Armenia started long before it arrived in Europe. Humanistic ideas characteristic for Renaissance were not re-opened in Armenia but ‘crystallized’ in line with the Christian norms. In Armenian reality, this period was the continuation of pre-Christian ideas, which evolved into new practice, giving birth to new art and outlook.

PanARMENIAN.Net – “The Armenian Renaissance can be divided into two periods,” art critic Anush Hakobian says. “These are the medieval time lasting from the 10th to 14th century and the classical period of the 18th century. We can say that the first period starts with the poetry of Grigor Narekatsi (Gregory of Narek), who dares to begin a dialogue with God.”

The European Renaissance, in turn, marks the transition from the medieval ideology that infringes on human dignity towards antique vision basing on ancient views, where the human being is the central figure of the creation. This is the period when a man’s heavenly nature is revived. He is no more a kneeling and crooked slave but a part of God’s intention.

“Renaissance is an evident breakthrough of thought and practice as compared to the Middle Ages. It is a cultural trend that influenced the intellectual life of the early period of modernity. Emerging in Italy in the 16th century and spreading across Europe, this epoch left its mark in literature, art, philosophy, politics, science, religion and other. The outstanding figures of Renaissance were guided by humanism, while artists strived towards realism and depiction of human emotions,” Hakobian says.

On the left: Holy Mother pleads for duke Vasak and his sons. Vasak’s book of gospels, 13th century. On the left: Madonna of Mercy, Piero della Francesca

“I would like to emphasize that Renaissance was also remarkable for the development of scientific thought, which gave impetus to the development of civilization. For example, Grigor Tatevatsi (14th century) dissertated about colors, giving a scientific explanation to the structure of color and introduces the notion of 5th element – the or – which symbolizes God’s presence. It should be noted that such kind of ideas emerged in Europe in the 16th century.

The peculiarity of the first period of Armenian Renaissance is freedom, which, unlike medieval Europe, was not reduced to church doctrine. The clergy did not hamper the development of ideas as a continuation of evolved thought.

Meanwhile, medieval concept of politicized Christian thought spared no effort to keep the flock in mystical fear and obedience. Basilicas, which symbolized faith, presented a lot of visual effects with a purpose to attract the flock and at the same time suppress the human mind: statues, frescos, stained glass windows, etc. The concept of Armenian church architecture implied austerity and spirituality along with developing architectural styles: cross-buildings, domed basilicas, Zvartnots-like temples,” Hakobian says.

Miniatures had a special place in Armenian Renaissance, specifically during the Cilician era, when new art rules were developed, namely the elements of secularism and ‘humanization’ of sainthood, a process that started in Europe only two centuries later.

Putin visits Greece ahead of Russia sanctions vote

May 27, 2016 by administrator

The Russian President makes his first EU trip in seven months with a visit to Athens on Friday. It comes just a month before Brussels decides on whether to extend EU sanctions against Russia.

Before the visit, Putin published an article in Greece’s Kathimerini newspaper, where he spoke about the negative effect of mutual sanctions.

“These days, Greece is Russia’s important partner in Europe. Unfortunately, the decline in relations between Russia and the European Union stands in the way of further strengthening our cooperation, with an adverse effect on the dynamics of bilateral trade that fell by a third to $2.75 billion as compared to last year. Particularly affected were Greek agricultural producers,” Putin said.

In 2015 trade between the two countries fell by 33.7 percent to about $2.8 billion. Ninety percent of that loss was exports from Russia to Greece. Russian imports from Greece decreased by 54 percent and amounted to $229.4 million.

Putin’s visit to Greece breaks a long pause in his travels to Western countries. Last time he went to the EU was November 30 last year, when he took part in the UN climate conference in Paris.

Over the past year the Greek leadership has criticized the EU’s anti-Russian sanctions, but has never used its right to veto their extension. According to some analysts, Athens is playing the Russian card to persuade Brussels and international lenders towards a softer position on its €320 billion debt.

Experts have also said that historical ties with Greece could help Russia find an ally who could help to ease the sanctions.

“The extreme political and economic disruption Greece has experienced, in combination with existing cultural ties, make it a particularly attractive target for these kind of initiatives,” Daragh McDowell, a principal analyst for Europe and Central Asia at Verisk Maplecroft, told CNBC.