rallies Archives

Sultan Erdogan rallies supporters in Bosnia-Herzegovina ahead of elections

May 20, 2018 by administrator

“Turkey’s president portrays himself as a protector of Muslims in former Ottoman dominions. He also uses this image in domestic politics, as millions of Turkish citizens have Bosnian or Albanian backgrounds,” said Janusz Bugajski, a senior fellow at CEPA.

“Initially seen as a useful supplement to the EU and the US, especially among the region’s Muslim populations, Turkey’s political interjections and self-declared ‘neo-Ottomanism’ are increasingly viewed with suspicion.”

The Turkish president has brought together more than 20,000 people in the Bosnian capital to back his election bid. But some leaders are worried his growing influence in the Balkans could lead to regional instability.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday rallied more than 20,000 people in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo to bolster support ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections in June.

“Are you ready to support me with a record number of votes in the presidential election?” Erdogan asked the crowd. At moments, the crowd chanted “Sultan Erdogan.”

“I have one request from you: take an active role in the political parties in the countries you live in. You should take a place in those parliaments.”

The event in Sarajevo was the only one of its kind scheduled in Europe after several EU countries banned campaign rallies, including Germany, the Netherlands and Austria.

The elections mark Turkey’s official transition to an executive-style presidential system that some say will give the presidency too much power.

‘Interfering’

Some leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina have expressed concerns about Erdogan’s growing influence in the country, with Bosnian Serb leader Milord Dodik saying the Turkish leader was “interfering a lot” in the country’s affairs.

But Bosnian Muslim leader Bakir Izetbegovic dismissed the allegations of interference as spite, saying there were “many frustrated Bosniak (Muslims) who do not like him in this country.”

“What is the problem? The problem is that he is a powerful Muslim leader that we have not had for a long time,” said Izetbegovic. “We will show that he has friends and that there are those who are proud of him.”

‘Neo-Ottomanism’

Ahead of the rally, Erdogan met with Izetbegovic. During a joint press conference, the Turkish president acknowledged criticism of his visit, saying Ankara is only interested in helping the Balkan country develop.

“Our country has no secret agenda other than the welfare, unity and economic development of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Efforts to prove otherwise are futile.”

But the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) has pointed to Turkey’s growing influence in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Balkans as a possible source of instability.

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Vancouver: Canadian Armenian rallies commemorate anniversary of the Armenian genocide

April 25, 2017 by administrator

Gagrule.net April 24 Hundred of Canadian Armenian rallied through downtown Vancouver commemorating 102 anniversary of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Turkey’s Ottoman Empire with protest gatherings and marches.

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Christian Armenian population of the Turkish Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, the Italian Chamber of Deputies, majority of U.S. states 45, parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium and Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Chamber of Commons of Canada, Polish Sejm, Vatican, European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.

UPI: Worldwide rallies commemorate anniversary of the Armenian genocide

April 25, 2017 by administrator

By Mike Bambach,

April 24 (UPI) — Thousands around the world on Monday marked the 102 anniversary of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Turkey’s Ottoman Empire with protest gatherings and marches.

Rallies from Istanbul, Beirut and Paris to Ottawa and Los Angeles — home to one of the largest Armenian communities outside Armenia — demanded Turkish authorities stop their denial of the genocide.

“Wherever there are Armenians, there will be this ceremony,” said Aram Karadaghlian, 31, one of the Beirut event’s organizers.”It’s a duty. They come show respect and appreciation.”

Historians estimate 1.5 million Armenians were killed in massacres organized by the Ottoman Empire government of Young Turks during World War I.

But Turkey has long denied genocide took place, arguing that the killings can’t be separated from the upheaval of World War I.

“We’re going to stand together to voice our desire for justice,” Simon Izmirian, an executive member of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, said in a phone interview from Ottawa, “and for the perpetrators to be held accountable for what they’ve done in 1915.”

U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff (D.-Calif.) and Dave Trott (R-Michigan) last month introduced a resolution asking Congress to formally recognize the genocide.

“Over 100 years ago, the Ottoman Empire undertook a brutal campaign of murder, rape, and displacement against the Armenian people that took the lives of 1.5 million men, women, and children in the first genocide of the 20th century,” Schiff said in a statement.

“Genocide is not a historic relic — even today hundreds of thousands of religious minorities face existential threat from ISIS in Syria and Iraq. It is therefore all the more pressing that the Congress recognize the historical fact of the Armenian Genocide and stand against modern day genocide and crimes against humanity.”

German towns cancel Turkish ministers’ campaign rallies

March 2, 2017 by administrator

The cities Gaggenau and Cologne have blocked campaign rallies for Turkey’s upcoming referendum that Turkish ministers were due to attend. The cities cited security and parking concerns as reasons for pulling permission.

The small, southwestern German town of Gaggenau withdrew permission on Thursday for an event where Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag planned to address a campaign rally in support of a controversial constitutional referendum to boost President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s powers.

Bozdag had been scheduled to give a speech in Gaggenau on Thursday night, but the city pulled its permission for the event to take place, saying that the hall where the rally was supposed to take place was too small to accomodate the expected crowd.

Due to the fact that the event picked up a great deal of media attention, “the city expects a large number of visitors for which the Bad Rotenfels Hall, the parking lots and the access roads are not enough,” the city said in a statement on its website.

The statement also said it did not know whether the event would continue to be held at a different location.

Cologne follows suit

The next minister to travel to Germany as part of the Turkish referendum campaign was supposed to be Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci, who wanted to address German Turks in Cologne on Sunday.

Following the ban in Gaggenau, a Cologne court also banned the weekend rally there, a citing security reasons.

Of the more than 3 million people of Turkish descent living in Germany, some 1.4 million are eligible to vote in the controversial referendum taking place in April.

rs/rg (dpa, AFP, Reuters)

Mass rallies held in Yemen against Saudi offensive

April 15, 2016 by administrator

This April 15, 2016 photo released by Yemen’s al-Masirah TV shows people attending a mass rally in the capital Sana’a to denounce continued Saudi attacks against the country.

People in several cities across Yemen have taken to the streets to condemn incessant Saudi attacks on civilians despite a truce meant for facilitating peace talks.

In a major rally on Friday, thousands gathered in central streets of the capital Sana’a to condemn the attacks which have continued despite the truce starting early last week.

Yemen’s al-Masirah TV said the rally in Matar Street was held under the slogan of “responsibility of free world to stop aggression and siege” with the participants chanting slogans against the United States and Saudi Arabia while denouncing the silence of the international community on the crimes committed by the Saudis.

The demonstrators also held banners showing images of civilians affected by the deadly airstrikes, calling on the United Nations to fulfill its responsibilities and stop the carnage.

During the march, Yemenis also warned the Saudi leadership that the continued attacks on the people in Yemen will only strengthen the steadfastness of the nation.

Similar demonstrations were held in other cities, with Yemenis declaring their support for the Houthi Ansarullah movement and allies in the face of Saudi aggression.

More than a year of aerial attacks by Saudi Arabia and allies against Yemen have left around 9,500 people dead, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced across the impoverished country.

The illegal attacks are intended to push back the Houthis from Sana’a and other places they control across Yemen so that the country’s resigned president, Abd Rabbuah Mansour Hadi, a major ally of Riyadh, could be reinstated.

The United Nations has planned peace talks between representatives of Hadi and Houthis in Kuwait beginning on April 18.

Source: presstv

Armenian communities stage powerful rallies worldwide Against Azerbaijan aggression

April 6, 2016 by administrator

67078_b The Armenian community of Argentina held a massive demonstration outside the Embassy of Azerbaijan in the country to denounce the Azeri aggression against Nagorno Karabakh on the night of Tuesday, April 5, Prensa Armenia reports.

After an intense awareness campaign among the society, all institutions of the community called for peace and recognition of self-determination of the people of Artsakh. The rally was attended by several community representatives and Archbishop Kissag Mouradian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church for Argentina and Chile.

“Azerbaijan has embarked in recent years on the process of expanding its military arsenal and the externalization of their convictions to achieve their goals through weapons. The continued aggressive attitude of Azerbaijan against the civilian population of Nagorno Karabakh confirms that a peaceful resolution of the conflict will only be possible by respecting the right of self-determination of its people,” reads the statement signed by all community organizations.

“Given the serious situation in question, we ask the authorities of Argentina to urge the parties to circumscribe the conflict settlement in the framework of the negotiations held in the Minsk Group, and thus avoiding a regional explosion with unpredictable consequences.”

Also Tuesday, the Armenian organization Nor Serund staged a massive rally in front of Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Paris.

The participants carried posters with the slogans “Karabakh is ours” and “Aliyev is the enemy of peace.”

The demonstrators tried to draw closer to the Embassy but the police formed a human wall and used tear gas to hinder the youth’s advance.

In addition, the Armenian activists ofAustria held a protest action in front of the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, where the OSCE Minsk Group had held a special meeting earlier that day. The protesters demanded that Azerbaijan cease violence in Nagorno Karabakh, RIA says.

The parties to the Karabakh conflict agreed on a bilateral ceasefire along the contact line which came into force at midday, April 5.

Prior to that, on the night of April 1-2, Azerbaijani armed forces initiated overt offensive operations in the southern, southeastern and northeastern directions of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh.

As many as 29 Karabakh servicemen were killed and 101 were wounded in the course of military operations. 28 Karabakh soldiers have gone missing so far.

As of April 5, the Azerbaijani side has lost 26 tanks and 4 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as 1 BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, 2 military helicopters and 11 unmanned aerial vehicles.

14 Karabakh tanks have been neutralized since April 2.

РИА Новости: Армянские активисты в Австрии проводят в Вене митинг.

Pro-Kurdish rallies against Erdogan hit European capitals following Turkish bombing raids

July 26, 2015 by administrator

Hundreds of pro-Kurdish protesters have taken to the streets in the capitals of Europe’s three largest economies, rallying against Turkish airstrikes targeting Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters in northern Iraq and Syria. Report RT

Protesters in Germany, France and the UK rallied on Saturday against the Turkish government, whose airstrikes on Kurdish Peshmerga militia positions in northern Iraq broke a truce that had lasted since 2013.

In Great Britain, a pro-Kurdish rally blocked BBC headquarters in London, during a march that started at Downing Street. Protestors were angry with the Turkish government in a show of solidarity with the victims of the Suruc massacre.

The protesters carried banners “Turkish government funds ISIS,” “Mass action to defeat ISIS,” “Down with fascism in Turkey,” “Erdogan [Turkish PM], blood on your hands” “No to terror! No to imperialism,” and chanted “BBC, shame on you!” and “We want justice!”

Many protesters held photos bearing victims’s names in the terror act in Turkey’s Suruc last Monday. Others carried red flags of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Only a handful of police officers were present, symbolically protecting the entrance to BBC headquarters. The nature of the protest was markedly peaceful.

Hundreds of pro-Kurdish protesters rallied in the German capital on Saturday to remember the Suruc massacre victims and express support for the Turkish Kurds. The demonstrators carried portraits of Suruc victims, red and green flags of the PKK, flags of the unrecognized Kurdistan state and chanted songs in Kurdish.

The police presence during the march in Berlin was much heavier than in the British capital. German law enforcement officers were dressed in riot gear, although they carried the helmets in their hands or attached to their belts.

In London, speakers addressed the protesting crowd mostly in English, while at the Berlin rally Kurdish was mostly heard over the loudspeakers. However, banners carried by protesters were almost all in German.

The pro-Kurdish rally in France was probably the largest, with around 2,000 protesters gathering in the streets of Paris to rally against the recent Turkish airstrikes targeting Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters in northern Iraq.

Young activists in red T-shirts carried portraits of Suruc victims and chanted “Erdogan assassin.”

Last Monday, a suicide bomber, a 20-year-old Kurdish national, killed 32 youth activists in the town of Suruc. All the victims were Kurds and Islamic State claimed responsibility for the atrocity.

The terror attack caused a new eruption of violence in Turkey. The Kurds have accused the Turkish authorities of a laissez-faire approach towards Islamic State.

A series of terror acts targeting Turkish police, carried out by Kurdish activists this week, claimed the lives of two Turkish law enforcers and wounded seven.

In return, Ankara began bombing positions of the Kurdish Peshmerga militia in northern Iraq on Friday evening.

The Kurdistan Workers Party announced on its website that after the airstrikes and ground military attacks against the Peshmerga, who are fighting Islamic State on the Syrian-Turkish border, the truce with Turkey has “no meaning anymore.”

Mass rallies in Greece over bailout vote

July 4, 2015 by administrator

Tens of thousands of Greeks have attended rival rallies in Athens ahead of a crucial referendum on Sunday, BBC News reported.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was greeted with huge cheers when he told supporters to vote “No” to the terms of an international bailout.

But those attending another huge rally nearby warned a “No” vote would see Greece ejected from the eurozone.

A Greek court earlier rejected a challenge to the legality of the referendum and it will go ahead.
Greece’s current bailout programme ran out on Tuesday. All week banks have been shut, with limits imposed on cash withdrawals.

Another war of words flared late on Friday when Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis dismissed a Financial Times report that Greece was preparing contingency plans for a possible “bail-in” of bank deposits as a “malicious rumour”. The report quoted sources as saying banks were considering a “haircut” of 30% on deposits over €8,000.
Opinion polls on Friday suggested the country was evenly split over the vote – an Ipsos survey putting “Yes” supporters at 44% and “No” at 43%.

Opinion polls within 24 hours of the voting are banned, as are more campaign rallies.

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AYF rallies outside U.S. Azeri embassy to mark Baku massacres

February 27, 2015 by administrator

Armenian Youth Federation (AYF)

Members, alumni, and supporters of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) braved sub-freezing temperatures today (Feb 27) outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington, DC to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Baku massacres, condemn Baku’s ongoing anti-Armenian aggression, and call for freedom and security for the independent Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, AYF reports.

“Armenians in the Greater Washington Area – like our sisters and brothers across America and around the world – share a core commitment to championing Artsakh’s freedom and confronting Azerbaijan’s aggression,” said AYF “Ani” Chapter Chairwoman Sevan Simonian. “We were proud today to stand up for our community’s values – even against the hateful tirades of pro-Aliyev counter-protesters.”

A small group of staff and supporters of the Azerbaijani Embassy staged a counter-protest, repeatedly chanting the name “Ramil Safarov,” in an apparent attempt to intimidate those gathered for the AYF vigil. Safarov is the admitted and unapologetic axe-murder who killed Armenian Lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan during a NATO peace-training exercise in Hungary. In 2012, after serving only a fraction of his sentence in Hungary, Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan, where he was immediate pardoned, promoted and praised Safarov, a moved that was broadly condemned worldwide, including by President Obama.

Following the vigil, Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian of Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church led the DC community members in prayer in memory of the victims of the Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad and Maragha massacres and all those who lost their lives during the Artsakh liberation movement.

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