Articles by Michael Mensoian

The Armenian Weekly April 2013 Magazine This year will mark the 98th anniversary of the genocide of the Armenian nation by the Ottoman-Turkish government. During the waning days of the Great War (World War I), this barbaric plan, which actually began in the fall of …

Let’s see if we can view the situation in Armenia objectively. There can be no question that the three administrations that have governed Armenia since its independence in 1991 have failed to keep faith with the Armenian people. At the same time, let us not …

The reports from Armenia are both heartening and disappointing. How can it be both? Indications are that there is a palpable dissatisfaction on the part of the electorate that is rippling throughout the country. Only time will tell whether this can properly be referred to …

Lately a spate of articles have appeared lamenting the general malaise that has engulfed Armenia. Should we feign surprise or should we be honest and acknowledge the why of it all? An objective appraisal of what may be properly referred to as a political miasma …

The Feb. 18, 2013 Armenian presidential elections had only a handful of political parties willing or able to oppose the reelection of President Serge Sarkisian of the Republican Party. Some political parties had decided to sit out the election rather than have their campaign fall …

The recent visit to Armenia by Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili of Georgia may indicate a new beginning for the Armenians of Javakhk (Georgia’s Samtskhe-Javakheti region). However, the Byzantine world of international politics is part reality and part illusion. Gauging intent from what political leaders say …

When entering Artsakh for the first time you are overwhelmed by the grandeur of the countryside, with its steep mountains and deep narrow valleys. Knowing the history of the ancient Armenian land adds to the emotional attachment you feel for this small piece of paradise. …

The outcome of the May 2012 parliamentary elections in Armenia was justifiable cause for concern (see “Lessons from the May 2012 Armenian Parliamentary Elections,” The Armenian Weekly, July 21, 2012). The situation in Syria, as well as the recent agreement by Turkey and the United …

Note: This is not a real interview. Participating in this unlikely interview below are two officials of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Ismet Ucma is a founding member of the AKP and a member of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly. Our second guest is Ahmet Davutoglu, …

Given its enviable political history and proven selfless service to the Armenian people and the nation, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) still remains a marginal political party in Armenia. In the May 2012 parliamentary elections, the ARF garnered less than 6 percent of the votes …