German Hostages Freed in Turkey

The Kurdish group PKK has released three German hostages in Turkey.

The tourists were seized from their camp on Mount Ararat in Turkey's eastern Agri province on 9 July.

The PKK had vowed not to release them unless Germany renounced its crackdown on the group, defined as a terrorist organisation by the US, EU and Turkey.

My first observation is that climbers are indeed allowed on Mount Ararat, contrary to popular Armenian belief, and the other that the PKK is becoming a real thorn on Turkey's political ambitions.

Source: BBC News

Armenian to Auction Adolf Hitler's Personal Globe!

This is one of those hard to believe stories. Here are the facts:

Barsamian found the globe in May 1945 in the Berghof, Hitler's home in the Bavarian Alps town of Berchtesgaden. He boxed it up with a few other keepsakes, including a pistol and a dagger, and shipped them home.

"Literally, the place is all bombed out and here this globe is sitting there on the desk," said John Barsamian, now 91.

If you have some money burning in your pocket, the globe will be auction in November with estimates ranging up to $20,000.

Source: Yahoo! News

German Turks Support Genocide Recognition

You certainly don't see this everyday.

On the initiative of "Union against Genocide" an event will be organized in Frankfurt April 24, dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. Organizers demand to proclaim April 24 as a universal mourning day for all nations of Turkey.

"Immigrants from Turkey feel great sorrow concerning the fact, that today genocides, which took place 92 years ago and were committed between 1915-23 towards Christian nations of the Ottoman Empire with the aim to exterminate them, are being denied."

To clarify, this is a call for Turkey to recognize all of its genocides: against Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and others.

Source: PanArmenian

Concerts in Germany for Geghardavank Choir

Here is more information:

The Geghardavank choir headed by abbot monk Ghevond Ghevondian will leave for Germany where it will have concerts.

Concerts will take place in Munich, Augsburg, Stuttgart, Lorsch, Hanau, Darmstadt and Frankfurt am Main. Armenian spiritual and folk songs are involved in the concert program.

If you live near those regions, you can attend and write up a review for us!

Source: Armeniainfo

Armenia's Unemployment Level Drops to 7.2%

Looks like Armenia's growing economy is leaving fewer people without a job:

By the end of 2006 December unemployment level in Armenia dropped to 7.2 percent from 7.7 percent 12 months before. However, it rose in some provinces, particularly in the southernmost Syunik and Lori in the northeast.

...last year employment centers across the country found jobs for 8,268 people and another 10,250 were offered temporary jobs. Almost half of people who found jobs last year were in the capital city Yerevan. Mrs. Harutunian said there were vacancies for workers in Yerevan remaining unfilled for months. In regions there is a demand for doctors and school teachers.

The unemployment allowance has risen from 3,900 drams [$10.60] in 2003 to 12,000 Drams. [$32.70]

It would be interesting to see just how much unemployment increased around Armenia. For your convenience, I've pulled unemployment numbers from some countries to compare with:

Turkey: 10.2% (source)
Germany: 9.6% (source)
United States: 4.5% (source)

Article Source: ArmenPress

Germany's "Die Linke" Party Denounces Genocide Denial

Die Linke is the German Communist party. From the article:

Hakki Keskin, one of the members of the German communist party Die Linke denounces denial of the Armenian Genocide in 1915...

The comments of Keskin, who previously was the chairman of the Turkish central council of Germany, aroused indignation of the German Conservative, Socialist and Green parties' representatives.

In order to release Keskin from his post and to restore the image of Die Linke as a human rights protection organization, the party leaders Oskar Lafontaine and Grygor Gysi published a declaration on the issue of the Armenia Genocide in Ottoman Turkey. "The fact of extermination of the Armenian people by Ottoman Turkey's government is beyond doubt, and the resolution on this issue, adopted by Bundestag in 2005, underlies the position of Die Linke," the declaration says.

The events at the beginning of the last century are not characterized by the term "genocide" in the [Bundestag] resolution. However, it has a paragraph mentioning that international historian call this "The Armenian Genocide".

It may be in our favor, but it is still politics and for political reasons: mostly power.

Source: Arka

Soviet Union's Greatest Naval Disaster in WWII: The Armenia Ship

The Soviet ship Armenia began its life in 1928, initially transporting passengers and cargo. It was huge, having a capacity of 4,727 tons and a speed of 14 knots. Due to World War II, it was taken over by the Black Sea Navy as a hospital ship on August 8, 1941.

On November 6, 1941, Armenia's Captain V. Playshevsky sailed the ship from Sevastopol to Tuapse, and later to Yalta. It was in Yalta that the Russian Naval Command ordered the ship to remain at port until 7PM - basically darkness - or until escort vessels were available.

On November 7, at 8AM in the morning, the captain ignored the given orders and left Yalta with over 5,000-5,500 refugees and wounded soldiers. At 11:25AM, somewhere between Yalta and Gurzuf, German Luftwaffe's Heinkel He-111H bombers commenced attack and dropped two torpedoes on the helpless ship; one hit the fore section and sealed its fate. The ship sank at 11:29AM.

Only 3 to 8 of the men were rescued by an escort vessel. This incident became the U.S.S.R.'s greatest naval disaster in the Black Sea during the war. Armenia now lies at 44°15'N 34°17'E, some 472 meters (thanks, Doug!) below the sea.

The above picture, taken before its launching on November 1928 in Leningrad's Baltic Shipyard, is the only one available of the ship.

Sources: Armenia Ship, WikiPedia, and McFadzien

Arthur Abraham Voted Germany's Boxer of the Year

Arthur Abraham was born and grew up in Yerevan, Armenia.

IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham has been voted Germany's boxer of the year. "King Arthur" gained international fame by beating top-ranked Colombian Edison Miranda despite fighting with a broken jaw for the last eight rounds.

Too bad he changed his last name.

Source: EuroSport.