Kurdish protesters have clashed with police throughout Turkey as members of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), the main Kurdish party, met to discuss their next move after being banned by the country’s constitutional court.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation marked its 119th anniversary during a celebration event organized by the Central Committee of the ARF-Western USA. More than 1,500 community members flocked to the Glendale High School auditorium to witness a resurgence of the ARF’s commitment to fight for justice and the rights of the Armenian nation. Speaking at the event on behalf of the youth, Arek Santikian, the chairman of the Armenian Youth Federation, reassured the community of the youth’s willingness and determination to carry out its traditional duty to be the vital force of change in society; to hold true to the core values of the ARF, and to struggle for the Armenian nation. Below are his remarks.

Youth organizations in Armenia released an open statement on Friday condemning Azerbaijan’s recent threats to use force against Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The letter, read at a press conference at the Yerablur memorial complex, is open for all youth, students and political organizations to join, the organizers said.

At Sunday’s 119th anniversary celebration of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation its Western US Central Committee Chairman Avedik Izmirlian said no Armenian government has the right to take decisions against the national interests of Armenians, referring to the current Armenia-Turkey protocols that endanger the national security and future of the Armenian nation.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in Washington DC on Monday meeting with US President Barack Obama. The two leaders discussed Turkish-Armenian relations, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and Turkey’s role in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Iraq. Erdogan and Obama held a press conference after their talks, read the text of the transcript.

Historian Ara Papian and Armenian National Committee of America chairman Ken Hachikian will be the featured keynote speakers at the ARF Day Celebration scheduled to take place on Sunday, December 6 at the Glendale High School Auditorium.

This week we preview the Summer issue of the Armenian Youth Federation’s quarterly publication, Haytoug, by presenting a snapshot of the upcoming issue which will focus on the theme of solidarity between people and causes. The issue will be distributed at the Navasartian Games on July 2-5 and will be available at community centers, schools and local book stores.

On September 2, 1938 an editorial appeared in the Hairenik Weekly condemning the Turkish government’s brutal crackdown of its Kurdish population in Dersim. The editorial drew the following link between the common struggle for freedom waged by both Armenians and Kurds:

On Wednesday May 27, hundreds gathered around the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, California to remind the President of his broken promise as he hosted a Democratic Party fundraiser. Joining them were hundreds of other activists demonstrating for gay rights and an end to the war in Iraq and torture.

There comes a point in the life of every individual, a crossroads, where they must make a decision on how they will live their life.
One path is a well paved and well traveled road of individual desires and selfish materialism; the other road is an uphill climb of selflessness and tireless work towards a goal [...]

For its Fall issue, the Armenian Youth Federation’s Haytoug publication sat down with Dr. Ara Khanjian for a candid discussion on the socio-economic realities in Armenia and how the nation could overcome the challenges that have relegated many of the country’s population to a life of poverty and social inequality.
Dr. Khanjian is a Professor of [...]