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Why: KRG leader Barzani visits Turkish most notorious Military Intelligence MİT headquarters in Ankara??

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(Photo: Reuters)

(Photo: Reuters)

Is Barzani part of Turkish spy network?

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani visited Turkey this week to hold talks with Turkish officials amid tensions between Turkey and Iraq over the deployment of Turkish troops in northern Iraq.

Barzani arrived in Ankara on Wednesday afternoon for a two-day official visit. Although it wasn’t stated on the official schedule, the KRG leader paid his first visit to the National Intelligence Organization’s (MİT) headquarters, Turkish media reported. He is expected to meet with MİT Undersecretary Hakan Fidan.

KRG president’s visit to Turkey came amid the escalating tension between Ankara and Baghdad over the deployment of Turkish troops in Iraqi city of Mosul.

Turkey deployed about 150 troops, along with 25 tanks, to a camp in the Bashiqa region of northern Iraq on Thursday, calling it a routine rotation to train Iraqis to retake Mosul from ISIL, which captured Iraq’s second-largest city in 2014.

Ankara says its troops are in Iraq to train Iraqi forces against ISIL. The foreign ministry said Turkey had stopped the deployment two days ago due to the “sensitivities” of the Iraqi authorities but added that it will not withdraw those already there. The Iraqi government says it never invited such a force.

Lavrov Cancels Visit to Turkey After Su-24 Downing Over Syria

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1021071791Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has cancelled his visit to Turkey after a Russian Su-24 jet was downed over Syria with an air-to-air missile launched by Turkish F-16 fighter planes.

“The president clearly stated that this could not but affect Russian-Turkish relations. In this context, it was decided to cancel the meeting between Russia’s and Turkey’s ministers of foreign affairs, which was planned for tomorrow [November 25] in Istanbul,” Sergei Lavrov told journalists.

The Foreign Ministry has also warned Russian citizens against visiting Turkey amid terrorist threats, Sergei Lavrov said. The terrorist threat in Turkey is growing, no less than in Egypt, he added.

“[We] need to underline the fact that terrorist threats are growing in Turkey,” Lavrov said.

On Tuesday, the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jet carrying two people crashed on the Syrian border with Turkey. The Russian Defense Ministry said a Turkish F-16 fighter shot down the Russian Su-24 Fencer on its way to the Hmeymim airbase in Syria, and said monitoring data “definitely showed” no violation of Turkey’s airspace. Putin said the Russian jet was 0.6 miles from Turkey when it was hit by an air-to-air missile.

Geoffrey Robertson: George and Amal Clooney to visit Armenia

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clooney-robertsonGeorge and Amal Clooney will visit Armenia next April 24, human rights barrister Geoffrey Robertson, QC said.

The Armenian National Committee of America said the statement came during the ANCA Western Region Banquet.

“It was a privilege to act for ‎Armenia‬, it was a privilege to act for ‪‎Armenians‬, and above all, it was a privilege to act for the truth,” said Mr. Robertson, accepting the 2015 ANCA-WR Advocates For Justice Award on behalf of himself and Attorney Amal Clooney.

Cardinal Sandri: Pope Francis will perhaps visit Armenia next year

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Pope-visitYEREVAN. – Pope Francis will perhaps visit Armenia next year, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri told Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent during his visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan.

Pope has a busy schedule for the next year, Cardinal said, but expressed hope that His Holiness would find time for a visit to Armenia.

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri arrived in Armenia on September 23, on a five-day visit. On September 24, he, together with the Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics, Krikor Bedros XX Gabroyan, presided over the consecration of the Holy Martyrs’ Church of Gyumri city. The President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, also was on hand at this event.

Also, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Roman Curia represented Pope Francis at Sunday’s Blessing of the Holy Chrism (Muron, in Armenian), at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and which is performed once in every seven years.

In addition, Cardinal Sandri handed to President Sargsyan the Gold Medal that was awarded to him by Pope Francis.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am

NATO Parliamentary Assembly members visit Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex

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NAto-visitYEREVAN. – Members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex on Friday along with Koryun Nahapetyan, head of Armenian Parliamentary delegation to the NATO PA, and delegation members Elinar Vardanyan and Tevan Poghosyan.

The delegation members laid flowers at the Memorial commemorating the Armenian Genocide victims and honored the memory of the one-and-a-half million innocent Armenian victims by observing a minute of silence and bowing. They also visited the Genocide Museum.

 

Hrazdan, Armenia One day visit with Gghiazaryan wounderful Family (Video)

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By Wally Sarkeesian
hrazdan-33The town of Hrazdan is located in the northeastern part of Armenia, within the Kotayk Province. It is bordered by the Pambak mountains range from the north and the Tsaghkunyats mountain range from the southwest. The borders of the town are extended towards the east, crossing the Geghama mountains reaching up to the top of Mount Gutanasar. While passing through the town, Hrazdan River receives its tributaries; Marmarik and Aghveran rivers.

Hrazdan town has an average elevation 1675 meters above sea level. The average temperature is 4,8 °C (-9°C in January to 16,8°C in August).[3] The annual precipitation is between 715 and 730 mm.

Education and culture

Hrazdan is home to the Humanitarian University of Hrazdan. Owned by the private sector, the university has 3 faculties: law, pedagogy and economics. As of 2009, 13 public education schools, 13 nursery schools, 1 school for special needs and several musical and sport academies are operating in Hrazdan.

The Hrazdan Dramatic Theatre was founded in 1953. The Hrazdan branch of the National Gallery of Armenia and the Geological Museum of Hrazdan are also among the prominent cultural institutions in the town. The History Museum in Hrazdan founded by Armen Aivazyan, features more than 4000 historical remnants and valuable pieces.

Many religious structures in the town are among the favoorite destinations of the visitors:

  • Aghbyurak Church of the 10th century.
  • Surp Stepanos (Saint Stephen) Monastic Complex of the 10th century.
  • Makravank Monastery, consists of 2 churches: Surp Amenaprkich (the Holy Saviour) of the 10th century and Surp Astvatsatsin (the Holy Motehr of God) of the 13th century.
  • Surp Karapet Church of Jrarat, built in 1831.
  • Surp Khach (Holy Cross) Church of Kojor, built in 1861.
  • Surp Mariam Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) Church of Vanatur, built in 1883.

 

Germany’s Merkel, Gauck refuse to visit Baku over political prisoners

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193302German leadership and government members will not attend the opening ceremony of the European Games in Baku on June 12. The cancellation is caused by a protest against the fact that there are over 100 political prisoners in Azerbaijan, including opposition activists, journalists and human rights defenders, Panorama.am reports citing German newspaper DerTagesspiegel.

According to the article published at DerTagesspiegel, German Chancellor Angela Merkel won’t be travelling to Baku. The Minister of the Interior, Thomas de Maizière who supervises sports sector has also turned down the trip, with Joachim Gauck, the President of Germany to stay in Berlin on June 12.

DerTagesspiegel further notes that the Azeri ruling regime has recently intensified the crackdowns. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders said that the laters are relentlessly prosecuted and repressed in Azerbaijan. “During President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Berlin in February, Merkel said that she disagreed with Ilham Aliyev regarding the human rights situation in the country,” the author of the article Claudia von Salzen notes.

She further says that there are over 100 opposition activists, journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijani jail. Well-known activist Rasul Jafarov, who tried to draw attention to human rights situation his country ahead of the European Games, is among them.

The newspaper points that the Chancellor, the Minister of the Interior and the President normally attend events of such level.

According to Turan agency, another influential German outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine reported that the German athletes urged for the release of the political prisoners in Azerbaijan. By this, they supported the call of the Council of Europe Commissioner Nils Muižnieks, UN special rapporteur Michel Forst, and OSCE special representative Dunja Mijatović.

The author of the article, Christoph Becker, notes that Christian Schreiber from the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) told the newspaper that respect for the fundamental human rights and the right for criticism is vital. “We join UN envoy’s call on all the countries to respect those rights,” he stressed.

According to the article, Michael Vesper from DOSB also endorsed UN rapporteur’s call.

In June, Azerbaijan will host the first ever European Games, with Formula 1 Grand Prixto be held in 2016. According to the international rights groups, the Azerbaijani authorities have intensified the crackdowns against the dissidents so that nothing can overshadow the two huge sport events to be hosted. The European Games will cost several billion dollars. Demolition of a large number of houses started in 2014 in Baku in the framework of the preparatory works for the Games.

Related links:

Haqqin.az: Ангела Меркель отказалась от визита в Баку
Panorama.am. Germany leadership not to attend European Games in Baku, and athletes call for Azerbaijani political prisoners’ release

Putin to visit Pope Francis on June 10

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f557051a82a90d_557051a82a945.thumbRussian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Pope Francis on June 10 at the Vatican, with conflicts in Syria and Ukraine likely to top the Holy See’s agenda, The Associated Press reported.
Putin last called on Francis on Nov. 25, 2013.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev Federico Lombardi, said Thursday the meeting would take place in the afternoon of June 10; Putin is expected to visit Russia’s pavilion at the Expo world’s fair in Milan, where June 10 has been slated as Russia’s national day.

After nearly a half-century of hostility between the Vatican and the Kremlin during the Cold War, a major breakthrough came just after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 when the Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev, met the Polish-born pontiff, John Paul II.

After a 2009 visit by then-President Dmitry Medvedev, Russia and the Holy See upgraded their diplomatic relations to full-fledged ties, with ambassadors.

Long-running tensions in Russia between Orthodox and Catholic faithful in Russia preventedPope Benedict XVI and before him John Paul from achieving their long-sought dreams of a Russian pilgrimage and meeting with the Russian patriarch.

Tellingly, Putin didn’t invite Francis to visit during his 2013 visit — one of the few world leaders who have not extended an invitation to the enormously popular pope during an audience.
Francis has sought to enlist Orthodox leaders in his campaign to condemn attacks on Christians by Islamic militants in the Middle East. But he has trod lightly with Russia over Ukraine, denouncing the casualties and calling for a cease-fire to hold, but not laying any blame on Moscow.

Turkey in panic mode: Critical visit: Chavushoglu leaving for US amid genocide concerns

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f552e5da570d6c_552e5da570da6.thumbFollowing Pope Francis’s statement on the Armenian Genocide, Turkey’s foreign minister is embarking on a trip to the United States for talks in an effort to prevent President Barack Obama from using ‘genocide’ in his April 24 address. 

Commenting on Mehmet Chavushoglu’s plan, the Turkish Radikal describes it as a critical visit. The publication says that the Turkish official will invest his best efforts in preventing the US leader from repeating the Pope’s remark characterizing the 1915 killings of Armenians as genocide.

At meetings held earlier, the Turkish side warned of possible negative implications of the use of ‘genocide’ by President Obama.

The issue will now be on the agenda of Chavushoglu’s meetings with Susan Rice, a foreign policy advisor to Secretary of State John Kerry.

The Turkish publication has pointed to three possible scenarios that would cause new shifts in the US-Turkey relations.

1) The federal government’s opinion, which determines the US foreign policy, will become a powerful tool to rely on in the Genocide trials under way in the country’s courts;

2) Turkey will lose the restitution cases in case it the United States declares it a genocide perpetrator;

3) Obama’s move will serve as an example for other countries, pushing them to active efforts.

Kim Kardashian to remember victims of #ArmenianGenocide on trip to Yerevan

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Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and their daughter North en route to Armenia. Photograph: Broadimage/Rex

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and their daughter North en route to Armenia. Photograph: Broadimage/Rex

Reality star, her husband Kanye West and family members travel to Armenia to mark 100th anniversary of the slaughter
Kim Kardashian will pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian genocide on a trip to the country beginning on Wednesday.

The Armenian-American reality TV star will be joined by her husband Kanye West and her sister Khloé as she makes the journey to mark the 100th anniversary of the slaughter of ethnic Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

They will be followed by camera crews from the broadcaster E! to film several episodes of the reality series Keeping Up With The Kardashians, but no official meetings or press conferences are planned.


Kardashian, West, their daughter North and several other members of her family arrived at Los Angeles airport to begin the pilgrimage to Armenia, where she will visit the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in the capital, Yerevan.

Her late father Robert was a third-generation Armenian American, and on several occasions she has publicly supported international recognition of the Armenians’ systematic extermination at the hands of the Ottoman government.
The US government, apparently wary of spoiling relations with Turkey, is yet to join the 22 countries that have formally recognised the event as genocide, although 43 American states have accepted its status as such.

The word genocide was coined and defined by the Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin in 1943 to describe the extermination of ethnic Armenians by Ottoman authorities in Turkey.

As many as 1.5 million people are thought to have been killed in the slaughter, which Armenians say began on 24 April 1915, when Ottoman security forces rounded up and arrested 250 Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople, and continued throughout the first world war. Turkey still denies that genocide is an appropriate term for the killings.

In 2011, Kardashian broke from her usual frivolous image to write a blog post calling on Americans to recognise Armenian genocide. “Until this crime is resolved truthfully and fairly, the Armenian people will live with the pain of what happened to their families and the fear of what might happen again to their homeland,” she wrote.