USA Montebello installs Jack Hadjinian as its first Armenian mayor

November 27, 2014 By administrator

By Mike Sprague, Whittier Daily News

MONTEBELLO >> Councilman Jack Hadjinian was elected mayor Tuesday, becoming the first Armenian American to be selected to that position.

Nearly 800 were present at the meeting held in Bagramian Hall at the Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Cathedral.

“Today is a historic day,” said Araksya Karapetyan, a Fox 11 news anchor. “I’m so proud as an Armenian to be standing before you. This is not just a big day. It’s an important day for all Armenians living in America.”

Hadjinian, who was elected to the Montebello City Council in 2011, succeeded Bill Molinari as mayor. Councilman Art Barajas was elected mayor pro tem.

Councilwoman Vivian Romero called the evening special.

“It was truly a historic moment,” Romero said. “Here we are in 2014 and we’ve never had a Armenian mayor,” Romero said. “It also is the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. That makes it even more special.”

Many public officials from Southern California attended the meeting, including Sheriff-elect Jim McDonnell who swore in Hadjinian as mayor, and Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian.

“It’s a great moment for you and your family and a great moment for Armenian-Americans everywhere,” Krekorian said.

Also present was Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, who is prelate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America. He delivered the invocation at the meeting.

Hadjinian said he was “humbled and grateful” to be named mayor.

“As a native resident of Montebello whose roots go back three generations, my love and commitment to the growth and prosperity of Montebello has grown even deeper,” he said.

“My inspiration comes from my family,” he said. “It was in this city that my grandfather and uncles all purchased their first homes to experience the American dream.”

As mayor, Hadjinian said he wants the council to get along.

“We don’t always agree on the issues, but we can agree that we are passionate about the good will of the city,” he said. “Next year will require some tough decisions to be made. We must work together for benefit of the city.”

The council in the next year is expected to decide on a proposed housing development in the Montebello hills, as well as how to provide relief for blockages caused by trains on four streets in south Montebello.

Ankara Mayor Makes Bigoted Remarks Against Armenians, Kurds

October 17, 2014 By administrator

ANKARA—Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek made provocative remarks concerning Kurds, Armenians and atheists on his Twitter page on Tuesday, reports Today’s Zaman.

The mayor shared three consecutive tweets about Kurds, religion, and Armenians. He first shared a video from the Cihan news agency containing old footage of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members entertaining other PKK members with a comedy skit poking fun at salat (Islamic ritualistic prayer). Alongside the video, the mayor commented: “It’s these types of PKK [members] that don’t want a peace process or an end to war. They are the enemies of Islam. Here is proof.”

He continued in another tweet, “Peace to the Kurds in the east who are putting their lives on the line for the nation and solidarity and for Islam.” In his next tweet, Gökçek continued, “But there are those posing as Kurds but are actually Armenian atheists… (By the way, I absolve our Armenian brothers and sisters that are citizens of their nation.)” The mayor later deleted two of the controversial tweets (keeping the one with the video), though Twitter users were quick to respond with comments.

What the mayor is referring to are “hidden” Armenians who were often forcefully Islamified and Kurdified among Kurds in the Dersim mountains to avoid continued persecution during the Genocide of Armenians in 1915. There are Armenians among Alevi and Turkish communities as well.

Hayko Bağdat, an Armenian columnist for the Taraf daily, tweeted back to the mayor, “Which category do I fall under, boss?” Later, Today’s Zaman spoke over the phone with Bağdat, asking him about his views on the matter, and he explained: “This is plain racism. It’s prejudice on many levels. It’s not just against one demographic of people but against several: Armenians, Kurds, atheists. It is hate speech, and if this [Turkey] were a civil country then he [Gökçek] would be removed from his position for these remarks. But these types of remarks have become commonplace with [Justice and Development Party] AK Party politicians; we see it in the president.”

In August, a similar incident involving racist comments came from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan just two weeks before the presidential elections. During a television broadcast on Star TV and NTV, President Erdoğan said: “Let all Turks in Turkey say they are Turks and all Kurds say they are Kurds. What is wrong with that? You wouldn’t believe the things they have said about me. They have said I am Georgian … they have said even uglier things — they have called me Armenian, but I am Turkish.” Criticisms were raised about Erdoğan’s assertion that being Armenian is “ugly.”

The mayor’s Twitter account continuously draws public attention, as Gökçek is known to tweet on many topics regardless of their relevance to his political responsibilities. He has over 2 million followers.

Video: Armenian mayor sustains brain injury in landmine explosion

July 22, 2014 By administrator

Armenia’s Armavir city Mayor Ruben Khlghhatyan, who on Tuesday was injured as a result of a vehicle explosion in a mined area in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), has been transported on a helicopter, and along with two other injured, to Erebuni Medical Center in Armenia’s capital city Yerevan.

They have been brought to the intensive care unit of the hospital.

The doctor on duty told the mayor’s relatives, who have gathered in the hospital, that Khlghhatyan is in stable condition.

Erebuni Medical Center Public Relations Department Head Shushan Hunanyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that all three are in serious but stable condition, they were provided with first aid, the medical examinations are conducted, and they all have suffered multiple traumas.

“The mayor has a brain injury, hemorrhage, and an injury to his fifth finger. The others have concussion and shin fracture,” Hunanyan added.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia has informed that the aforesaid incident had occurred at around 6:30am, in Vaghazin village of the Kashatagh Region of NKR, as a Toyota Prado exploded in a mined area. As a result, the driver died on the spot, whereas passengers Ruben Khlghhatyan, A. B., and G. A. were taken to a local medical center. Subsequently, they were transported on a helicopter to Erebuni Medical Center.

Turkish mayor says 5 wounded in attack on his car after Erdoğan rally

July 14, 2014 By administrator

TODAYSZAMAN

Five people, including three police officers, were wounded in southeastern Turkey, a pro-government mayor said on Monday, when suspected Kurdish militants attacked his car as he returned from a presidential campaign rally for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Ceylanpınar Mayor Menderes Atilla said a car bomb detonated as his car drove through the town of Ceylanpınar in Şanlıurfa province late on Sunday, injuring the policemen. The attackers then opened fire, causing minor injuries to his driver and a bodyguard.

“There was a blast from a car loaded with explosives… as I was returning from the prime minister’s rally. We came under fire from another car by gunmen using long-barreled weapons. The gunmen’s car left the scene after firing a few rounds,” Atilla told reporters, adding that he believed terrorists from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were behind the ambush.

There has been no word from the PKK since the attack, but if their involvement is confirmed it would be a blow to efforts aimed at bringing an end to a 30-year insurgency that has haunted the Southeast and left an estimated 40,000 people dead.

Only last week, Parliament passed a bill that for the first time legally recognizes the government’s negotiations to bring a permanent halt to hostilities with PKK terrorists, who have for decades been demanding greater autonomy and rights from Ankara.

Erdoğan is campaigning to become Turkey’s first directly elected president in the Aug. 10 election, a position that could give him stronger executive powers to pursue his political plans. He hopes his efforts to end the insurgency will earn him significant support from Turkey’s Kurdish minority.

Şanlıurfa province could be a key electoral battleground in the coming weeks. Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) narrowly won local polls there in March, but the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) contested the result, stirring a week of violent clashes between BDP supporters and security forces.

Meanwhile, the police detained two suspects regarding the incident following the campaign rally in a raid they conducted on Monday morning. The suspects, identified as O.F. and H.D., were taken to the Şanlıurfa Police Department where they were to be questioned.