Armenian MP Archives

Armenian MP of Turkey ruling party says he is very fortunate to be born in the country

October 22, 2017 By administrator

A tweet by Markar Esayan, Istanbul Armenian MP of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Turkey, has infuriated Christians living in the country.

“I claim as a Christian that the country in which we live our faith, identity most freely is, very fortunately, our country Turkey, where we were born,” Esayan wrote on his Twitter account.

Several Christian Internet users living in Turkey, however, have strongly reacted to this post.

In particular, the person in charge of Sabro newspaper of the Assyrians commented as follows: “Is this why the Heybeli Island [Greek] Seminary [in Istanbul] is closed, Assyrian property is seized and given to the [Turkish Directorate of] Religious [Affairs], and that’s why Armenian means a swear word in this country.”

Armenian MP celebrates Easter by cracking eggs in Turkey’s parliament

March 25, 2016 By administrator

208874 Turkish MP of Armenian origin from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Selina Dogan has cracked eggs to celebrate Easter at the Muslim nation’s parliament, Aravot reports citing Haberler.

Another CHP member, Mehmet Tum joined the Armenian parliamentarian in the egg fight, with Dogan afterwards handing out dyed eggs and Easter sweets to the journalists.

“Easter is celebrated on March 27 this year,” Dogan said. “I did all this to share the joy of the Holiday here and to wish peace and stability to the world.”

Turkey’s Armenian MP files case against Turkish nationalist over threatening Armenians

July 12, 2015 By administrator

Garo Paylan, Turkey’s Armenian MP elected by the country’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), has filed a lawsuit against Tolga Adıgüzel, head of the local branch of the “Idealist Hearths” nationalist institution of Kars. The latter made a statement in which he threatened the Armenians.

With the help of ten attorneys working in Kars, Garo Paylan filed a lawsuit against the Republican Prosecutor’s Office of Kars, the Turkish newspaper GazeteKars reports. One of the attorneys, Kahraman Özçağin, said that in the claim against Tolga Adıgüzel they have demanded to convict him of inciting animosity and hatred against a nation.

Following the concert by world-famous Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan in the ancient Armenian capital Ani, nationalist Tolga Adıgüzel threatened the Armenians with the following words: “Should we now go for a hunt for Armenians in the streets of Kars?”

Armenian MP addresses letter to US counterpart

April 11, 2014 By administrator

Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, Parliament of the Republic of Armenia, Artak Zakaryan has addressed a letter to Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Robert Menendez.

The letter reads:

“To: Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee

“Honorable Robert Menendez

“Dear Senator Menendez,

“In Armenia, we were excited to learn that on April 10 the Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopted an Armenian Genocide resolution which calls upon the Senate to commemorate the first genocide of the XX century and encourages the President of the United States to ensure that America’s foreign policy reflects and reinforces the lessons of this horrendous crime.

“We thank you, Senator Menendez, a long-time friend of Armenia, for spearheading this effort and would like to express our gratitude to all Senators who voted in favor of this key Resolution.

“We are also inspired by your simple yet unequivocal and clear-cut statement: “Genocide is genocide, and you cannot call it anything else but that and you need to have recognition of that.” Recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the United States is of crucial importance: it will undoubtedly give a new impetus to the entire process of international recognition of the Genocide which is long overdue.

“As we are rapidly approaching the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, convenient use of euphemisms for the description of this crime against humanity is no longer acceptable for the American people who have deep-rooted trust in democracy, human rights, universal values of humanism, and historic justice. We remain hopeful that under your leadership the process of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which is well-documented in the American records, will get to its logical conclusion, thwarting futile efforts to let this outrageous crime to fall into oblivion and averting new similar acts of inhumanity.

“Please accept, Senator, the assurances of my highest consideration.

“Sincerely,

“Artak Zakaryan

“Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the Republic of Armenia.”

Source: Tert.am

Nothing’s changed ahead of Genocide centennial, say Armenian MPs

April 1, 2014 By administrator

The National Assembly group, which recently conducted a fact-finding tour to Syria, held on Tuesday a news conference to share impressions of the meetings with the local Armenians.

They said the visit a private initiative to study the situation of the Armenians in the warn-torn country and offer support to the Kessab Armenians who have been evacuated to Latakia after recent militant attacks. They thanked Arman Sahakyan, an MP from the ruling Republican faction, for financing the trip.

“Our purpose was to go and see the events there with our own eyes. It was very hard to remain unmoved by watching them,” said Tevan Poghosyan, an opposition MP from the Heritage party.

“It is more than a year there had been no state visit from Armenia to Syria. Our main purpose was to see our compatriots, but because there was an invitation by the Syrian authorities, it would have been wrong not to go to meet with them,” he added.

Edmon Marukyan, a cross-bencher who was also in the delegation, said the Armenians who have found a refuge in Latakia’s Holy Virgin church had heard from community members maintaining a military vigil in Kessab that the militants had been joined by Turkish rebels.

“With the help of the Syrian Army, the Kessab residents were moved to Latakia. Some 320 families in Latakia’s Holy Virgin church now benefit from the aid and food offered. Our compatriots clearly understand that they will not see their houses upon return. That’s why they requested that Armenia and the Armenians around the world help them to restore their economy,” Marukyan said, adding that they have reports that the houses in the Armenian-populated town have been completely looted.

“This was a proof that nothing has changed ahead of the [the Armenian] Genocide centennial. There is only a change in the methods: Internet, Facebook etc,” he added.

Artak Shakaryan, a turkologist also attending the news conference, said the Turks are still guiding themselves by the false justification that Kessab belongs to them instead of Syria.

“Kessab actually is the only part on the Turkish-Syrian border that wasn’t under militants’ control, but it was, sooner or later, to come under their surveillance. They were logically expected to seize Latakia to reach Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but to get to Latakia they had to seize Kessab,” he explained.

The expert further warned against any attempts of overexaggerating the situation.

“I call for being vigilant, as Kessab may remain an apple of discord between two states in the months to come,” he added.