Turkish PM won’t receive German prize for humanity and tolerance March 19, 2012 - 11:06 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The organizers of a German prize for humanity and tolerance said March 17 they will not honor Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with an award because Erdoğan will not be in Germany at the time of the award ceremony, due to a cancelled visit, AFP reported. The plan to award Erdoğan the 2012 Steiger Award had been heavily criticized in Germany, where the Turkish authorities have been accused of human rights abuses, notably against the minority Kurdish population. The award’s organizers said they changed their mind because Erdoğan did not travel to Germany to receive the award at a ceremony on the evening of March 17 in Bochum. Erdoğan cancelled his trip to Germany after the deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. German police said some 25,000 people, mostly of Turkish origin, demonstrated on March 17 in Bochum. Among them were members of minorities such as the Kurds, who accuse Erdoğan of persecuting their community. Erdoğan had originally been due to receive the prize “in the name of the Turkish people” on the 50th anniversary of a pact between Germany and Turkey to admit hundreds of thousands of Turkish workers to Germany.   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports.Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation.Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush.Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. |
