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Assad says Turkey not partner or guarantor for Syria

August 21, 2017 by administrator

Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Sunday that Damascus does not consider Ankara as its partner or a guarantor state of Syrian settlement as the latter allegedly supports terrorism and thus undermines political and social crisis settlement in Syria, Sputnik agency reported.

According to the source, the activities of Ankara in the region prompted criticism from Damascus, which says that Turkey’s actions in the Syrian province of Idlib, the seizing of Syrian territory and building of camps to train militants in the area are a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and UN Security Council resolutions.

“[Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is playing the role of political beggar after his support for terrorists was exposed. We do not consider the Turkish side to be a partner nor a guarantor nor do we trust it,” Assad said in a speech at the opening of the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry Conference in Syria, as quoted by the SANA news agency.

Putin says US not Russia’s enemy

June 15, 2017 by administrator

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the US was not an enemy of his country, saying his country had “many friends” in America, Nbcnews.com reports.

“We have been through two wars together,” he said during his annual nationwide televised call-in show. “The Russian Empire was key in securing U.S. independence.”

Putin added: “I know the mood of our people, we don’t believe America is our enemy … There is hysteria in the media and it affects the mood, but many people in Russia admire the achievements if the American people, and I hope relations will normalize.”

He also addressed his personal life, saying that his two daughters and two grandchildren reside in Russia.

“Despite all rumors, my daughters live here, in Moscow,” he said.

“My grandchildren are in preschool,” he adding, stating that he wanted to keep their identities and ages a secret. “I want them to be normal people, and for that they need to mix with ordinary people. But if I mention their names, they will not be left in peace. This will damage them. Please understand me.”

Yerevan Update: Armed group storming Yerevan police headquarters is not going to surrender

July 23, 2016 by administrator

YEREVAN. – Member of “Sasna Tsrer” group Varuzhan Avetisyan, one of those who seized the building of police regiment, stated that the reports about their intention to give up are false.

“I have data that someone spreads rumors as if “Sasna Tsrer” will start a press conference to announce the surrender. Actually we staged an armed revolt, took up arms with the mission to liberate our country.

It assumes disobedience of the people the number of which slowly, for some reasons, but steadily grows. Also rumors that I haven’t confirmed data on release of the two last hostages are spread. It is lie,” he stated.

A group of armed men stormed into a Yerevan police patrol regiment, on early morning on July 17, and took several police officers hostage. Deputy regiment commander Artur Vanoyan was killed, and four other officers of the law plus one of the attackers were wounded during the ensuing gunfire exchange.

The gunmen demand the release of Jirair Sefilian, an imprisoned opposition activist.

It has been the seventh day since a group of armed men stormed into a capital city Yerevan police station. Four hostages, including two senior police officers, were released on Saturday.

UK: Islam is incompatible with UK values say 56% of Brits – poll

June 10, 2016 by administrator

(RT) More than half of Britons polled believe Islam is incompatible with British values, according to a study carried out on behalf of a Muslim community organization.

The polling firm ComRes asked 2,012 people over the age of 18 for their views. The study was carried out on behalf of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and was revealed at the ‘Caliphate in the 21st Century’ conference.

It found that one respondent in three thinks Islam promotes violence in Britain, while 72 percent feel the religion is viewed negatively in the UK.

Some 32 percent believe Islam promotes peace in Britain and 56 percent think the faith is incompatible with the country’s values.

The sect that commissioned the study is itself dedicated to its own version of a caliphate in the UK. Unlike extremist groups such as Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s version of a caliphate is dedicated to peace.

“The task of the Ahmadiyya Caliphate is to continue pursuing the peaceful objectives laid down by the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Community, which is essentially to worship God and serve humanity,” Farooq Aftab, the community’s spokesman, told the Express.

“And so, under the guidance of the Institution of Caliphate, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has continued this work for more than one hundred years,” he added.

Aftab said the community is very concerned about extremism and is fighting to deal with the issue “through a range of initiatives such as education, recreational and sports to break down barriers and give members the true teachings of Islam.”

“We have on a number of occasions said that in Mosques, Imams and leaders should use sermons to condemn ISIS. And make it clear that going to join them is totally wrong and against Islam,” he said.

Reckless Retreat: Obama Not to Recognize Genocide in Final Term

April 21, 2016 by administrator

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan taps President Obama’s face

ANCA’s Hamparian: “This, sadly, is President Obama’s legacy – silence on the Armenian Genocide, complicity in Turkey’s denials, and encouragement of Azerbaijani aggression.”

WASHINGTON – White House National Security Council officials informed the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Thursday afternoon that President Obama will refrain from properly commemorating the Armenian Genocide, as he had promised to do as a candidate, in his eighth and final “Armenian Remembrance Day” statement, set to be released in the next few days.

“It seems President Obama will end his tenure as he began it, caving in to pressure from Turkey and betraying his commitment to speak honestly about the Armenian Genocide,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, who met with the officials along with Government Affairs Director Kate Nahapetian.

“President Obama’s unwillingness to reject Turkey’s gag-rule on the Armenian Genocide or otherwise confront the growing regional wave of anti-Armenian aggression – particularly at a time when both Ankara and Baku are placing targets on the backs of Armenians in Artsakh, Armenia, Turkey, the Middle East, and across our Diaspora – represents something far worse than simply a betrayal of his own promise. His reckless retreat from America’s anti-genocide commitments – under pressure from Turkey and Azerbaijan – in the face of their open incitement, outright aggression, and other classic genocide red flags – emboldens Erdogan and Aliyev to escalate their hostility, raising the very real risk of large-scale anti-Armenian atrocities. This, sadly, is President Obama’s legacy – silence on the Armenian Genocide, complicity in Turkey’s denials, and encouragement of Azerbaijani aggression,” continued Hamparian.

Prior to his election to the oval office, President Obama was clear and unequivocal in promising to properly characterize Ottoman Turkey’s murder of over 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children between 1915 and 1923 as genocide. In a January 19, 2008, statement he wrote: “The facts are undeniable. An official policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an untenable policy. As a senator, I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106), and as President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide.”

President Obama has broken that pledge in annual Armenian Remembrance Day statements issued on or near April 24th, the international day of commemoration of this crime.

The U.S. first recognized the Armenian Genocide in 1951 through a filing which was included in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Report titled: “Reservations to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.” The specific reference to the Armenian Genocide appears on page 25 of the ICJ Report: “The Genocide Convention resulted from the inhuman and barbarous practices which prevailed in certain countries prior to and during World War II, when entire religious, racial and national minority groups were threatened with and subjected to deliberate extermination. The practice of genocide has occurred throughout human history. The Roman persecution of the Christians, the Turkish massacres of Armenians, the extermination of millions of Jews and Poles by the Nazis are outstanding examples of the crime of genocide.”

President Ronald Reagan reaffirmed the Armenian Genocide in 1981. The U.S. House of Representatives adopted legislation on the Armenian Genocide in 1975, 1984 and 1996.

Egyptian expert: Historic moment of Armenian Genocide recognition is not far

April 25, 2015 by administrator

YEREVAN. – The historic moment of Armenian Genocide recognition is not that far, Ayman Salama, Egyptian historian, scientist and specialist of international law told Armenian News – NEWS.am. He said that it was his already second visit to Armenia. “I offer sincere and deep condolences to the Armenian people, Armenian families, who suffered from the genocide committed in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 during WWI,” Ayman Salama said.

According to the expert, Article 1 of the Genocide Convention (adopted by UN General Assembly on December 9, 1948) defines genocide as an international crime regardless of being committed in time of peace or in time of war. “Therefore, it is actually a clear and undeniable refutation to the Turkish side’s allegations. If you ask lawyers, attorneys and human rights activists all over the world, 90 per cent of them will respond that the Armenian Genocide was a typical genocide, defined by international law, international humanitarian law and Geneva Convention,” Salama added.

According to the historian, the Turkish government should address not the Armenian nation but its own people, so that the latter can understand what actually happened.

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Armenian hopes crushed as Obama decides not to use the word ‘genocide’

April 22, 2015 by administrator

By Noah Bierman contact the reporter

White House officials have decided that President Obama will not use the word “genocide” to describe the killings of more than 1 million Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks when he commemorates the deaths Friday, the 100th anniversary of the massacres.

The decision, revealed Tuesday in a meeting with Armenian American groups, backs down from a previous Obama pledge.

“As president I will recognize the Armenian Genocide,” Obama said while running for president in 2008. Report LATime

His decision not to do so now sparked anger from activists.

“The president’s surrender represents a national disgrace,” said Aram S. Hamparian, executive director of the Washington-based Armenian National Committee of America. “It is a betrayal of the truth, and it is a betrayal of trust.”

White House officials defended the decision as necessary to preserve the chance of cooperation with Turkey, a NATO ally, on Middle Eastern conflicts.

The Turkish Embassy, which has spent millions lobbying Congress on the issue, did not respond to a request for comment. the Turkish government has said that the mass killings do not meet the legal definition of genocide and that it would be a mistake for the U.S. to use the term. Some members of Congress have also warned that a shift in official U.S. references could hurt American foreign policy.

California has the country’s largest population of people of Armenian descent, with more than 200,000 living in Los Angeles County, according to U.S. Census data.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), who has led efforts in Congress to recognize the genocide, said he was “deeply disappointed” by the decision.

“How long must the victims and their families wait before our nation has the courage to confront Turkey with the truth about the murderous past of the Ottoman Empire? If not this president, who spoke so eloquently and passionately about recognition in the past, whom? If not after 100 years, when?” he said in a statement.

After the meeting with Armenian American groups, White House officials released a statement that did not use the word “genocide.” The statement from National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said the U.S. would use the anniversary of the onset of the massacres to “urge a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts that we believe is in the interest of all parties.”

A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to comment on a diplomatically delicate issue, said the White House expects Obama to mark “the historical significance” of the Meds Yeghern, as the massacres are known in Armenian.

“We know and respect that there are some who are hoping to hear different language this year. We understand their perspective,” the official said.

But, the official added, “the approach we have taken in previous years remains the right one, both for acknowledging the past, and for our ability to work with regional partners to save lives in the present,” a reference to U.S. hope for cooperation from Turkey, particularly in the civil war in Syria.
White House national security advisor Susan Rice met Tuesday afternoon with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and urged him “to take concrete steps to improve relations with Armenia and to facilitate an open and frank dialogue in Turkey about the atrocities of 1915,” the White House said in a statement.

Hamparian said he and other Armenian American leaders learned the news at their White House meeting, which was attended by Denis McDonough, Obama’s chief of staff, and Ben Rhodes, deputy national security advisor.

During the meeting, which lasted just short of an hour, Hamparian said, the group was told that the U.S. would send a delegation to Armenia this week, led by Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew.

Women are not equal to men, Turkish president declares

November 24, 2014 by administrator

The Associated Press
Published Monday, November 24, 2014 9:19AM EST

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan set off a new controversy on Monday, declaring that women are not equal to men and accusing feminists of not understanding the special status that Islam attributes to mothers.

Addressing a meeting in Istanbul on women and justice, Erdogan said men and women are created differently, that women cannot be expected to undertake the same work as men, and that mothers enjoy a high position that only they can reach.

“You cannot put women and men on an equal footing,” Erdogan said. “It is against nature. They were created differently. Their nature is different. Their constitution is different.”

Erdogan added: “Motherhood is the highest position … You cannot explain this to feminists. They don’t accept motherhood. They have no such concern.”

Lawyer and women’s rights activist Hulya Gulbahar said Erdogan’s comments were in violation of Turkey’s constitution, Turkish laws and international conventions on gender equality and didn’t help efforts to stem high incidences of violence against women in Turkey.

“Such comments by state officials which disregard equality between men and women play an important role in the rise of violence against women,” Gulbahar said. “Such comments aim to make women’s presence in public life — from politics to arts, from science to sports — debatable.”

Erdogan, a devout Muslim, often courts controversy with divisive public comments. He has previously angered women’s groups by stating that women should bear at least three children and by attempting to outlaw abortion and adultery.

He raised eyebrows this month by declaring that Muslims had discovered the Americas before Christopher Columbus.

Turkish architects call on Pope Francis not to attend ceremony at ‘unlicensed’ Ak Saray

November 11, 2014 by administrator

Aysel Alp ANKARATurkey’s Chamber of Architects has penned a letter to Pope Francis, calling on him not to attend a ceremony set to be held at the country’s new presidential palace during his upcoming visit as the guest of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Pope Francis is set to be the first house guest at the Presidential Palace, colloquially known as the Ak Saray (White Palace), on Nov. 28.

However, the managers of the Ankara branch of the Chamber of Architects have penned a letter to the Pope, including a report that details case documents and court decisions over the controversial construction of the new palace.

The architects asked the pope “not to legitimize the construction, which is illegal according to international laws, by attending the ceremony to be held at the unlicensed building.”

The Chamber of Architects Ankara Branch Head Tezcan Karakuş Candan said they would continue to write letters to all heads of state to prevent them from attending ceremonies at the “unlicensed palace.”

“We have taken the fight for the Atatürk Forest Farm to an international level. We will follow through on this and deliver our reports and letters to all foreign guests,” Candan said.

The Ankara branch has also requested that the Vatican Embassy give them an appointment.

On Feb. 2, 2012, the Ankara Regional Natural Reserves Commission reduced the size of the forest’s protected area to seven hectares, paving the way for the construction of an enormous complex. A previous court decision had ruled for a halt on the construction of a new Prime Ministry complex, citing violation of the principles of urban planning, ecology and science and adding that the completion of the project could “cause damage that would be hard to repair.”

The complex lies on a 150,000-square-meter area inside the historic Atatürk Forest Farm, one of the most well-preserved green spaces in Ankara, and hundreds of trees were cut down for its construction. It is equipped with a number of high-technology systems aimed at precluding eavesdropping with bugs and wires, and has a total of 1,000 rooms, considerably larger than the White House, the Kremlin and Buckingham Palace.

Controversy over the palace soared when Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek told a parliamentary budget committee last week that the total cost so far was 1.37 billion Turkish Liras ($615 million), around double the original price tag.

November/11/2014

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