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Rally in support of Armenia’s ex-President Kocharyan held in Artsakh

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A rally demanding the release of Armenia’s former President Robert Kocharyan currently placed in detention was held on December 22 in the capital city Stepanakert of the Artsakh Republic. The protest was organized by the initiative group named “Union of Robert Kocharyan’s supporters”, Yerevan Today reported.

During the rally, physicist Grigory Afanasyan addressed the protestants: “Today, after 30 years we have gathered again and this time in protection of the former president of Armenia and Artsakh Robert Kocharyan. Karabakh people are ready to stand by their leader. Kocharyan was the one who stood by us during the demonstrations [of the Karabakh movement] and we are now demanding his immediate release,” Afanasyan said, recalling the former president’s role in the Karabakh movement and the subsequent war.

One of the participants of the gathering noted in case of a need they are ready to march from Stepanakert to Yerevan and stage demonstrations demanding Kocharyan’s freedom.

To remind, Kocharyan was arrested in July on charges of overthrowing Armenia’s constitutional order during the March 1-2, 2008 post-election events. On December 7, Armenia’s Court of Appeals upheld the first instance court’s ruling to arrest Robert Kocharyan.
The ex-president and his lawyers strongly deny the charges as ‘politically motivated’ and are set to file lawsuit with ECHR.

Motor rally led by opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan heading to Gyumri

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YEREVAN. – A motor rally led by opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan is heading to the Armenian city of Gyumri, where the rally will kick off at 6:00 PM.

Earlier, Pashinyan noted that all the actions in Yerevan will be suspended for a while, thus the activists can have a rest, but if they want, they can join him and go to Gyumri.

A rally will also be held in Vanadzor at 3pm on April 28 and in Yerevan on April 29, 30 and May 1.

 

Yerevan: Armenian Opposition Yelk alliance Supporters Rally Against Price Hikes

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YEREVAN (RFE/RL)—The opposition Yelk alliance rallied hundreds of supporters in Yerevan on Friday to protest against recent increases in the prices of fuel and some foodstuffs which it blames on government policies.

The price rises were caused, in part, by new tax legislation mandating higher excise duties on fuel, tobacco and alcohol. The cost of gasoline, diesel fuel and liquefied natural gas used by most vehicles in Armenia rose by over 10 percent immediately after it went into force on January 1.

Yelk leaders demanded that the authorities reverse the higher taxes when they addressed the crowd before it marched through downtown Yerevan, chanting “Reduction!”They said that the price hikes are increasing poverty in the country.

“We are saying no to price hikes and demand a reduction of the tax rates that led to the higher prices of basic products,” said one of them, Nikol Pashinian. “We are demanding price and tax cuts.”

Pashinian repeatedly urged Armenians to take to the streets in larger numbers and heighten the pressure on the authorities. But speaking to reporters, he downplayed the relatively poor attendance at the protest and said the Yelk campaign will gradually gain momentum. The outspoken oppositionist claimed that Yelk will soon hold “the biggest and most decisive rally in Armenia’s history.”

Another Yelk leader, Aram Sarkisian, insisted in a speech that the opposition bloc will pull larger crowds in March and April after many Armenians feel the impact of the higher prices more acutely. The next Yelk rally is scheduled for February 5.

Prime Minister Karen Karapetian downplayed that impact when he answered questions from Yelk leaders on the parliament floor on Wednesday. He insisted that consumer price inflation in Armenia remains low. Karapetian also defended the increased tax rates, saying that the government needs more revenue to boost its expenditures and repay foreign loans.

For his part, President Serzh Sarkisian held on January 10 an emergency meeting with senior state officials to discuss ways of mitigating socioeconomic consequences of the price hikes. Sarkisian also initiated parliamentary hearings on the issue which will be held on Tuesday.

Other, more radical opposition groups refused to join Friday’s protest, saying that Yelk is not campaigning for regime change. Pashinian rejected that criticism. He said that the opposition cannot seriously threaten the authorities’ hold on power without forcing them to scrap the rate hikes first.

Netherlands: Turkish deputy PM not welcome for rally

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Turks not welcome

The decision follows a severe spat between the Netherlands and Turkey in March

The Dutch government has said that Turkish politicians are not welcome at a ceremony commemorating last July’s failed coup attempt in Turkey. A similar dispute in March severely tested ties between the two countries.

The Netherlands’ foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday that Turkey’s deputy prime minister, Tugrul Turkes, would not be welcome at a rally marking one year since a failed coup attempt in Ankara and Istanbul.

The decision was made “given the current circumstance in bilateral relations between our countries,” the ministry statement said.

The move would apply  to any government minister, but Turkes was already scheduled to attend an event organized by a Turkish organization in Apeldoorn, east of Amsterdam, on July 11.

Military officers attempted to overthrow Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian government on the night of July 15 into 16, 2016. Turkey accused Western governments of failing to express support for Erdogan’s government quickly enough. Since then, Erdogan has launched an industrial-scale purge of the military, academia, the legal system and the press – while pushing through a series of contentious reforms expanding his powers as president.

The referendum precedent

Ties between the Netherlands and Turkey were particularly strained in March this year, in the run-up to Dutch elections and the Turkish referendum that narrowly approved Erdogan’s new executive role.

Netherlands expels Turkish minister as diplomatic row escalates

Erdogan’s victory relied in no small part on his supporters living in EU countries casting postal ballots supporting him. To this end, his Justice and Development Party (AKP) set up a series of campaign rallies across Europe.

The Netherlands declared that Turkish leaders would not be welcome to campaign, and later expelled one who tried to defy the ban.

This prompted public protests centered around the port city of Rotterdam, where Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya was refused entry to the Turkish consulate. Hundreds of Turkish protesters surrounded the building in response, a demonstration that culminated in 12 arrests for public order offenses.

Rotterdam keeps cool head amid Netherlands-Turkey diplomatic row

Both President Erdogan and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte are currently in Hamburg for the G20 summit.

Parallels to Germany and Turkey unease

Germany, with Europe’s largest Turkish diaspora, has issued similar restrictions on Turkish political rallies. President Erdogan recently called limitations on the public appearances he could make while visiting Hamburg “political suicide.”

Germany doubles down on Erdogan rally ban during Hamburg G20

Erdogan brands Germany’s rally refusal ‘political suicide’

“There are more than 3 million Turkish citizens living in Germany. Why do German officials prevent me, as president of Turkey, from meeting with them and speaking to them? Why don’t they allow it,” Erdogan asked in an interview with the Die Zeit weekly, his first in years with any German newspaper. “Where is the freedom of opinion, the freedom of thought? And while you deny a country’s head of state the right to speak, PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] members can speak and demonstrate quite comfortably – and we can’t even speak by video link, which has been banned by the Constitutional Court.”

Turkey’s ties with Europe in general have been tense in recent years, especially since Erdogan’s transition to the presidency after a decade as prime minister. On Thursday, the European Parliament voted to formally suspend talks on Turkey’s long-stalled bid to join the EU.

msh/rc  (dpa, Reuters)

Germany doubles down on Erdogan rally ban during Hamburg G20

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Germany doubles down on Erdogan rallyBerlin lawmakers have sought to quash rumors Erdogan still plans to host a rally on German soil during the G20 summit. Such a rally could be used to stoke support for a prospective vote to reintroduce the death penalty.

Underlining just how sour relations between Germany and Turkey had become, a German foreign ministry official warned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday against even appearing at a Turkish consulate or speaking via web video link, when he arrives in Germany later this week for the G20 summit.

Last week, the German government denied a request from Ankara to allow Erdogan to address Germany’s Turkish community.

Responding to suspected rumors that the Turkish president would defy the German government, Martin Schaefer said that doing so “would be an affront to the clearly expressed will of the government and a violation of German sovereignty.”

Schaefer said that, while he couldn’t impose an outright on Erdogan speaking at a Turkish consulate, the government had options for influencing such actions.

Germany restricts political campaigns by foreign officials

Berlin’s rejection came onthe back a new law introduced last week that bans non-EU leaders from campaigning on German soil within three months of polls in their country. Foreign officials will also need to file a request with the German government to hold any kind of political event in the country.

The new law was introduced after a handful of Turkish politicians campaigned in Germany ahead of a referendum vote in April expanding Erdogan’s powers. Turkish residents in Germany were allowed to take part in the vote.

However, a number of local German authorities blocked Turkish lawmakers from speaking, citing security concerns. The move left Erdogan infuriated by what he described as “Nazi era tactics.”

Read more: Germany tells Erdogan’s bodyguards to stay away from Hamburg G20

The Turkish president is currently pushing a referendum to reintroduce the death penalty in Turkey. In this instance, Germany has said that its residents will not be allowed to participate in the controversial vote. The European Union has also warned that any such referendum would effectively end its bid to join the bloc.

Unveiling their manifesto ahead of September’s federal election, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats, along with their Bavarian sister party, said on Monday that they rejected full Turkish membership to the EU.

Turkey bemoans speaking ban

Ankara decried the German government’s decision to reject Erdogan’s speaking request on Monday. The President’s spokesman accused Berlin of using “hostility towards Erdogan as way of making political gains” ahead of September’s federal election.

Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that even if the President wasn’t able to see his compatriots this week, “we will always be with them, in another place, at a different time and through some other means.

Read more: Don’t believe ‘conspiracy theory’ Germany aims to punish Turkey, says Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, also accused Germany of trying to sour tensions between the two countries. “Unfortuantely, some German lawmakers use animosity towards Turkey and especially animosity towards Erdogan for their own internal politics.

Berlin and Ankara have clashed on a number of other issues in the past year, including the detention of a German-Turkish journalist and the decision to refuse German delegates from visiting Bundeswehr troops stationed at a Turkish airbase.

dm/bw (Reuters, dpa, AFP)

Germany: Kurdish rally ‘against Turkish dictatorship and for equality’ gathers in Cologne

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kurd-protestA rally of 30,000 people from Kurdish communities across Germany has been organized in Cologne to protest the policies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and to call for an end to attacks in Syria.

Under the banner “Against Dictatorship and For Equality” a number of Kurdish organizations have organized a rally Saturday in the western German city of Cologne.

Groups including the Democratic Social Center of Kurdish people in Germany” (Nav-Dem) have condemned what they called Erdogan’s “dictatorial approach” in Turkey following the failed coup attempt in July.

Police were out in force in Cologne to monitor the rally and announced they would intervene to prevent what they called “illegal propaganda.” By mid-day a police spokesman said the situation remained calm.

Rally participants also oppose the state of emergency imposed in Turkey following the failed July 15 coup and the arrests of tens of thousands of people suspected of involvement.

They also condemned the Turkish army attacks on Kurdish militia in Syria.

A number of people carried banners with the portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). The European Union and the United States both regard the PKK as a terrorist organization. It has been banned in Germany since 1993.

Leader of the Left party, Bernd Riexinger, is due to address the rally. He again called for the lifting of the PKK ban. He said the “complete isolation” of Ocalan was not correct. He said the leader should instead be involved in negotiations between Kurdish groups and the Turkish government to bring about a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict.

jm/sms (epd, dpa)

‘Italy isn’t Islamic suburb’: Pisa residents rally against mosque construction near Leaning Tower

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mosqueHundreds of residents of the Italian city of Pisa have staged a rally, calling for others to sign a petition against the planned construction of a mosque only 400 meters to the city’s main attraction, the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The rally was organized at the city market of the city of some 90,000 residents. According to Ruptly video agency, hundreds of people took part in the protest.

“We have to halt the construction of new mosques to prevent Italy from becoming an Islamic suburb to avoid losing our identity,” right wing MP and leader of the ‘No Mosque Campaign’ Daniela Santanche said.

For this [we organize] a ‘No Mosque’ [petition to hold a] referendum, we have collected many more signatures that is needed by law. First, we need to create a law to regulate Mosques’ and imam’s actions and then hold discussions.”

She called on the people of Italy to “go on and fight for [their] national identity and the pride of being called Italians not only by law, but by [their] traditions and culture.”

“Hate is not coming from our side. We do not place bombs in airports, subways or places, where young people listen to music. That is why hate is coming from them [Muslim terrorists]. We Italians have always been kind. But now we are looking at pseudo-solidarity.”

Reports that the Pisa City Council approved the construction of the mosque 400 meters from the Leaning Tower symbol appeared in Italian media earlier in August.

Shortly after that an Egyptian-born Christian convert Magdi Allam launched a petition against the construction under hashtag #nomoschea. Those signatures are needed to launch a city referendum which may be scheduled as soon as November to decide the fate of the mosque, local media report.

The petition has already gathered 2,500 signatures, according to the organizers.

Pisa residents are divided over the issue of having a mosque in the city, with some saying they have certain concerns and feel uneasy about it.

“The problem is that we don’t know Arabic and can’t understand what they are talking about. We don’t know who is praying in this mosque,” one woman told RT.

“In 20 to 30 years they will be in charge here! And it’s sad that the officials still cannot understand that we, real Italians, are evaporating,” another added.

One woman questioned the source of financing the building which is expected to cost €4.5million.

Mass rally in Yemen in defiance of Saudi airstrikes

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mass-rally-yemenA massive rally has been held in Sanaa in support of Houthi rebels and thier allies. It comes a week after parliament approved a new ruling council.

In a show of force, hundreds of thousands of flag-waving Yemenis rallied on Saturday in the capital Sanaa in support of Houthi rebels and their ally, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The protest was held in support of a 10-member ruling council set up last month by the Houthis and Saleh allies in defiance of the country’s internationally recognized president, Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi.

It comes a week after parliament convened for the first time in two years to approve the council after UN-backed peace talks between the warring parties broke down last month.

Hadi, the UN and Saudi Arabia have condemned the council and called it illegitimate.

Saleh al-Samad, the head of the council, told the rally a new government would be decided on in the “next few days.”

The protestors also shouted slogans condemning the Saudi-led military campaign, which has rained further destruction on the Arab world’s poorest state since a restart of operations that followed the breakdown of peace talks.

Saudi-led coaltion jets conducted airstrikes around Sana’a as the demonstration unfolded, including targeting of the presidential palace.

The Saudi-led coalition of Arab states intervened in March 2015 to restore power to Hadi, who was forced to flee the country after Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Saleh took over the capital and other parts of the country in September 2014.

Despite the coalition campaign, Hadi allied forces on the ground have failed to dislodge Houthis from large parts of the country, including the capital.

The conflict has killed at least 6,400 people and displaced nearly 2.5 million, prompting rising international calls for the coalition to halt bombing and the US to withdraw intelligence and air-refueling support. Nearly 80 percent of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance.

The fighting has also opened up room for al-Qaeda and the so-called “Islamic State” to operate.

cw/rc (AP, dpa)

Turkish singer Sıla’s concerts canceled after she called democracy rally “Show”

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Erdogan showTurkish singer Sıla Gençoğlu’s concerts in four provinces have been canceled over her remarks on the Aug. 7 democracy rally in Istanbul in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt which she described as a “show.”

“[…] There are also artists who describe the fight of our people claiming our country as a show and mock that honorable stance and will. Therefore, the planned Sept. 21 and 22 concerts of one of those artists, Sıla Gençoğlu, in Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater have been canceled by our municipality,” the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality said in a statement.

Sıla had previously said she did not want to attend the rally, calling it a “show.”

“I am absolutely against the coup but I do not prefer to be inside such a show,” Sıla said, while stressing that she stood by her words.

“I do not want to comment on this issue. Of course those who wanted to take it wrong did so but I stand by my words. Do not we say democracy? Well, I expressed my opinion and said what I thought,” she said.

In addition to concert cancelations in Istanbul, Sıla’s Aug. 11 concert in the capital Ankara, Sept. 28 concert in the northwestern province of Bursa and her upcoming concert in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri were also canceled due to her remarks.

Meanwhile, the hashtag #SılaYalnızDeğildir (Sıla is not alone) hit the worldwide Twitter trending topic list after the cancelations.

Millions of people, including a number of celebrities and artists, gathered on Aug. 7 at a meeting venue in Istanbul’s Yenikapı district for a massive joint democracy rally to protest the July 15 failed coup attempt.

August/11/2016