Articles by Nareg Seferian

About Nareg Seferian (17 Articles)

Nareg Seferian received his education in India, Armenia, the United States, and Austria. His writings can be read at naregseferian.com.

Contact: Website

2017 Armenian Parliamentary Elections: Observations on Observations

Special for the Armenian Weekly I had the honor and pleasure of serving as an interpreter for visiting European observers during the 2017 Parliamentary Elections held in Armenia on April 2. It was a long, exhausting day. But I shouldn’t complain, because those election monitors who stayed for the [more...]

April 4, 2017 // 2 Comments

The Global Nature of Armenian Culture

I was at a KFC in Yerevan the other day when an Iranian tourist approached the young woman at the counter and said, “Excuse me, please, can I have one changal?” The lady smiled and said, “Yes, changal,” and gave him the fork he requested. How wonderful was that exchange? The setting: a [more...]

June 20, 2016 // 2 Comments

Speaking the Language of the International Community

When Armenians speak of “our lands” and demand their return, the sentiment is often lost on the international community, for two main reasons: (1) We live in a world of states and statehood; and (2) the Armenians were never the only ones who lived on those lands. Whether we like it or not, our [more...]

February 8, 2016 // 9 Comments

Seferian: More than One April 24, 2015, in Istanbul

Special for the Armenian Weekly It was the evening of April 24, 2015, and I was sitting on the street in Istanbul, right near where Istiklal Avenue starts off from Taksim Square. The area had been closed off especially for us—a part of town usually bustling (bursting, really) with people. Those [more...]

May 18, 2015 // 5 Comments

Turkey’s Post-Post-Modern Coup and U.S. Foreign Policy

Special for the Armenian Weekly Turkey is no stranger to changes in regime. The administration in Ankara has seen fundamental, abrupt shifts a number of times since the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923. Following the death of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1938, the military perceived itself as the [more...]

November 12, 2014 // 5 Comments

Reflections on ‘Depat’ Armenians

Special for The Armenian Weekly I am a member of the Facebook group that the Repat Armenia Foundation maintains. I am, in fact, a fan of that organization, which provides assistance to Armenians who wish to move to the Homeland, whether in terms of technical or legal information, employment, or [more...]

March 19, 2014 // 3 Comments

Taxist Blues: Public Transport in Yerevan

I hate the taxis in Yerevan. Oh, all right, that’s not quite accurate. I dislike taking taxis in Yerevan, despite all the advantages they have to offer. Really, the best way to explore and get to know any city is on foot. And walking around Yerevan can really be wonderful, especially as it is [more...]

July 19, 2013 // 6 Comments

Seferian: A View from Erbil

I recently had the opportunity to spend a few days in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), in the north of Iraq. The generosity of the KRG, in cooperation with the institution where I study, allowed for around 15 graduate-level students of international affairs [more...]

May 10, 2013 // 0 Comments

Forty Years on: Gourgen Yanikian and Us

On Jan. 27, 1973, two diplomats of the Turkish Republic traveled to Santa Barbara, Calif., to meet with an individual claiming to possess Ottoman artifacts he wished to donate to the country for posterity. Mehmet Baydar and Bahadir Demir played into the hands of Gourgen Yanikian, who had planned [more...]

January 29, 2013 // 19 Comments

A Good Day for Homophobia in Yerevan

There has been much talk of the LGBTI community in Armenia lately. A bar, widely considered to be a gathering spot for those who think and act differently than most in this country, was recently firebombed and vandalized. The violence was condemned in large part only by the LGBTI community and its [more...]

May 22, 2012 // 29 Comments

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