Two deputy ministers dismissed in Armenia

January 11, 2017 By administrator

Upon the decision of Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan two deputy ministers of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources have been dismissed from their posts.

According to the information published in the official website of the government Deputy Ministers Areg Galstyan and Iosif Isayan were dismissed under the documents signed today by PM Karapetyan.

To note Minister of Energy Infrastructure and Natural Resources has four deputies. Iosif Isayan has assumed the post since 1999 and Areg Galstyan_ since 2000.

Germany: Bundestag Deputy Urges Europe to Impose Sanctions on Turkey

July 24, 2016 By administrator

Co-head of Green Party Cem Ozdemir has called on Europe to sanction Turkey over tyranny and cautioned against radical Turkish nationalists in Germany.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently hinted that his regime may execute the 13,000 people believed to be tied to the failed military coup in the country. Bundestag Deputy Cem Ozdemir on Sunday urged Europe to react, and not just rhetorically, but with sanctions for violations of basic human rights in Turkey.

“When democracy, rule of law and human rights are ignored, the EU should consider sanctions against those in power. For instance, we can freeze accounts and assets,” Ozdemir suggested in an interview with Bild am Sonntag.

He added that there is a threat coming from Turkish nationalists living in Germany who are exposed to Ankara’s influence and that these radical groups should be taken seriously by German politicians.

“There is, unfortunately, a form of Turkish PEGIDA [anti-immigration movement] in Germany that we must treat the same way as the group we already know of,” He told the newspaper.

Ozdemir explained that if PEGIDA leader Lutz Bachmann were invited to an event, no “self-respecting democrat” would attend, and he believes that the same attitude should be applied to Turkish President.

Ozdemir urged German authorities to drastically confront Turkey’s attempts to spread its ideology in the country’s society, saying that “Erdogan’s hand has no right to reach for Berlin, Stuttgart or Munich” and that it is just about time Germany “presses a stop button”.

Cem Ozdemir previously reported receiving death threats from Turkish nationalists who were angered with him putting forward the resolution to acknowledge the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire.

The German parliament voted to recognize the 1915-1916 massacre of Armenians as “genocide”, which caused outrage on the part of Ankara. Particularly, the President of Turkey Erdogan offered Ozdemir, who is of Turkish descent himself, to undertake a “blood test” to see “what kind of Turk he is.”

Turkey’s AKP deputy prime minister sparks new sexism row

July 29, 2015 By administrator

Senior government official Bulent Arinc told a female lawmaker ‘as a woman, you should shut up’ during an emergency session in the Turkish parliament. The televised incident prompted outrage and demands for an apology.

The altercation took place on Wednesday night, while the deputy prime minister Arinc was holding a speech justifying the government’s decision to attack Kurdish militants in Iraq. He grew increasingly agitated with a group of pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) members who were loudly mocking his comments.
“Madam shut up! As a woman, you should shut up!” he yelled at a female lawmaker Nursel Aydogan on live television.
His remarks immediately provoked a flood of criticism on social media, with hashtags such as #BirKadinOlarakSusmayacagiz (as women we are not going to be silent) #KadinDusmaniArinc (Arinc is an enemy of women).

Both HDP and Republican People’s Party (CHP), demanded an apology from the government official.
“We as the CHP strongly condemn the sexist, discriminatory and humiliating comments violating women’s rights,” said CHP deputy leader Selin Sayek Boke.
“Making such a comment under the roof of parliament is unacceptable. We invite him to apologize,” she added.
Nursel Aydogan, to whom Arinc directed her remarks, said: “I don’t take it personally. It is an insult against all women including their own (ruling party) lawmakers.”
A history of gaffes
This is not the first time Arinc has drawn attention and ridicule from women’s-rights activists.
In a widely publicized incident last year, he publicly stated that women should protect their “chasteness” and not laugh in public.
This triggered an online response from women around the world, including British actress Emma Watson, posting pictures of themselves laughing.
Critics of the ruling AKP party, of which Arinc is a member, say it is eroding women’s rights in Turkey.
dj/sgb (AP,AFP)

Source: dw.com

Armenian appointed Sweden’s Parliament deputy speaker

September 30, 2014 By administrator

A Sweden Armenian Esabelle Dingizian became one of deputy speakers of Sweden’s Parliament, The Local informs.

After the parliament elections, Social Democrat politician Urban Ahlin was announced as the main speaker of the country‘s parliament, while Tobias Billström from the Moderates and Esabelle Dingizian from the Green Party were announced deputy speakers. The third deputy speaker is Sweden Democrat party secretary Björn Söder.