german Archives

German Railway Launches Gender Segregated Carriages In Wake Of Sex Attacks

March 27, 2016 By administrator

GettyImages-500581262-640x480 A central German regional railway is launching a special women and children only area for their trains, a move which has triggered controversy.

The announcement from the central German Regiobahn line came earlier this week, with the network stating the new compartment on their Leipzig and Chemnitz would admit women and young children only.

To ensure maximum peace for those choosing to travel in that compartment not only would it be sandwiched between the service’s two quiet coaches, but it would also be next to the on-board office of the “customer service representative. Traditionally known as a train guard or ticket inspector, the company said “the local proximity to the customer service representative is chosen deliberately”.

Yet despite the recent mass sex-attacks in Germany, and the official advice to young women that the best thing to do is to keep groping migrant men “at arms length” to prevent rape, the railway denies the segregated trains has anything to do with sexual harassment.

This denial has caused lively debate and controversy on German social media, reports Süddeutsche Zeitung.

The launch of women’s only compartments puts Germany in a club of other nations who need to segregate the sexes on journeys including India, Mexico, Brazil, Egypt and Indonesia.

The suggestion of women’s only rail carriages was recently floated by British Labour Party leader and avid train enthusiast Jeremy Corbyn, who in contrast to Germany’s railway admitted it was to help combat harassment, as reported on by Breitbart London at the time.

Explaining the logic behind his idea, which was widely panned at the time, Mr. Corbyn said: “It is unacceptable that many women and girls adapt their daily lives in order to avoid being harassed on the street, public transport, and in other public places from the park to the supermarket.

“This could include taking longer routes to work, having self-imposed curfews or avoiding certain means of transport”.

Remarking he thought a solution to this could be women’s only carriages, Mr. Corbyn said: “piloting this at times and modes of transport where harassment is reported most frequently would be of interest”.

No one safe in Turkey German embassy, consulate in Turkey closed over threat of possible attack

March 17, 2016 By administrator

The German Federal Foreign Office announced on March 17 that the German embassy in Ankara and the German consulate in Istanbul have been closed over the threat of a possible attack as German Foreign Minister said they received very serious terror attack intelligence against German representation offices in Turkey.

“We have received very concrete intelligences over the fact that there have been preparations for terror attacks at German representation offices in Turkey. Therefore, I decided for the closure of Embassy in Ankara, Consulate in Istanbul and German schools in the two cities last night. This was a necessary precaution for the protection of German citizens and working people have priority,” German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier said at an urgent press meeting in Berlin.

Steinmeier also advised German citizens to closely follow travel warnings in the upcoming days.

Meanwhile, German embassy officials in Ankara told Hürriyet Daily News the move was a “one-day precaution taken due to [an] unconfirmed indication of an attack.”

Accordingly, the German consulate in Istanbul and the Deutsche Schule Istanbul school have also been closed.

“The German Federal Republic Consulate is closed as precaution due to a serious warning,” a note at the entrance of the consulate building read.

The Deutsche Schule Istanbul also announced the suspension of classes for one day due to security reasons.
The school management issued a message to parents and students saying the school would be closed for one day on March 17 following a warning from the German consulate in Istanbul.

In addition, Turkish police stood watch for about two hours in front of the German Consulate building in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul as well as riot police and a riot control vehicle were deployed to the area.

Police also towed a car parked on the consulate’s street that belonged to a Syrian living in Turkey.

German Newspaper Nominates Putin as ‘Political Winner’ of 2015

December 31, 2015 By administrator

According to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Moscow has proved to be an indispensable partner in the negotiations with Iran and Syria.

The German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung set up a list of politicians, who “won” and “lost” in 2015.

Among the winners, the newspaper named Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Russia proved to be a constructive partner in the negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program; moreover, the Russian involvement in the Syrian conflict led to the fact that its resolution became impossible without Putin,” the newspaper wrote.

At the beginning of 2015, Russia had strained relations with the West, but by the end of the year the situation had changed, the article said.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has even talked about the possibility of Russia’s return to G8, a move which was considered impossible a few months ago.

According to the newspaper, the year was successful for US President Barack Obama as well. The US Supreme Court backed up Obama’s health care reform, while the unemployment rate in the US decreased to 5%. Obama has also achieved a lot in the foreign policy, including an agreement with Iran as well as successful TPP negotiations, the article said.

For Angela Merkel this year was the most difficult time of all her chancellorship, and yet she was able to strengthen her positions as a European leader. However, the ongoing refugee crisis may weaken her image in the long-run and signify “the beginning of the end of Merkel’s era,” FAZ wrote.

Among “Winners 2015” the newspaper also named Turkish President Erdogan whose party received a majority of the seats in the Turkish parliament; Marine Le Pen, whose party showed good results in the regional elections in France; and US billionaire Donald Trump, who leads the rankings of the republican presidential candidates.

The “Losers 2015” turned out to be, Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and Former Argentine President Cristina Kirchner.

AFGHANISTAN The German Minister of Defence visits Armenian troops

December 9, 2015 By administrator

The German defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen, inspected and praised Armenian troops serving in Afghanistan under German command during a visit to the war-torn country. His visit ended yesterday.

Von der Leyen visited them Monday to Camp Marshal, a German military base near the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif, which also serves as the regional headquarters of the multinational force led by NATO in Afghanistan.

According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, she thanked the 56 Armenian soldiers currently deployed there for their service. “She noted that Armenia is considered a reliable partner and expects this partnership to be sustainable,” the ministry said in a statement.

A photograph published by showed him the commander of the Armenian contingent exhibiting von der Leyen an Armenian national flag and an English-language book about a medieval monastery in Armenia.

The Armenian soldiers serve under German command and use German equipment since they were deployed in Afghanistan in 2010. Many of them have undergone short courses in Germany before their deployments.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian reiterated last week in Yerevan intends to maintain its military presence in Afghanistan, “at least until the end of 2016”.

The NATO mission also seems to have boosted the broader military ties with Armenia Germany. The defense ministries of the two countries pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation last year when they approved a plan of joint activities for 2015.

President Serzh Sargsyan spoke of “fruitful cooperation with Germany” Armenia when he spoke at the NATO summit in Wales in August 2014. It was for him to “excellent example of the interaction between the members and partners of NATO states. “

Wednesday, December 9, 2015,
Claire © armenews.com

German journalist presentation of book on German responsibility in Armenian Genocide Istanbul

December 1, 2015 By administrator

Istanbul will host Wednesday, December 2, a presentation of the book “Genocide complicity: Germany’s role in the Armenian Genocide” by German journalist and writer Jurgen Gottschlich, Ermenihaber.am reports citing Demokrat Haber.

The author will read some excerpts from the book to answer the attendee’s questions afterwards.

The volume unveils the story of how Germany – which wanted to establish a strong presence in the East during the WWI – lured Turkey into the war. The German officers who served in the Ottoman army, characterized Armenians as spies and traitors. And when the forced deportations of Armenians turned into genocide, the German government thought it was a “harsh, but productive measure.” According to the author, Germany turned a blind eye to the diplomats and clergy members’ concerns about the atrocities perpetrated against the Armenians.

When writing the book, Gottschlich visited the sites of those events, met with descendants of Genocide survivors, simultaneously studying German and Turkish archives.

German official: We can never take such issues as Armenian Genocide lightly

October 28, 2015 By administrator

Photo news.am

Germany can never take such issues as Armenian Genocide lightly, German official said during his visit to Yerevan.

Andreas Peschke, Germany’s Federal Foreign Office Director for Eastern Europe, said he cannot anticipate results of the discussion at Bundestag, since it is an independent parliament and “will certainly act in the spirit of responsibility.”

“I cannot tell details now, as it is for the parliament to decide. There have been many discussions earlier this year, I think the spirit of the discussion will follow the discussions we had before,” Mr. Peschke said.

Asked about Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Turkey and its impact on the Armenian Genocide issue, the German official said the trip was related to another issue, while “historical responsibility is a separate discussion.”

“Historical responsibility is very important and the German people are very sensitive to historical responsibility,” Mr. Peschke said, adding that they can never take such issues lightly. “Issue of refugees, migration is a different discussion, it is important too, but it is an entirely different discussion.”

German historian: Germany bears special responsibility for Armenian Genocide recognition

October 15, 2015 By administrator

scholar michael, German Historian

Germany, as Turkey’s ally in the First World War, bears a special responsibility for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

German historian and scholar Michael Hesemann, who has authored the book titled Genocide against the Armenians, told the above-said to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In his words, Germany likewise has darkened the chapters of its history by committing the Holocaust. Nonetheless, as per Hesemann, it found the strength to accept and acknowledge what it had done, and pay compensation to the Jews. According to the German historian, this example should demonstrate to Turkey how the Armenian Genocide issue can be resolved.

“We need to urge Turkey to acknowledge what happened and accept its consequences by apologizing to all Christians; if someone asks for forgiveness, he can be forgiven,” noted the scholar. “On the other hand, today’s Germany does not do what it should have really done. The politicians in [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel’s camp are not in a hurry to recognize the Armenian Genocide, in fear of losing the support of the Turks in Germany. But instead, many [German] officials openly call the genocide a genocide.”

IAGS calls on German Bundestag to recognize Armenian Genocide

October 13, 2015 By administrator

The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) sent a letter to the German Bundestag calling on them to recognize the Genocide “of the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek populations of the Ottoman Empire.”

The letter reads:

“We write to you as the past presidents of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the largest body of scholars who study genocide, concerning the resolution on the Armenian Genocide that may be before you now.

The German government’s engagement with the Armenian Genocide is vitally important to the international perspective in the aftermath of this history. The German Bundestag’s non-binding resolution of June 2005 concerning the annihilation of the Armenians in Turkey provides an important context for the new proposal that is now being considered in the Foreign Committee of the Bundestag.

In order for progress toward reconciliation to be made between Turkey and the Armenian Republic and the Armenian people, acknowledgement of the historical facts about one of the most devastating human rights atrocities of the modern era must be made.

Furthermore, the 2005 resolution read: “The German Bundestag honors and commemorates the victims of violence, murder and expulsion among the Armenian people before and during the First World War. The Bundestag deplores the deeds of the Young Turkish government in the Ottoman Empire that resulted in the almost total annihilation of the Armenians in Anatolia. It also deplores the inglorious role played by the German Reich which had made no attempt to intervene and stop these atrocities.”

German documents on the Armenian Genocide are an important part of the historical record. The documentary scholarship of Johannes Lepsius , the collection of eyewitness photographs of Armin T. Wegner, the eyewitness accounts of numerous German diplomats, officers, missionaries, nurses, engineers and railway workers, and the massive collection of German diplomatic correspondence in the archives of the German Foreign Office, and in Wolfgang Gust’s major collection of foreign office records: The Armenian Genocide: Evidence from the German Foreign Office Archives, 1915–1916, all constitute a significant part of the international historical record.

Germany, more than any country in the 20th century, has dealt with the aftermath of Genocide with exemplary courage and moral reckoning. Germany has been a world leader in its ability to face its past, create a powerful culture of historical memory and deal with issues of recompense and social justice in the wake of the Holocaust. Thus, a statement from Germany affirming the historical facts and historical record of the Ottoman Turkish genocide against more than 3 million Christians—including more than a million Armenians according to the estimate of the German Embassy in Constantinople in October, 1916—would have great moral significance for this centennial moment.

We call on German legislators in this centennial year of 2015 to officially resolve in written form the forceful legal opinions made by speakers of all parliamentary factions on, April 24, 2015, confirming the genocide against the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek populations of the Ottoman Empire. We believe German leadership will help Turkey address its own struggles with historical memory and will help support progressive forces inside Turkey, and Turkey’s forward progress as a proud nation.”

Honoring Through Music: Germany-based Turkish singer visits Armenia

October 5, 2015 By administrator

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Satenik Tovmasyan
ArmeniaNow

After the 2007 assignation of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, Leman Stehn, a Germany-based Turkish singer, has been singing Dink’s favorite song “Sari Gelin”, from all possible stages in honor of her close friend, the singer told media.

The singer, who recently appeared on stages across Europe, arrived in Armenia to participate in the Komitas classical music festival, and within that framework had two concerts, two more are to come.

She had received the invitation to visit Armenia three years ago from Gayane chorus members, who were on a tour in Turkey. Her first visit to Yerevan was two years ago.

The singer is originally from Turkey, but spent her entire conscious life in Germany. As an adult, she returned to Turkey, but not being able to get used to Turkish reality, again returned to Germany for permanent residence.

Stehn said that particularly in recent years she has begun to deal with Armenian music, and to perform folk songs and works composed by Komitas.

“I was introduced to Armenian music by my Armenian friends, when I was studying music in college in Turkey. Since then I have been fond of and learned your culture,” she said.

Stehn said that the ties with Armenian culture broke when she returned Germany, but what happened to Dink forced her to return to Armenian music.

“I myself was an active participant in the demonstrations following the murder of Hrant Dink. After his death, at all the stages I performed I presented his favorite song, Sari Gelin,” said the singer.

Speaking about the Armenian Genocide, Stehn said that during her very first visit she went to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan to pay homage to the memory of the 1915 Genocide victims.

“What I am doing now, I do it consciously, because I want to face history. It is no coincidence that one of my concerts is called ‘Never Forget’,” she said.

The German-Turkish singer also said that she freely uses the term Genocide.

“The things should be called by their proper names. What happened to the Armenian people was genocide, and on behalf of tens of thousands of Turks and on my own behalf I apologize to the Armenians for the tragedy,” she concluded.

British intelligence ‘spied on German Greek plans’ – Wikileaks

July 2, 2015 By administrator

By Matthew Holehouse, in Brussels

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s personal mobile phone may have been monitored by the US (Reuters)

(The telegraph) British intelligence spied on German leaders as they discussed how to bailout Greece in 2011, newly released cables purport to show.

British officials passed intelligence to the US National Security Agency on proposals by Germany to ask developing nations to help rescue Athens.

• Greece crisis live – Polls suggest vote will go down to the wire

The claim was made by Wikileaks, the anti-secrecy website, in the latest release of US cables from the US spy agency. The website did not give a source for the documents, but it follows the leak of thousands of cables by Edward Snowden, a former contractor who is now living in Russia.

The documents also appear to show that the US was intercepting calls of Angela Merkel and a raft of her senior officials.

Reports two years ago that Merkel’s phone had been targeted by the NSA prompted diplomatic friction between Berlin and Washington, but German prosecutors recently dropped their probe into the case citing lack of concrete evidence.

WikiLeaks said the new, partially-redacted list of 69 phone and fax numbers belonged to senior officials at Germany’s economy and finance ministries, among others.

• Wikileaks documents reveal US spied on French leaders

Sigmar Gabriel, the economy minister, and Oskar Lafontaine the former finance minister, are on the list. Suddeutsche Zeitung said some of the numbers are still active.

Wikileaks published two documents it claimed were summaries of conversations intercepted – one involving Merkel and a second involving a senior aide – concerning the Greek debt crisis.

A conversation involving Niklaus Meyer-Landrut was intercepted by British intelligence, which passed it to the NSA, according to WikiLeaks. In it, Mr Meyer-Landrut discloses that “the Germans would support a special IMF fund into which the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) nations would pool funds for the purpose of bolstering eurozone bailout activities”.

The revelations about US espionage in Germany provoked outrage in a country still haunted by the memory of mass surveillance by the East German Stasi.

In 2013 Mrs Merkel publicly rebuked President Obama over the affair. “Spying between friends, that’s just not done,” she said.