#sahakyan

[celluloidrainbow]

MEL (2022) dir. Inna Sahakyan & Paul Cohen Armenia’s most beloved weightlifter becomes the country’s biggest shame when he comes out as transgender. It cost Mel Daluzyan his fame, his fortune, his family, and even his homeland. Today, under asylum in the Netherlands, his dream of having gender affirming surgery is finally within reach - but how much did he had to sacrifice to get there? (link in title)

[moviemosaics]

Aurora's Sunrise

directed by Inna Sahakyan, 2022

[mymoviemania-oscar-2023]

Aurora's Sunrise (2022) (orig.title: Արշալույսի լուսաբացը Arshaluysi lusabats’y), directed by Inna Sahakyan;

95th Academy Awards for the Best International Feature Film, longlist of submissions, Armenia (Not nominated)  

[ozdeg]

[swanasource]

Some 2021-2022 Films by SWANA Women

Sirens (2022). Dir. Rita Baghdadi

Long Line of Ladies (2022). Dir. Rayka Zehtabchi & Shaandiin Tome

Aurora's Sunrise (2022). Dir. Inna Sahakyan

Costa Brava Lebanon (2021). Dir. Mounia Akl

The Swimmers (2022). Dir. Sally El Hosaini

The Blue Caftan (2022). Dir. Maryam Touzani

Orca (2021). Dir. Sahar Mosayebi

Farha (2021). Dir. Darin J. Sallam

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 13, 2024

The self and the Bayesian brain: Testing probabilistic models of body ownership through a self-localization task. Bertoni, T., Mastria, G., Akulenko, N., Perrin, H., Zbinden, B., Bassolino, M., & Serino, A. (2023). Cortex, 167, 247–272.

A whole-task brain model of associative recognition that accounts for human behavior and neuroimaging data. Borst, J. P., Aubin, S., & Stewart, T. C. (2023). PLOS Computational Biology, 19(9), e1011427.

Inhibitory tagging in the superior colliculus during visual search. Conroy, C., Nanjappa, R., & McPeek, R. M. (2023). Journal of Neurophysiology, 130(4), 824–837.

Hippocampal representation during collective spatial behaviour in bats. Forli, A., & Yartsev, M. M. (2023). Nature, 621(7980), 796–803.

Emergence of belief-like representations through reinforcement learning. Hennig, J. A., Romero Pinto, S. A., Yamaguchi, T., Linderman, S. W., Uchida, N., & Gershman, S. J. (2023). PLOS Computational Biology, 19(9), e1011067.

Error-independent effect of sensory uncertainty on motor learning when both feedforward and feedback control processes are engaged. Hewitson, C. L., Kaplan, D. M., & Crossley, M. J. (2023). PLOS Computational Biology, 19(9), e1010526.

Multiple memory systems for efficient temporal order memory. Jafarpour, A., Lin, J. J., Knight, R. T., & Buffalo, E. A. (2023). Hippocampus, 33(10), 1154–1157.

How awareness of each other’s mental load affects dialogue. Knutsen, D., & Brunellière, A. (2023). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 49(10), 1662–1682.

Developmental trajectory of time perception from childhood to adolescence. Li, Y., Gu, J., Zhao, K., & Fu, X. (2023). Current Psychology, 42(28), 24112–24122.

A multi-layer mean-field model of the cerebellum embedding microstructure and population-specific dynamics. Lorenzi, R. M., Geminiani, A., Zerlaut, Y., De Grazia, M., Destexhe, A., Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott, C. A. M., … D’Angelo, E. (2023). PLOS Computational Biology, 19(9), e1011434.

The inhibitory control of traveling waves in cortical networks. Palkar, G., Wu, J., & Ermentrout, B. (2023). PLOS Computational Biology, 19(9), e1010697.

Inferring local structure from pairwise correlations. Rahman, M., & Nemenman, I. (2023). Physical Review E, 108(3), 034410.

Beyond ℓ1 sparse coding in V1. Rentzeperis, I., Calatroni, L., Perrinet, L. U., & Prandi, D. (2023). PLOS Computational Biology, 19(9), e1011459.

Linguistic law-like compression strategies emerge to maximize coding efficiency in marmoset vocal communication. Risueno-Segovia, C., Dohmen, D., Gultekin, Y. B., Pomberger, T., & Hage, S. R. (2023). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 290(2007).

Mnemonic discrimination deficits in multidimensional schizotypy. Sahakyan, L., Wahlheim, C. N., & Kwapil, T. R. (2023). Hippocampus, 33(10), 1139–1153.

An imbalance of excitation and inhibition in the multisensory cortex impairs the temporal acuity of audiovisual processing and perception. Schormans, A. L., & Allman, B. L. (2023). Cerebral Cortex, 33(18), 9937–9953.

Spike-timing dependent plasticity partially compensates for neural delays in a multi-layered network of motion-sensitive neurons. Sexton, C. M., Burkitt, A. N., & Hogendoorn, H. (2023). PLOS Computational Biology, 19(9), e1011457.

Development of human hippocampal subfield microstructure and relation to associative inference. Vinci-Booher, S., Schlichting, M. L., Preston, A. R., & Pestilli, F. (2023). Cerebral Cortex, 33(18), 10207–10220.

Task-dependent optimal representations for cerebellar learning. Xie, M., Muscinelli, S. P., Decker Harris, K., & Litwin-Kumar, A. (2023). eLife, 12, e82914.

Dissecting the chain of information processing and its interplay with neurochemicals and fluid intelligence across development. Zacharopoulos, G., Sella, F., Emir, U., & Cohen Kadosh, R. (2023). eLife, 12, e84086.

[cristalconnors]

OCTOBER SCREENING LOG

109. Sense and Sensibility (Ang Lee, 1995)- 8.8

110. Showing Up (Kelly Reichardt, 2023)- 8.3

111. How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Daniel Goldhaber, 2023)- 7.2

112. A Beautiful Mind (Ron Howard, 2001)- 5.9

113. Ghost (Jerry Zucker, 1990)- 7.5

114. Eve’s Bayou (Kasi Lemmons, 1997)- 8.7

115. Theater Camp (Molly Gordon & Nick Lieberman, 2023)- 7.6

116. Inside Man (Spike Lee, 2006)- 6.6

117. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (Kelly Fremon-Craig, 2023)- 8.2

118. Face/Off (John Woo, 1997)- 9.1

119. Rye Lane (Raine Allen Miller, 2023)- 8.3

120. Enys Men (Mark Jenkin, 2023)- 7.6

121. The Sweet Hereafter (Atom Egoyan, 1997)- 8.7

122. Taylor Mac's 24-Decade History of Popular Music (Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, 2023)- 7.4

123. The Ice Storm (Ang Lee, 1997)- 7.8

124. Paper Moon (Peter Bogdanovich, 1973)- 8.6

125. Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet, 2023)- 7.7

126. Aurora's Sunrise (Inna Sahakyan, 2023)- 7.5

127. Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese, 2023)- 9.0

128. Party Monster (Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato, 2003)- 7.9

129. Other People's Children (Rebecca Zlotowski, 2023)- 9.2

[collapsedsquid]

Arayik Harutyunyan, who led the region before stepping down at the beginning of September, was arrested and was being brought to the Azerbaijani capital, the APA news agency said. Arkadi Gukasian, who served as the separatist president from 1997 until 2007, and Bako Sahakyan, who held the job from 2007 until 2020, also were arrested Tuesday along with the speaker of the separatist legislature, Davit Ishkhanyan, APA said. The wave of arrests come as Azerbaijani authorities move swiftly to establish their control over the region after a blitz offensive that triggered an exodus of over 100,000 people — more than 80% of its ethnic Armenian residents.

[warningsine]

Nagorno-Karabakh’s Parliament has elected Samvel Shahramanyan as the region’s new president. Officials have expressed hope that he will be able to achieve a ‘breakthrough’ in the region’s negotiations with Azerbaijan, which has held Nagorno-Karabakh under blockade for over nine months. 

Sharhamanyan was elected in an extraordinary session on Saturday. 

According to CivilNet, 23 members of parliament took part in the voting, with 22 voting for Shahramanyan and one against. 

Four out of five factions of Nagorno-Karabakh’s parliament on Wednesday nominated Samvel Shahramanyan for the post of president. He was appointed to the position of State Minister a day before Arayik Harutyunyan’s resignation from the post of president.

An application by the United Motherland parliamentary faction to nominate Samvel Babayan, the faction’s leader, was rejected on the grounds that Babayan had not permanently lived in Nagorno-Karabakh for the past ten years, a requirement for presidential candidates. Speaking to RFE/RL on Monday, Babayan stated that his parliamentary faction would not participate in the vote, instead holding a protest against the ‘predetermined’ election in Stepanakert. 

However, the votes of the remaining four factions were enough to elect Shahramanyan, as the constitution of Nagorno-Karabakh requires the votes of two thirds of MPs to elect a president. 

Who is Samvel Shahramanyan?

Samvel Shahramanyan, 44, is believed to be close friends with Bako Sahakyan, the third president of Nagorno-Karabakh. In 2018, during his presidency, Sahakyan appointed Shahramanyan as director of the National Security Service. 

Shortly after Arayik Harutyunyan was elected president in 2020, Shahramanyan was appointed head of the newly-created Ministry of Military Patriotism, Youth, Sports, and Tourism. In January 2023, Shahramanyan was appointed secretary of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Security Council, and was amongst those participating in meetings between representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, and Russian peacekeepers on 1 March. 

A number of MPs have stated their belief that Shahramanyan can bring together opposing groups in society, and could potentially bring about a ‘breakthrough’ in the ongoing blockade, having previously engaged in discussion with Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh has been under blockade by Azerbaijan since December 2022, with international and local groups increasingly warning that the region is experiencing an acute humanitarian crisis. 

[Read more: ‘Bread is all we have’: Nagorno-Karabakh’s population faces threat of starvation]

Political analyst Tigran Grigoryan told CivilNet that Shahramanyan would not be independent, instead representing a political group consolidated by Ruben Vardanyan, the billionaire former State Minister. Harutyunyan’s resignation came soon after former state minister Ruben Vardanyan demanded he step down. 

‘Now the decision-making process will take on a more collective nature’, said Grigoryan. ‘Most likely the former presidents, Ruben Vardanyan and their entourage will rule the country through a joint decision-making process.’

Reasons for Harutyunyan’s resignation

Arayik Harutyunyan resigned on 1 September, a day after firing the region’s second most senior official, State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan. In his statement Harutyunyan suggested that holding on to the post could be an impediment to negotiations with the Azerbaijani government.

Just 10 days before his resignation, Harutyunyan signed into law changes that allowed his successor to be appointed by parliament, rather than through a public election. 

The changes state that during martial law, if a president leaves office early then parliament should appoint a replacement to carry out the remainder of their term. Nagorno-Karabakh has been under martial law since the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, and Haratunyan’s current term was due to end in 2025.

Harutyunan’s resignation has been discussed within the region since the end of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, with the president initially promising to resign once the situation had ‘normalised’. 

Harutyunyan was also associated with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, with some opposition members suggesting that Harutyunyan’s departure could remove ‘obligations’ to the Armenian PM. When he was elected, Harutyunyan was seen as being close to the Armenian PM, though their relationship later soured.

[massispost]

New Post has been published on https://massispost.com/2023/04/armenias-gor-sahakyan-wins-gold-medal-at-european-weightlifting-championships/

Armenia’s Gor Sahakyan Wins Gold Medal at European Weightlifting Championships

YEREVAN — Armenian weightlifter Gor Sahakyan (67 kg) clinched the gold in…

[omg-lucio]

Sahakyan Vahe; Participante de Armenia Oriental en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Nacido en el pueblo de Gamzachiman (Margahovit) de la región de Gugar de la República Socialista Soviética de Armenia. Murió en 1942

[motherearthday]

A Tree Project mobilizes a new generation.

Armenia is an ancient country which lies just beneath the sprawling Caucasus Mountains, celebrated for its scenery, its wonderful hospitality, its deep Christian roots and its biodiversity. Yet, over time, the country’s bioresources have been gradually depleted, and it was named as one of Conservation International’s 25 most endangered regions. Armenia is used to dealing with crises, and, in the midst of this one, many groups of citizens stepped up to start restoring their country’s environment. These efforts have been largely led by the impressive work of the Armenia Tree Project. 

The choice to begin nurseries in these villages highlights the continued effort by the Armenia Tree Project to help increase job opportunities and stimulate the economy in a country, which has faced historical, political and economic turmoil, dating all the way back to WW1 through to the modern 2018 Velvet Revolution and the 2020 pandemic. Yet in 2023 alone, 470 job opportunities were created by the ATP across ten villages, further emphasizing the inextricable link between the environment, the economy and social change. It’s truly an organic movement that has inspired local communities to be a part of the solution, generating a sense of pride in making a real difference while also creating jobs in the process. Along with tree planting efforts, the ATP has continued to reach out to the broader community through mobilizing a new generation. In 2004, the ATP created an environmental curriculum for programs that were integrated into schools and printed in manuals throughout the country. In 2023 alone, the program reached over 11,000 students at 198 institutions, further amplifying the program and the future of environmental change. The outreach into the community did not stop in the classroom. ATP’s Backyard Nursery Program equips families with the resources and education needed to grow seedlings on their own land. The families are able to earn extra income through this program, as the Armenia Tree Project buys back the trees when they are large enough to be replanted.  Following military offensives in Artsakh in 2023, the ATP extended its social aid programs to help displaced families forced to flee due to the invasion. Their Resilient Roots initiative is currently providing need-based aid to 310 individuals, including essentials, such as food and clothing, along with long-term tools on how to start small businesses and achieve economic security. To further restore agency to these families and help with sustainable food sourcing, the ATP hopes to rebuild greenhouses in the backyards of these families’ new homes. 

The intentionality of the ATP in social and environmental aid for Armenia has inspired other movements across the country. The government has committed to a goal of doubling its tree coverage by 2050, and other organizations such as Maqoor have sprung up in the region.

Maqoor, was started in 2023 by 19-year-old Hrachya Sahakyan, and has already mobilized 100 countries in its infancy. In order to further expand its efforts and amplify its impact, Maqoor has partnered with EARTHDAY.ORG to organize over 10 cleanups on April 20 in celebration of the 5 year anniversary of The Great Global Cleanup.

In alignment with the efforts of the Armenia Tree Project, The Canopy Project has worked to plant tens of millions of trees on every continent besides Antarctica by working with global partners in reforestation. By taking into account biodiversity and building community relationships, The Canopy Project aims to create long term systems of reforestation that can be continued and stewarded by community members.

With staggering statistics such as a global rate of deforestation of nearly 25 million acres of land per year, it is clear that there is no more urgent time to act than now. Your world needs you. To get involved, JOIN THE MOVEMENT.  Plant trees!

[clarkswansonblogpost]

Clark Swanson as an Expert is Quoted in Cointelegraph

Will the Bitcoin halving bring more institutional investors into crypto?

The Bitcoin ETFs appear to have opened many institutions’ eyes to Bitcoin as an alternate asset. Will the April halving accelerate the trend?

Much remains unknown about Bitcoin’s (BTC) quadrennial halving event, which reduces the block rewards earned by Bitcoin miners by 50%, who play a critical role in validating BTC transactions and securing the system.

Will miners go bankrupt or flee the network? Will the hash rate collapse? Will the price of Bitcoin rise and then fall? Will the halving spur further crypto adoption? And so on.

But this much is certain: Every four years, miners’ block rewards are cut in half — this is pre-coded into the network — and at some point in April 2024, once the 210,000th block is validated, miners’ rewards will fall from 6.25 BTC per block to 3.125.

All halvings are both similar and different, but this year’s could be unique because of the new spot market Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), launched in January, which have helped drive the price of Bitcoin to all-time highs, bringing the crypto sector as a whole close to a $3 trillion market capitalization.

This raises yet another question: Given that the Bitcoin ETFs appear to have opened many institutions’ eyes to Bitcoin as an alternate asset, will the April halving accelerate the trend?

Some think so. “Institutions are still learning about this asset class, but understanding the monetary policy of Bitcoin will only drive more interest,” Dante Cook, Swan Bitcoin’s head of business, told Cointelegraph.

The halving is an important demonstration that “Bitcoin security can continue despite a lower ‘security budget,’” Ethan Vera, chief operating officer at Luxor Technology Corporation, told Cointelegraph, adding:

“We expect there to be continued institutional interest in both the underlying commodity and also the companies operating in the space, such as miners.”

For institutions that want to buy the coin itself, cutting the block reward in half is arguably an enticement, added Joe Nardini, senior managing director at B. Riley Securities. It’s more evidence that the BTC supply is not going to balloon, which is a “net positive” for many prospective institutional investors, Nardini told Cointelegraph.

However, not all agree that the halving alone will bring large corporations or financial institutions contemplating crypto into the Bitcoin fold.

“The halving shouldn’t have an impact on whether large corporations/institutional investors will invest in Bitcoin for the first time,” Ruben Sahakyan, director of investment banking at Stifel Financial, told Cointelegraph.

Investors have clearly embraced the spot market Bitcoin ETFs — as seen by the net inflows — and further regulatory clarity will help to drive industry adoption and investor base, continued Sahakyan. “However, some investors are on the sidelines when it comes to investing in mining stocks as they await what impact the halving has on miners’ profitability and volatility is reduced.”

Others suggested that halvings may not be quite as they used to be, i.e., fraught with drama.

“The halving is likely not as big an event as the industry is well prepared and has been deleveraging in anticipation of the potentially reduced economics,” Taras Kulyk, founder and CEO of SunnySide Digital, an infrastructure provider, told Cointelegraph. “Additionally, the massive growth of L2 technologies on top of the Bitcoin Network has increased transaction fees — blunting the impact of the halving even more.”

A “halving-induced” upswing?

Historically, Bitcoin has risen in price in the months leading up to a halving, which is happening again in 2024. Indeed, a JPMorgan analyst referred at the end of February to a “Bitcoin-halving-induced euphoria” gripping the crypto market. But is that really the case?

“There are two major narratives and drivers for Bitcoin currently,” Chris Kuiper, director of research at Fidelity Digital Assets (FDA), told Cointelegraph. The first is the recent approval of spot Bitcoin ETPs [exchange-traded products], which was a major milestone in Bitcoin’s history and a continued road to adoption.”

The second, Kuiper continued, is the upcoming halving. “As in the past, it’s expected that there will be little effect on the Bitcoin network itself. We may see an initial fall in hash rate, but it will likely only be a matter of time before it recovers to its previous levels and once again moves higher, which wouldn’t affect the operation of the network.”

Recent: Can the digital euro actually find traction in Europe?

Which of these two events is more impactful? We don’t know if the price surge results from the halving or the spot market Bitcoin ETF approvals, B. Riley Securities’ Nardini said, but it’s more likely “ETF induced,” in his opinion.

The JPMorgan analyst also warned the price of Bitcoin could drop to $42,000 after the halving. That, too, would follow the script of past halvings. Hash rate — the overall computing power of the network — is what makes the Bitcoin network more secure. In the past three halvings (2020, 2016, and 2012), the hash rate fell initially but quickly recovered within six to 31 days.

“What is different today from historical halvings are the ETFs, which have dramatically changed the Bitcoin ecosystem,” Clark Swanson, entrepreneur and former CEO of Bitcoin mining firm Blockcap, told Cointelegraph.

The new ETFs have created a “demand shock to Bitcoin’s limited supply,” said Swanson. This will “drive prices even higher and blunt some of the market forces that have traditionally posed challenges for miners.”

“Post halving, there is going to be exactly 50% less Bitcoin produced — or available for sale — while ETF demand seems to remain, which should continue to drive volatility,” agreed Sahakyan. “Some of the miners have again started building up BTC balance sheets, which further reduces the available supply of Bitcoin.”

Others, however, anticipate some surprises. Aki Balogh, co-founder and CEO of DLC.Link, told Cointelegraph that “the supply shock that will come from reduced mining revenues is real and will play some effect.”

Some of that has already been priced in, “but there are unknown second and third-derivative effects that will only come out after the halving has happened,” continued Balogh. Still, “I think scarcity will push the price up somewhat.”

In the longer term, history suggests the hash rate will recover, and the price of Bitcoin continue its ascent to new heights. The halving is a unique situation where the block reward periodically decreases, and in this way, “the inflation rate of the network is pre-coded,” said Vera. “Historically, we have noticed that the decrease in new Bitcoin issuance has a positive impact on price.”

Wherefore BTC proxies?

What about traditional BTC proxies like MicroStrategy and some of the larger BTC mining firms? Will they fare better or worse when the dust settles on the 2024 Bitcoin halving?

Economically speaking, halvings primarily influence BTC supply, said Balogh, whereas “the ETFs, MicroStrategy’s well-publicized purchases, and even El Salvador’s daily purchases of BTC impact the demand side.” The spot market ETFs are likely to affect Bitcoin proxies like MicroStrategy more than the halving. Added Balogh:

“Will MicroStrategy continue to serve as a proxy for BTC, given that one can buy BTC outright in an ETF? Probably slightly less so than before. It’s cleaner to buy an ETF versus a stock that is controlled by a Board of Directors with unknown objectives.”

On the other hand, MicroStrategy recently rebranded itself as a Bitcoin development company, he continued, while the new ETFs “are capital-inefficient in the sense that the BTC just sits there. Investors may prefer Michael Saylor’s more active management strategy versus the ETFs.”

Cook, for his part, foresaw no diminution in MicroStrategy’s role as a BTC proxy post-halving. “MicroStrategy’s stock is up nearly 450% over the past year and over 250% over the last six months. It’s one of the ways institutions will seek to gain exposure to the asset class of Bitcoin,” he told Cointelegraph.

How will miners fare?

What about miners’ prospects? They’re most directly affected, after all.

“Each mining rig has its own profitability price point,” Fidelity’s Daniel Gray noted in a recent blog. “Every operation will be going into this event assuming they have enough reserves on hand to withstand the negative pressure of the halving.”

Maybe the global BTC mining sector today is larger and more stable than in past years.

“The mining sector overall has matured since the last halving and is significantly better positioned, but some will struggle unless the [BTC market] price continues to rise as the network difficulty continues to increase amid outstanding machine orders,” said Stifel’s Sahakyan.

“It appears miners are in better shape overall in terms of lower levels of debt and potentially better control over their costs, such as electricity,” added Kuiper. “What’s also helping miners this cycle is the price appreciation before the halving — something that also hasn’t been seen in previous cycles.”

However, “for smaller miners, it will be tough,” predicted Nardini. They may need to raise capital. Publicly held mining firms, by comparison, will generally have an easier time raising capital.

Since the beginning of 2024, Bitcoin miners with one peta hash of mining equipment can count on earning roughly $115 a day, Vera told Cointelegraph, which is “a significant improvement since the beginning of the year given the recent price movement,” but still:

“With the halving coming up and a relentless growth of network hash rate certain miners are going to be at risk of negative profitability post-halving.”

Many miners see the writing on the wall — lower and lower block rewards — and are looking more at supplemental revenue opportunities. “Transaction fees on the Bitcoin network are crucial for miners long term,” said Vera, “and we are seeing many start investing time and capital into developing the ecosystem of applications being built on Bitcoin.”

As important as ETFs?

If one compares the introduction of the spot Bitcoin ETFs in January with the quadrennial Bitcoin halving in April, which will posterity deem more consequential?

Few this past week were willing to say the halving. The halving is “second in importance to the ETFs,” said Nardini flatly.

Still, halvings are unique to Bitcoin and represent a sort of advertisement for what is good and enduring about the cryptocurrency (e.g., it’s “hard money”), as well as some of the attendant risks like falling hash rate.

Recent: How will the Bitcoin halving affect ETH price?

From an adoption standpoint, it’s important for people to see that Bitcoin’s “monetary policy” once again is performing as programmed and expected, Kuiper said, “and it may once again reinforce to investors that Bitcoin, as an asset, is one that’s increasingly becoming scarcer as compared to other financial assets, commodities, or currencies.”

Or, as Swanson noted:

“It is the finite supply and the halving of Bitcoin, which are characteristics that help make Bitcoin the hardest money ever created.”

For this reason, he added, “It also may be the first man-made money to survive more than 200 years.”

[istanbulitecom]

Gault & Millau Türkiye 

Yes, you read it right! It's now in Türkiye too!

Shaped by more than a thousand years of various culture & traditions and social heritage, Turkish cuisine has diverse and distinctive flavors. We knew how special it was, however now with worldwide guides, it's official. We have world-class cuisine and chefs. Gault & Millau reached a total of 14 countries by adding Türkiye to its gastronomy network. It is one of the two most well-known and appreciated guides in the world of gastronomy.

Gault & Millau believes authenticity of each chef's restaurant so they become a compass for those who would like to get the feel of gastronomy in every aspect. They bring new points of view to the gastronomy world with their unique point system and detailed evaluation.  Restaurants and chefs are rated up to 20 points in different categories such as food quality and taste, service quality, pricing, restaurant decoration, and atmosphere. High-scored restaurants win 1 to 5 chef hats according to their score.

Here's the list of winners: 

Best Restaurant of the Year - Neolokal - İstanbul

Best Chef of the Year - Fatih Tutak (Türk Fatih Tutak) - İstanbul 

Youngest Chef of the Year - Kemal Can Yurttaş (Aila) - İstanbul 

Best Female Chef - İnanç Çelengil (Aman da Bravo) - Bodrum

Best Pastry Chef - Ghislain Gaille (Vakko Patisserie) - İstanbul

Best Food Design - Görkem Özkan (Aqua) - İstanbul  

Best Sommelier - Süleyman Şen (Sunset Grill & Bar ) - İstanbul 

Best Wine Menu - Şans Restaurant - İstanbul 

Best Chocolate Venue - Butterfly Chocolate 

Best Bar - Lucca - İstanbul & Bodrum

Best Mixology Venue - The Townhouse - İstanbul

Best Hospitality - Argos in Cappadocia - Cappadocia

Prestigious Tables Winners (4 hats) 

Türk Fatih Tutak  - Fatih Tutak - İstanbul

Neolokal - Maksut Akşar - İstanbul 

Excellent Table Winners ( 3 hats)

Sanki by Nagaya - Hiroko Shibata - İstanbul

Arkestra - Cenk Debensason - İstanbul 

Nicole - Serkan Aksoy - İstanbul

Mikla - Cihan Çetinkaya - İstanbul 

Casa Lavanda - Emre Şen - İstanbul 

Aqua - Görkem Özkan  - İstanbul

Vino Locale - Ozan Kumbasar - Urla 

Teruar Urla - Osman Serdaroğlu - Urla 

Od Urla - Osman Sezener - Urla

Chef's Table ( 2 hats)

Yeni Lokanta - Civan Er - İstanbul

Tuğra Restaurant - Emre İnanır - İstanbul

Sunset Grill & Bar - Fabrice Canelle - İstanbul 

Gallada - Özgür Taylan Yücel - İstanbul

Lokanta by Divan - Volkan Arık - İstanbul 

Chalet - Soner Kesgin - İstanbul 

Araka - Zeynep Pınar Taşdemir - İstanbul 

Alaf - Murat Deniz Temel - İstanbul

7 Mehmet - Mehmet Akdağ - Antalya 

Narimor Urla - Atilla Heilbronn - Urla

Aman da Bravo - İnanç Çelengil - Bodrum

Sakhalin Bodrum - Vladimir Mukhin - Bodrum

Maça Kızı - Aret Sahakyan - Bodrum

Kitchen Bodrum - Osman Sezener - Bodrum

Reserved Cappadocia - Mehmet Gök - Cappadocia 

Nahita - Ömür Akkor - Cappadocia

First Michelin, now Gault & Millau.. we are excited about what's coming next and the new place of Turkish cuisine in the world!

Congratulations to all the chefs and restaurants.  

If you'd like to try some of them during your visit contact us here. 

[thxnews]

UK and UNDP: Powering Climate Action

The British Embassy in Turkmenistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) inked a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a crucial step forward in addressing climate change.  

Strengthening Partnerships for a Greener Tomorrow

The signed MoU represents a significant stride in the ongoing climate initiatives led by the British Embassy. This collaboration fortifies the successful partnership with the UNDP, signaling a shared commitment to combatting climate change.  

Unveiling the Purpose: A National GHG Inventory System

Supported by the British Embassy, the project's core objective is the development of the National System of Inventory of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions in Turkmenistan. This system aims to empower the Turkmen Government to accurately estimate GHG emissions, facilitating timely actions in line with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Paris Agreement obligations.  

Empowering Turkmenistan's Climate Efforts

The enhanced GHG Inventory System will play a pivotal role in Turkmenistan's pursuit of reducing domestic emissions. This tool empowers the government, ministries, and state agencies to measure and record greenhouse gas emissions. The data will facilitate coordinated actions at the sectoral level, aligning with national endeavors to combat climate change and curtail global warming.  

Building on Success: A Collaborative Endeavor

The joint initiative builds on the ongoing climate efforts of the British Embassy and further solidifies the partnership with the UNDP. Stephen Conlon, His Majesty’s Ambassador to Turkmenistan, expressed pride in continuing this vital cooperation, emphasizing its importance in supporting Turkmenistan's efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions.  

Ambitious Goals: Meeting Global Methane Pledge and NDC Commitments

Conlon highlighted the project's significance in helping Turkmenistan meet its Global Methane Pledge obligations. The strengthened GHG Inventory System aligns with the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) approved by the President of Turkmenistan in 2022 under the Paris Climate Agreement. This modernized system enhances national reporting, tracking progress against NDC targets, and lays the groundwork for evidence-led policymaking.  

A Pledge for a Sustainable Future

Narine Sahakyan, UNDP Resident Representative to Turkmenistan, expressed pleasure in collaborating with the British Embassy, reaffirming UNDP's commitment to supporting Turkmenistan in fulfilling UNFCCC and Paris Agreement commitments. The partnership aims not only to reduce GHG emissions but also to enhance national resilience and adaptive capacity against the adverse effects of climate change.   Sources: THX News & British Embassy Ashgabat. Read the full article

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