europe Archives

ACTION ALERT: Stop Anti-Karabakh Measures in Europe

January 10, 2016 by administrator

The “We are out Mountains” monument in Artsakh

BRUSSELS–European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (ANC of Europe) has initiated a change.org petition and is urging active participation to prevent the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe from adopting pro-Azerbaijani resolutions that can hinder the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

During sessions in the fall, two PACE subcommittees approved measures that contained pro-Azerbaijani rhetoric on the Nagonro-Karabakh conflict and accused Karabakh of cutting off Azerbaijani water supplies from the Sarsang reservoir.

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen issued a terse statement at the time, urging international bodies to consult with the Minsk Group before issues resolutions that impede the peace process, which they were tasked to mediate.

THE EAFJD is calling on immediate action, via the change.org petition, to put an end to PACE’s “hate-filled war-rhetoric on ‪ ‎Nagorno Karabakh‬ and the favoritism by some of its members towards ‪Azerbaijan‬.”

ACT NOW and say NO to ‪Caviar Diplomacy‬, say ‪Stop Aliyev‬!

Background
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is expected to vote on the following two draft resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh on January 26, 2016, as a joined item on the agenda:

Draft resolution on “Escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan”, rapporteur Robert Walter (UK)
Draft resolution on “Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water”, rapporteur Milica Marković (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a complex conflict the peaceful settlement of which has no other alternative. Unfortunately these two draft resolutions feed into the hate-filled war rhetoric of the current Azerbaijani government on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and promote favoritism. Both draft resolutions evidently lack thorough, impartial research, selectively leave out crucial facts and cause harm to the negotiation process.

I herewith raise my voice against these two draft resolutions with an inflammatory content which have little to do with genuine conflict resolution and peace building and promote vested personal and financial interests of a handful of Members of PACE.

Further details on the draft resolutions:

Draft resolution on “Escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan”, rapporteur Robert Walter (UK)
As a rapporteur Mr. Walter violated several rules of the Code of conduct of PACE Members such as 1. the principle of neutrality, impartiality and objectivity (rules 1.1; 1.1.1.; 1.1.4), 2. the principle on avoiding conflict of interest (rule 8), 3. the principle on not using one’s position as a PACE member to further one’s own, another person’s or entity’s interest (rule 12), 4. as well as the principle of respecting the values of the Council of Europe (rule 7).

Mr. Robert Walter and his wife Feride Alp-Walter, marketing manager of the Middle East Association, have maintained close relationship with the authorities and the ruling elites of Azerbaijan for a long time, including taking a high-level British trade mission to Baku in close cooperation with the Embassy of Azerbaijan and the European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) – a lobbying organization which has strong ties with the Azerbaijani government and Ilham Aliyev’s inner circle.

Mr. Walter’s support for the government of Ilham Aliyev, while closing an eye on undemocratic processes in the country, has been frequently criticized by human rights activists in Azerbaijan[1], respected European watchdogs, such as Corporate Europe Observatory[2] as well as various well-known international media.

Sadly, just a first glance at the draft resolution is enough to realize that it is a word-for-word reflection of the official Azerbaijani and Turkish stance on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Official Turkey has always openly supported Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Mr. Walter and his wife, both Turkish citizens, have had cozy ties with the Turkish Government. Mr. Walter received his Turkish ID card personally from the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. In 2011 Mr. Çavuşoğlu was among the guests of Mr. Walter’s and Mrs. Feride Alp’s wedding.

Despite its title the draft resolution by Mr. Robert Walter is far from reflecting the reality on the escalation of tension on the contact line between Armenia and Azerbaijan and around Nagorno-Karabakh in the past months which has led to tragic deaths of civilians.

The draft resolution by Mr. Walter selectively leaves out crucial information. For instance it fails to mention important facts such as the one that unlike Armenia, on 27.09.2015 official Azerbaijan dismissed the proposal made by the OSCE Minsk Group to accept an OSCE mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations. The mechanism would enable to identify the initiator of the cease-fire violations and make it difficult for the sides to blame each other for initiating deadly attacks. The logical answer to the question why official Azerbaijan which continuously blames the Armenian side for violating the cease-fire is not interested in such a mechanism, is evident.

This draft report is also a rather dangerous and irresponsible attempt to create a parallel mechanism, without having the necessary legitimacy and the mandate from the parties involved in the conflict. The prompt critical reaction of the co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group – the sole official body with the mandate to mediate – to the draft resolution by rapporteur Mr. Walter emphasizes the harm it causes to the negotiation process and thus to the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

2. Draft resolution on “Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water”, rapporteur Milica Marković (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Unfortunately the draft resolution written by Mrs. Milica Marković lacks impartial, thorough research. Despite the prompt invitations of both the Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh authorities to visit Sarsang reservoir (at “any time convenient for the rapporteur”) as initially requested by rapporteur Milica Marković, neither Ms. Marković nor technical expert Dr. Lydia S. Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia were on the ground. Thus both the draft resolution and the technical report (which is supposed to be the basis of the draft resolution) are based on the rather approximate simulations of the corresponding Azerbaijani ministry based on the data of 1993 and hearsay, although there was clearly an opportunity to visit the reservoir and get acquainted with the actual state of things.

Rapporteur Marković evidently uses this humanitarian issue as a pretext in order to make highly biased statements on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in general. A brief comparison of the technical report and the draft resolution, which is supposed to be based on the technical report, makes is clear that Ms. Marković deliberately exaggerated the consequences of potential danger or left important facts stated in the technical report out of the draft resolution, since this information does not fit in with her biased intentions.

The technical report drafted by expert Dr. Lydia S. Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia clearly specifies: “Although Sarsang is an earth-fill dam, which is far less dangerous and much more safe, when it comes to sudden collapse in principle (e.g. as compared to arched dams), it should be pointed out that without a visual inspection of the dam there is no way to assess its condition and any potential security risks from the technical point of view”. Despite this, the rapporteur and the technical expert opted to ignore the invitation of the Authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh to visit Sarsang reservoir and examine the state of inspection and maintenance of the reservoir. Instead, Mrs. Marković produced a report which refers to the rather approximate simulations of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency situations, based on more than 22 year-old information.

According to the technical report: “Sarsang alone cannot cause a major flood in the problematic lower Kura region, but the lack of communication between Armenia and Azerbaijan raises fears that unexpected water releases from Sarsang may add to flooding consequences at periods of excessive rainfall in the area”. Nonetheless, instead of urging the sides, to engage in a dialogue in order to ensure a safe management of the reservoir, Ms. Marković demands an “immediate withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the region concerned.”

Russian anti-drugs chief: ISIS uses Turkey for trafficking heroin to Europe

December 20, 2015 by administrator

An Afghan man works on a poppy field in Jalalabad province, May 1, 2014. REUTERS/Parwiz (AFGHANISTAN – Tags: SOCIETY DRUGS) – RTR3NCYZ

(RT) One of the biggest money-spinners for Islamic State terrorists is transporting illegal drugs from Afghanistan to Europe through Turkey and the Balkans, according to the head of Russia’s federal anti-drug agency FKSN.

“ISIS fighters are controlling certain territory,” Viktor Ivanov was quoted as saying by TASS. “Now it is targeted by the Russian Air Force, but until recently the terrorists enjoyed great freedom there. Trafficking illegal drugs was one of the major sources of their income.”

Ivanov added that so far the heroin transported to the European Union via Turkey and the Balkans yields Islamic State (IS, previously ISIS/ISIL) about $150 billion for distribution to members of the criminal chain. “This money is getting into the criminal turnover and destabilizes the situation in the transit countries. Turkey is exactly such a country,” Ivanov told reporters.

In July, Russia’s top drug enforcer spoke at an international anti-trafficking conference in Gambia and said that the $500 billion annual income from illegal drug trade was the financial and organizational basis for new terrorist organizations, such as Boko Haram, Islamic State and others. “Illegal drugs are a kind of gold and foreign currency reserves for quasi-state groups,” he said.

In March, Ivanov said in a press interview that IS made up to $1 billion annually from Afghan heroin trafficked through its territory. He predicted another record-high poppy harvest in the terrorist-controlled lands, and urged countries to raise the issue of fighting the IS drugs trade at the highest international level, including at the UN, saying it represents a global security threat.

Kurds in Europe protest against Turkish state aggression

September 19, 2015 by administrator

BERLIN,— Kurdish people living in Europe continue their actions in protest at the Turkish state aggression within the scope of the war policies implemented by the ruling AKP party against the Kurds in Turkish Kurdistan in the country’s southeast. Kurds took to the streets in Cologne and Berlin in Germany and Torino in Italy on Friday.

COLOGNE

Members of the Peace Mother’s Initiative and Viyan Women’s Assembly held a joint press conference in Cologne under the slogan with the participation of some a hundred women on Friday.

The participants first visited the tent set up for protest action going on since Monday and then held a press conference in front of the main entrance of the Dom Church, where they also opened a banner reading “We women say no to war”.

Women stressed that the pain did not have any particular language, religion or race and added that the women demanded the ending of deaths of both soldiers or guerrillas without making any difference. Women also underlined that no one must be a part of the AKP’s war.

BERLIN

Kurdish people held a three-day action, starting on Wednesday and ending on Friday, at Brandenburger Tor in the German city of Berlin in protest at the state terror in Cizre and the racist attacks launched against HDP buildings in Turkey and North Kurdistan. The activists distributed leaflets in German and English during the action.

TORINO

Kurdish people in Italian city of Torino protested the isolation of the Turkey’s jailed Kurdish Leader Abdullah Ocalan and the attacks on the Kurdish people.

The action at Castello Square was supported by Torino Kurdish Culture Centre, Apini Liberi group and many other NGOs and political friends of Kurds. Torches in yellow, red and green colors were lit in the action while demonstrators also carried posters of Ocalan and flags of PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), PYD (Democratic Union Party) and KCD-E (European Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress).

Kani Miran on behalf of KCD-E made a short speech following one minute’s silence for all those who fell for Kurdistan and world revolution.

Kurds in Turkey demands to establish an autonomous Kurdish region and more cultural rights for ethnic Kurds, who make up around 22.5 million of the country’s 75-million population but have long been denied basic political and cultural rights, their goal to political autonomy. A large Turkey’s Kurdish community openly sympathise with PKK rebels.

Source: eKurd.net

VIDEO: Syrian boy ask Europe Stop Syria war and we won’t come to Europe,

September 3, 2015 by administrator

A 13-year old Syrian boy stranded at a train station in Hungary has spoken out, asking European leaders to stop the war in Syria. Suggesting that westerners do not like Syrians, the boy said Syrians would not come to Europe if there was no war pushing them there. “Just stop the war and we won’t come to Europe,” he said.

Europe ‘rejects’ (PKK) extradition of Turkey suspects

August 9, 2015 by administrator

File photo of PKK fighters standing in formation

European countries have rejected handing over nearly 650 outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and far-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) members to Turkey despite the red notice.

According to Turkish security sources, Germany has refused to send nearly 300 fighters of groups like the PKK, DHKP-C and Hezbollah while Denmark has supported Roj TV, PKK’s Kurdish-language channel broadcasts from Denmark.

Denmark has also not sent some back “under the guise of that they did not attend in active terrorist deeds in Turkey” and carried out activities against Turkey, the sources claim.

Similarly, Greece is also accused of not extraditing a DHKP-C suspect accused of attacking Turkey’s Justice and Development (AK) Party HQ and Justice Ministry.

Over the last two weeks, the PKK has carried out attacks against Turkish security forces, killing police officers and soldiers in the eastern region, as Ankara continues a security campaign that has so far resulted in the detention of over 1,300 people.

According to the data, at least 11 civilians, including an Iranian national were also killed in such attacks, while 101 people, including three Iranians were injured during the same period between July 7 and August 7.

The recent developments appeared to end a delicate ceasefire that brought relative calm to Turkey over the last two years after Ankara launched the ‘solution process’ in 2013 to end a conflict spanning three decades that has resulted in the deaths of 40,000 people.

Meanwhile, Turkish police have launched nationwide operations against other outlawed organisations, including as well as the Patriotic Revolutionist Youth Movement (YDG-H), linked to the PKK.

Greece: European Commission prepared extensive report on Grexit

July 19, 2015 by administrator

An extensive report covering all the consequences of a Greek exit from the euro was compiled in secrecy over the last few weeks by a team of European Commission officials, Kathimerini has learned.

The report is currently housed in a safe a few meters from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s office on the 13th floor of the Berlaymont building in Brussels.

It was compiled toward the end of June by a team of 15 Commission officials, many of whom had previously had direct involvement in the Greek bailout programs. The report addresses some 200 issues that could arise from a Greek exit from the single currency, including potentially devastating social consequences.

One of the matters examined in the report is whether Greece would also be forced to leave the European Union, and therefore the Schengen Area, if it had to abandon the euro.

The content of the study was explained verbally by Juncker to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras before the eurozone leaders’ summit that took place two days after the July 5 Greek referendum. The European Commission president suggested to journalists in his press conference afterward that such planning had taken place.

In an interview with Kathimerini and other European newspapers on Thursday, European Council President Donald Tusk said that Greece and its lenders came very close on Monday morning to failing to agree a deal to keep the country in the eurozone. “I told them, ‘If you stop this negotiation, I’m ready to say publicly: Europe is close to catastrophe because of 2.5 billion,’” said Tusk of his message to Tsipras and German Chancellor Angela Merkel before an agreement was reached.

A high-ranking European official also told Kathimerini that differences between Tsipras and Merkel in the early hours of July 13 over how money from a privatization fund could be used threatened to lead the talks to failure. “It was as if they were looking for an excuse to break up the talks,” he said.

“It was a really dangerous moment but also a genuine one as this was a reaction to the fatigue and frustration that both of them felt.”
Source: ekathimerini.com

If Damascus falls, Europe won’t be far behind – US senator

March 18, 2015 by administrator

he streets of Syria’s northern Raqqa province June 30, 2014. (Reuters)

As a new report details the devastation wrought upon Syria by four years of rebellion, a Virginia state senator who once thanked the Syrian government for defending Christians is worried about the fate of Damascus, the Middle East and Europe.

“If Damascus falls, the dreaded black and white flag of ISIS will fly” over Syria, Virginia state Senator Richard Black told RT. “Within a period of months after the fall of Damascus, Jordan will fall and Lebanon will fall,” he said, adding that the self-proclaimed Islamic State would then target Europe next.

Black is no stranger to the Syrian crisis. Last year, he wrote a letter thanking the government in Damascus for a “gallant and effective campaign” to liberate Christian villages on the border with Lebanon. Most Americans are not aware that Christianity started in present-day Syria, he pointed out.

Years of US interventions in the Middle East and elsewhere have resulted in vast numbers of displaced Christians in Syria, Iraq and the Balkans. “If you look at the history of American involvement,” since the first Iraq war, Black told RT, “the one central theme has been that in each instance we’ve purged Christians from various countries.” Christians who lived in Kosovo for over a thousand years “are gone, completely annihilated.”

During the four-day pogrom in Kosovo 11 years ago, more than 4,000 Christian Serbs were driven out of six towns and nine villages. Over 900 houses and 39 churches were also destroyed by ethnic Albanian rioters.

11th Anniversary of the March pogrom of Serbs in #Kosovo pic.twitter.com/9qBChPRsDj

— Serbian Embassy, US (@SerbiaEmbWashin) March 17, 2015

According to a recent report by the Syrian Centre for Policy Research, six percent of the country’s population has been killed or wounded in the fighting in Syria. Life expectancy went from 79.5 years in 2010 to 55.7 years. More than 5 million Syrians became refugees or migrated in search of work, while 40 percent of the remaining 17.65 million are internally displaced. The country has lost over $200 billion through destruction, looting, capital flight and GDP loss; unemployment is officially at 58 percent; and most of those who have jobs work for the government.

The current conflict in Syria began in 2011, when the US-backed opposition began an armed rebellion against President Bashar Assad’s government during the Arab Spring. By 2013, large portions of eastern Syria and western Iraq had fallen under control of militants known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (IS, or ISIS/ISIL). While declaring the need to fight ISIS, Washington has continued to demand the overthrow of Assad in favor of “moderate opposition.”

Black, who served in the US Marine Corps and retired as a Colonel in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) corps before getting elected to the Virginia legislature, maintains that the Assad government is effectively fighting against the Islamic State and protecting the remaining Christians of Syria. Its fall, he says, would let ISIS quickly seize Jordan and Lebanon, and continue its drive westward.

“I look at Syria as the center of gravity… for Western civilization,” Black said, using the military strategists’ term for a place or event that can determine the outcome of a war. “If it falls, we’ll begin to see a very rapid advance of Islam on Europe.”