Anti-Armenian statement of Turkish Prime Minister causes outcry in Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - On the same day political council of “Orinats Yerkir” announced its decision on withdrawing from their posts Minister of Transport and Communication Gurgen Sargsyan and Minister of Emergency Situations Mher Shahgeldyan. “These politicians are necessary to the party itself,” declared Chairwoman of the “Orinats Yerkir” parliamentary group Heghine Bisharyan, commenting on the resignation of the Ministers.

At the end of the day RA President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on relieving of their posts RA Minister for Emergency Situations Mher Shahgeldyan and Minister of Transport and Communication Gurgen Sargsyan. By another decree President Serzh Sargsyan appointed to the post of the RA Minister of Transport and Communication Manuk Vardanyan, who had worked as Advisor to RA Prime Minister since 2009, and to the post of RA Minister of Emergency Situations – Armen Yeritsyan, first Deputy Chief of the RA Police.

On the same day, in response to Gagik Tsarukyan’s 15 March statement, which said that RA Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan “is not in his proper place, does not master economics and is ignorant of the economic situation in the country”, the Minister gave an official reply. “I advise Gagik Tsarukyan to assess the work and skills of the ministers representing the party “Prosperous Armenia”, while my work will be assessed by the RA Prime Minister and President,” Yeritsyan said.

On March 15, political analyst and Director of the Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan noted at a press conference that sensation over regulation of the Karabakh conflict exceeds what really happens in the process of negotiations on Karabakh. “The process of Karabakh conflict regulation has paused for the past several months. I see no chance of legal settlement of the conflict in political perspective,” Iskandaryan said.

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received Ambassador of Israel to Armenia Shemi Tzur upon completion of his diplomatic mission, press office of the government reports. Thanking the Ambassador for his work, Prime Minister stressed the great potential of development of Armenian-Israeli relations. He stated Armenia is interested in broadening and deepening relations with Israel.

On the same day intergovernmental commission on coordinating activities within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), chaired by Arthur Baghdasaryan, Secretary of the National Security Council (NSC), held a regular meeting.

Regarding U.S. State Department’s Human Rights annual report issued on March 12, Secretary of the parliamentary group of the Republican Party of Armenia, Eduard Sharmazanov noted that to some extent he could agree with the assessments made in the report, but on the whole it was incomplete. “The report is incomplete since it does not cover all the facts reflecting the development of democracy and human rights in Armenia. A good example of that omission is the amnesty declared by the Armenian President, establishment of the Public Council and the ongoing reforms in the police system, which were not reflected in the report,” Sharmazanov said.

In his turn, Chairman of the parliamentary group of Prosperous Armenia, Gagik Tsarukyan declared that the United States should first monitor her own activities in the world, and only then write reports about other countries.

Regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict regulation, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Shavarsh Kocharyan noted that Azerbaijan continues her attempts of distorting the essence of the Karabakh problem, its real causes, as well as the negotiation process itself.

Kocharyan noticed that it is impossible to liquidate consequences of Azerbaijani aggression against self-determined Nagorno Karabakh until certain agreement is reached on the status of NKR. “If Azerbaijan is in fact eager to liquidate the consequences of her own aggression, she must be ready to withdraw her troops from the occupied territories of NKR and guarantee return of refugees,” Kocharyan stressed.

At a news conference in Yerevan, Former Foreign Minister of NKR, Arman Melikyan did not rule out US President Barack Obama’s using the term “genocide” in his April 24 annual address to the Armenian American community. “It is more likely that President Obama use the term ‘genocide’ than the Congress recognize it,” Melikyan said, noting that the President’s address has no legal force unlike the US Congress resolution. “With its actions USA may even aggravate the situation, which can never have a positive effect on Armenia,” the ex-FM said.

At another press conference in Yerevan, Chairman of the Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation, Stepan Grigoryan expressed opinion that not only in his annual address to the Armenian American community US President Barack Obama will use the term ‘genocide’, but also the US Congress will recognize the Armenian Genocide. The expert also noted that US pressure on Ankara might result in strengthening of Russia-Turkey relations with possible formation of a military alliance.

On the same day the OSCE Mission was to conduct scheduled monitoring of the NKR and Azerbaijani armed forces’ contact-line in the direction of Askeran, according to an earlier reached agreement with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic authorities. However, Azerbaijan foiled the monitoring by refusing to lead the OSCE Mission members to the previously agreed site.

On March 17 Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan met in Paris with OSCE MG Co-Chairs Yuri Merzlyakov of Russia, Bernard Fassier of France and Robert Bradtke of the United States. Personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk attended the meeting.

The parties focused on the possible ways to settle the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and discussed the chances of mediators’ regional visit in the near future. The Co-Chairs also briefed Minister Nalbandyan on the outcomes of their meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov held in Paris on March 5.

In Yerevan, accompanied by Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness Karekin II, the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church led by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, Tsitsernakaberd.

The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia laid flowers to the eternal flame and visited the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute. He also planted a fir-tree at the Memory Alley and wrote a note in the Commemoration Book: “Eternal Memory to the innocent victims. May God protect the Armenian land and its people”.

At the National Assembly session, MP of the parliamentary group of ARF Dashnaktsutyun, Ara Nranyan declared that at the initiative of ARF Dashnaktsutyun, an international conference of the Socialist International was to take place on March 25-26. Socialist parties around the world are invited to take part in the conference.

On the same day, March 17, Director of RA NAS Oriental Studies Institute, Professor Ruben Safrastyan commented on Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s statement about deportation of 100 000 illegal immigrants from Armenia, saying to PanARMENIAN.Net that “Turkish Prime Minister should be ashamed of himself for such statements.” In his words, being the successor of the Ottoman Empire and perpetrator of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey proves with such statements that nothing has changed over the past 100 years.

During the governmental hour in the RA National Assembly, commenting on the statement of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan declared that Erdogan had exaggerated the number of Armenian immigrants working in Turkey.

Giving political assessment to Erdogan’s statement, Tigran Sargsyan stated that declaration of the Turkish Premier did not encourage normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. Armenian PM also noted that a parliamentary commission would be established for organizing and holding activities dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The commission will consider suggestions of all the political parties of Armenia.

At the end of the day Chairman of the RA National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan had a telephone conversation with President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek. The parties discussed issues of cooperation within the “Euronest” Parliamentary Assembly, the parliamentary component of the proposed Eastern Partnership.

Armenian Speaker noticed the necessity of political association and further economic integration of “Eastern Partnership” states into the EU, noting at the same time that parliamentary cooperation could significantly stimulate the process. In his turn, Jerzy Buzek appreciated the process of democratization of Armenia and underlined his readiness to facilitate the process. At the end of the conversation RA NA Chairman invited Jerzy Buzek to visit Armenia, RA NA Press Office reports.

On March 18, at a news conference in Yerevan, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan commented on the Turkish Premier’s statement about possible deportation of illegal Armenian immigrants from Turkey, saying that Turkey’s Prime Minister made an unacceptable statement. “Unfortunately, such statements have a precedent in Turkey. Similar statements were voiced before the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire and before the Armenian pogroms in Sumgait and other Azeri cities in 1988,” declared the Armenian FM in response to the question of a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

On March 18, Armenian Ministry of Defense issued a message, disproving yet another Azeri media-spread disinformation, according to which Armenian armed forces had allegedly broken the ceasefire regime in Tavush Region by centering fire on Azeri positions.

As the Ministry reports, in reality the Village of Koti was fired upon by Azeri armed forces that opened fire on a tractor working in the field. No one was injured, the Press Office informs.

On the same day, Secretary of the National Security Council (NSC) of Armenia, Arthur Baghdasaryan and his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev signed a collaboration agreement between the NSCs of the two countries. Afterward, at a joint press conference with Arthur Baghdasaryan, Patrushev noted that during Armenian NSC Secretary’s visit to Moscow the parties had discussed issues of bilateral and multilateral collaboration and had worked out a common position, since the world is dynamically changing and there appear new challenges that require quick response.

According to Arthur Baghdasaryan, the parties, as strategic partners, were able to work out solutions to all the existing problems.

On March 19, Chairman of the RA National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan had a telephone conversation with his Georgian counterpart David Bakradze. The parties discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, particularly the issue of cooperation in inter-parliamentary structures. During the conversation, David Bakradze invited Hovik Abrahamyan to pay an official visit to Georgia.

At a news conference in Yerevan, ARF Dashnaktsutyun parliamentary group Leader Vahan Hovhannisyan stated: “Turkish Prime Minister’s statements prove that Turkey hasn’t changed over the past 95 years, and Armenians residing there are in a serious danger.” In his opinion, Armenians living in Turkey should immediately leave the country, as the statement sounds like a threat to them.

In his turn, Chairman of the RPA parliamentary group Galust Sahakyan noted that the number of 100 000 Armenian immigrants is obviously exaggerated. “Erdogan’s statement proves that Turkey is still unpunished. The only difference is that in 1915 she secretly drew plans of the Armenian Genocide, while today she is doing it impudently and openly,” Sahakyan said.

On March 19, Heritage parliamentary group member Zaruhi Postanjyan declared that “Heritage” condemns Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement about possible deportation of 100 thousand illegal Armenian immigrants and is preparing a document to submit it to all member countries of the Council of Europe, as “Turkish Prime Minister’s statement is a violation of the norms of the Council of Europe”.