Armenian comedian running for Yerevan mayor

July 30, 2018 By administrator

Hayk Marutyan

Actor and comedian Hayk Marutyan has been nominated by the Civil Contract party as a candidate for the post of the Mayor of Yerevan, the party said in a Facebook post.

The Civil Contract was founded and is currently headed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who participated in the party’s latest meeting.

The considered the nomination of four members for the post, but made the decision to nominate Marutyan after all.

Municipal elections will be held in September.

Former Mayor Taron Margaryan submitted his resignation on July 9, without providing reasons for such a move.

In November 2011, Margaryan was elected the Mayor of the city by the decision of Yerevan City Council. Following elections of the Council of the Elders in May 2013 and May 2017, he was re-elected in the post.

Related links:

Civil Contract party’s Facebook post

Protesters assemble outside Yerevan city hall, they demand mayor’s resignation

May 10, 2018 By administrator

YEREVAN. – A protest is staged Thursday outside the Yerevan Municipality building, in the capital city of Armenia.

According to the respective press release by the initiative group of this demonstration, they demand the resignation of Mayor Taron Margaryan and the dissolution of the current municipal council.

“A statement-demand substantiating Taron Margaryan’s resignation will be presented during the rally,” the press release reads, in particular. “Also, an ‘Open Loudspeaker’ will operate, whereby the citizens will present the illegalities, the financial misuse committed by Taron Margaryan and the [majority] RPA [Republican Party of Armenia] [members of the Yerevan] Council of Elders, and the numerous unresolved problems that exist in the capital city.”

But the initiators of this protest noted that their demonstration has no connection with new Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, or his political team.

Glendale mayor to share ‘historic moment’ with Armenians in Yerevan

May 7, 2018 By administrator

Glendale mayor Zareh Sinanyan will arrive in Yerevan to share “the historic moment” with the Armenian nation as the country’s parliament is set to elect a new prime minister after weeks of peaceful protests.

“In the current situation, Diaspora Armenians had given up on Armenia,” Sinanyan said in an interview with the Voice of America.

“That was a negative phenomenon but such a state of mind will change here too.”

“While I have no official mission, I will of course got to Armenia to be there for my compatriots on that historic moment,” Sinanyan said, adding that he would not expect such a turn of events in Armenia.

A campaign against the Armenian authorities was in full swing across Yerevan and the rest of the republic for several weeks and got even stronger after the parliament failed to elect opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan as the country’s new prime minister on May 1.

The founder and head of Civil Contract party and lawmaker from the Yelk bloc, Pashinyan leads the street campaign against the ruling authorities, which has seen thousands of Armenians taking to the streets in massive protests in the past several weeks.

Former prime minister Serzh Sargsyan was forced to resign on April 23, and Pashinyan is now seeking the appointment as prime minister by the National Assembly of what he calls “the people’s candidate”, – i.e. himself – the formation of an interim government and snap parliamentary elections.

Pashinyan has promised to rid Armenia of corruption and poverty.

Demonstrations have been halted since May 3 after the ruling Republican party of Armenia pledged to support Pashinyan’s candidacy.

Ankara mayor slams German Green party leader for ‘treachery’ #ArmenianGenocide

August 19, 2017 By administrator

Mayor Melih Gokcek has accused German politician Cem Özdemir of being an “Armenian servant” and traitor. Özdemir, the son of Turkish immigrants, has been highly critical of the government in Ankara.

The diplomatic row between Turkey and Germany took an unexpected turn on Friday evening, when the bullish mayor of Ankara called out the leader of the German Green party, describing him as an “Armenian servant.”

“Sit tight! You Armenian servant,” Melih Gokcek (pictured above) wrote on both his English and Turkish Twitter accounts, above a picture of German politician Cem Özdemir, himself of Turkish heritage.

“Can/Cem in the race for treachery,” reads the picture of Özdemir accompanying the tweet. Özedemir has long been a critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, especially since last year’s failed coup attempt in Turkey and the president’s authoritarian crackdown in response to it.

Can is likely a reference to Can Dundar, a left-wing Turkish journalist who fled to Germany amid ongoing government repression of opposition voices in the media.

‘Artificial’ earthquakes, anti-Semitic tweets

Gokcek is an active social media user and has often used Twitter as a platform to excoriate his political opponents. He has also courted controversy for calling a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coasts of Greece and Turkey in June an “artificial” attack coordinated by “foreign powers.”

He had earlier said that a similar earthquake earlier in the year was artificially triggered in order to manipulate Turkey’s economy.

Gokcek, who has been mayor of Ankara since 1994, garnered significant criticism in 2014 when he supported an anti-Semitic statement by Turkish singer Yildiz Tilbe, who tweeted “God bless Hitler.”

The mayor’s remarks came on the heels of even stronger words from President Erdogan, who earlier on Friday told Turkish Germans not to vote for Chancellor Angela Merkel in federal elections in September.

Erdogan tells Turkish Germans to oust Merkel

Erdogan has been increasingly critical of Germany ever since Berlin blocked him from holding campaign rallies in the country ahead of a referendum vote that granted more power to the Turkish president. On Friday, he explicitly told Germany’s Turkish community not to vote for any of the major parties on September 24.

“I am calling on all my countrymen in Germany to not make the mistake of supporting them,” Erdogan said, speaking about Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and its coalition partners the Social Democrats (SPD).

He also called Özedmir’s Green party “enemies of Turkey.”

Chancellor Merkel responded immediately, saying that her government would “not stand for any kind of interference” from foreign governments in German elections.

“German voters, including ones with a Turkish background, have a right to vote freely,” the chancellor said, accusing Erdogan of “meddling.”

On top of the war of words, relations between the two NATO allies have been tense over the number of arrests made in Turkey in the wake of the July 2016 failed coup. A number of German nationals, including Die Welt reporter Deniz Yucel, have been detained in Turkey on terrorism charges.

Mayor of Washington condemns the violence of Erdogan’s guards

May 18, 2017 By administrator

Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, condemned the attacks of security personnel of Turkish President Recep Erdogan against peaceful demonstrators near the Turkish embassy on May 16 in Washington. According to Mr. Bowser this violence exercised by the Turkish president’s bodyguards “is an injury to the values of Washington and Americans.” Washington police chief Peter Newchem said that all the light will be made on the violence, which is “the expression of violations of the rights of citizens”. Aram Hamparian, the executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), thanked the mayor and police chief of Washington for their quick reaction after the incident. “President Erdogan can order this violence and attacks in Turkey, but we can not allow such actions in Washington the capital of the United States,” said Aram Hamparian. Recall that Erdogan’s men, aided by some Turkish nationalist demonstrators, attacked a group of Greeks, Armenians and Kurds who came to denounce peacefully President Erdogan’s presence in Washington. Several protesters were wounded in these attacks.

Krikor Amirzayan

Armenia: YELQ defends financial aid plan as legal in Yerevan elections

May 11, 2017 By administrator

Nikol Pashinyan from YELQ bloc who is running for the post of Yerevan mayor argues that the alliance’s plan to provide financial assistance to the socially vulnerable citizens contains no illegal element.

The bloc on Monday, May 8 promised support to the socially disadvantaged residents of Yerevan who will declare in a letter to the City Hall that they haven’t accepted bribes in the municipal elections, slated for Sunday.

According to Pashinyan, the city budget will increase by AMD 30-40 billion in the event of YELQ’s victory, Aysor.am says.

He refuted speculations that such a pledge was equal to election bribes, arguing that no one in that case would ever promise rise in salaries and pensions.

The socially vulnerable residents, according to the new proposal, will receive AMD 15,000 (apx. $31) each, which Pashinyan said will help “get rid of the vote-buying practice.”

Three parties participate in elections. The ruling Republican Party’s proportional list is headed by current mayor Taron Margaryan; Pashinyan, who was recently re-elected to the Armenian National Assembly, tops the list of YELQ bloc; while 5th Convocation National Assembly lawmaker Zaruhi Postanjyan, who recently announced the Yerkir Tsirani (Land of Apricot) party, will head its list.

California: Vartan Gharpetian elected Glendale mayor

May 4, 2017 By administrator

Vartan Gharpetian elected Glendale mayor

Vartan Gharpetian will serve his third year on the Glendale City Council as the city’s mayor thanks to a unanimous vote by council members Monday, Asbarez reports quoting Glendale News Press.

Gharpetian was elected to the Glendale City Council in April of 2015 and has been involved with the City of Glendale directly as the past Commissioner on the Design Review Board, Commissioner on the Parks, Recreation, & Community Services Commission, Commissioner on the Historic Preservation Commission, and Chair of the Glendale Housing Authority. Other positions held include Civic Advisory Boardmember of the Glendale Adventist Medical Foundation, Boardmember of the Glendale Police Foundation, Member of the Glendale Historical Society, Member of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce, Board Vice President of the D&M Educational Foundation, and Member of the Glendale Association of Realtors. Mayor Gharpetian and his wife Dr. Armina Gharpetian have been married for 21 years. They have 3 children, all of whom attend Glendale public schools.

City Council incumbents Ara Najarian and Zareh Sinanyan took their oath of office for another four years of service alongside first-time Councilman Vrej Agajanian. Unopposed candidates Ardy Kassakhian and Rafi Manoukian will continue their roles as city clerk and city treasurer, respectively

Armenia: YELQ lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan to run for Yerevan mayor

April 7, 2017 By administrator

Opposition lawmaker, YELQ bloc member Nikol Pashinyan who was recently re-elected to the Armenian National Assembly, said on Friday, April 7 that he will run for Yerevan mayor.

Also, the bloc will compete for city council seats.

“I am running for Yerevan mayor. Our goal is to win,” Pashinyan said in a Facebook post.

Following the lawmaker on the proportional list are Arayik Harutyunyan, Davit Khazhakyan and Anahit Bakhshyan – the latter is from the Free Democrats party, which didn’t make it to the parliament on April 2 – Harutyunyan said in a post of his own.

Municipal elections are slated for May 14.

Irvine, California: Mayor Donald Wagner Remove Turkish April 23, Heritage day resolution from city council Agenda

April 5, 2017 By administrator

Irvine Mayor Donald P. Wagner

Statement of Mayor Donald P. Wagner, Regarding Turkish Heritage and Children’s Day,

Beginning yesterday, council members and staff began hearing from members of the Armenian community in opposition to a routine item on the consent agenda for tonight’s council meeting. The item is a resolution commemorating April 23 as Turkish Heritage and Children’s Day. This was the eighth straight year this resolution has come before the council; all seven prior appearances of this resolution were approved unanimously without objection from the Armenian community. For that reason, city staff and I believed the resolution was inoffensive and appropriate for the consent calendar.

Because of what we have heard over the last day, however, it is now clear to me and to the entire council that the choice of date for the Turkish Heritage resolution is deeply troubling to our residents and friends of Armenian heritage. April 23 is the day before the longstanding date for remembrance of the Armenian genocide. I have co-authored six resolutions during my service in the legislature recognizing and remembering the first – but sadly not last – genocide of the Twentieth Century. Neither I nor anyone on this council wishes to ignore or downplay the historical significance of that genocide.

For that reason, I have removed the Turkish Heritage resolution from tonight’s agenda. It is not going to be before us, and I will not sign such a resolution. Instead, staff is asked to work with all stakeholders in this matter to find an appropriate date to recognize Turkish heritage that is also sensitive to the concerns of those among us of Armenian heritage.

No joke: Ankara Mayor Blames Gulenists for Shaking Turkey With an Earthquake

February 7, 2017 By administrator

Mayor of the Turkish capital of Ankara Melih Gokcek

No joke: Ankara’s mayor suggests that an earthquake that has recently hit Turkey’s northwest might have been caused by the followers of cleric Fethulah Gulen, blamed for masterminding the July coup.

ANKARA (Sputnik) — The earthquake, which has recently hit the northwestern Turkish province of Canakkale could have been caused by the supporters of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, Mayor of the Turkish capital of Ankara Melih Gokcek said Tuesday.

“They [Gulenists] are trying to strike Turkey by causing an earthquake near Istanbul. Some people could laugh at me, but I am worried about it. All submarines and ships with serious equipment in Marmara and Dardanelles, close to Istanbul should be put under control,” Gokcek said on Twitter.

He added that a ship near Canakkale was reportedly conducting seismological researches and it was necessary to determine which ship it was and to which country it belonged. Gokcek expressed concerns about a potential earthquake that could be caused artificially and urged public investigation into the matter.

More than 100 houses were destroyed on Monday in a 5.2-magnitude earthquake that hit the northwestern Turkish province of Canakkale. At least five people were reportedly injured as a result of the natural disaster. Earlier in the day, an earthquake with the same magnitude hit the Turkish western coast again.

In July 2016, the military attempted to overthrow government, but the coup was suppressed by the state forces on the next day. The authorities accused Gulen and his followers of masterminding the attempt.