Author: Karlen Baghdasarian

Turkey wants to buy F-16 fighter jets

Despite objections from U.S. lawmakers, the Biden Administration has asked Congress to approve the sale of upgraded weapons and equipment to Turkey-owned American-made F-16 fighter jets, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

The informal reviews submitted to Congress include the proposed sale of Sidewinder missiles, Amraam missiles and software and hardware updates to F-16 cockpits already in Turkey, according to people familiar with the matter. Turkey’s arms purchase is expected to exceed $500 million, according to one of the people, who requested from Bloomberg not to be identified in advance of a formal announcement.

A bipartisan group of 52 U.S. Representatives joined Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Hellenic Caucus Co-Chair Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) in pressing the departments of State and Defense to block the sale of next-generation U.S. F-16 fighter jets and upgrade kits to Turkey President Erdogan’s increasingly hostile regime, the Armenian National Committee of America reported in February.

“There can be only one American answer to both of these requests: No jets for Turkey,” ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian said in February when the U.S. lawmakers urged the Biden Administration to block the sale of military hardware to Turkey.

The Biden administration believes a potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey would be in line with U.S. national security interests and would also serve NATO’s long-term unity, the State Department said in a March 16 letter to Congress. While that letter fell short of explicitly supporting the deal, the State Department is now pushing for the sale.

A State Department spokesman said the U.S. values its relationship with Turkey, and its ability to continue to work with other NATO members remains a priority, Bloomberg reported.

In fact, according to Bloomberg, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are expected to discuss the issue in Washington on May 18.

In July 2019, the Pentagon excluded Turkey from buying fighter jets after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government purchased a Russian-made S-400 missile system that runs counter to NATO’s security protocols. In September, Turkey sent a formal request to the US to buy 40 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft and nearly 80 kits from Lockheed Martin to modernize its existing fighters.

The Biden Administration’s push to Congress to approve the arms sales to Turkey is seen as a nod to Ankara as the Russian military campaign against Ukraine drags on.

“Turkey has sought a middle ground toward the war in Ukraine. The government in Ankara has been reluctant to burn its bridges with Russian President Vladimir Putin — in part fearing a rupture would put Turkish forces deployed in Syria at risk of attack by Russian-backed Syrian government troops. But it has supplied Kyiv with lethal Turkish-made armed drones and shut its straits and air space to Russian military ships and aircraft,” the Bloomberg report said.

L.A. City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell (center) meets with leaders of the Hollywood Armenian community on May 10

Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell on Tuesday met with the leaders of Hollywood Armenian community organizations and institutions during a gathering at the ACF Hollywood Youth Center.

The occasion was an annual briefing organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Karekin Njdeh chapter where all organizations provide an update on their activities and discuss ways to coordinate service to the community and advance issues of interest.

It was the first time since the pandemic that the gathering was being held and the community leaders welcomed O’Farrell and heard a briefing about the many projects his office has undertaken, especially efforts to ensure safety of residents in Council District 13 during Covid 19 and tackling the homeless crisis.

O’Farrell met with the Board of Trustees of the St. Garabed Armenian Church and Archpriest Vicken Vassilian; the Armenian Relief Society Mayr chapter executive; the Los Angeles Homenetmen chapter executive; the ARF-D Karekin Njdeh chapter board; the chairman and members of the Armenian National Committee of America Hollywood chapter; Maral Tavitian, Principal of the Rose and Alex Pillbos Armenian School, the chairman of whose board Vahe Tashjian was also present, Christine Movsesian, the Director of the ARS Postoyan Pre-School; and the Editor of Asbarez, Ara Khachatourian, who interviewed the councilmember last week. O’Farrell was accompanied by his Field Deputy, George Hakopiants.

These organizations constitute the core of community activities in Little Armenia and function in the school-church-community center compound between Alexandria and Kenmore streets, with Asbarez operating from its headquarters on Vermont Avenue.

After meeting each participant individually, O’Farrell made remarks, briefing the community leaders about his office’s efforts to address the Covid 19 pandemic and some of the services his office and the city council continue to provide as relief measures for the public.

He also announced that the long-awaited and much-anticipated Gateway to Little Armenia is in its final stages of construction, with completion slated before the end of the calendar year. He said that once this structure, which is partially constructed from Tufa stone imported from Armenia, a large unveiling event will be held at its site, located at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and the 101 Freeway exit.

O’Farrell also spoke about the importance of the upcoming June 7 Primary Elections and his campaign for re-election, emphasizing that the stakes in the city are high and residents and constituents need the experience that he brings having served as a member of the L.A. City Council for the past nine years. The ANCA-Western Region has endorsed O’Farrell in his re-election bid.

During a brief question and answer session, O’Farrell heard concerns from Principal Tavitian and Director Movsesian about the ongoing homeless crisis around the school campus and called on the city councilmember to address this issue, which has become an impediment, especially when the school was closed during the pandemic.

“It was very important for the leaders of the Hollywood community to be able to address their concerns directly to Councilmember O’Farrell. We thank him for visiting our center and continuing to be an advocate for the issues important to our community in the LA City Council,” said Suren Seropian, the chair of the ANCA Hollywood chapter.

During the community briefing session, Zohrab Mahdesian, the chairman of the ARF-D Karekin Njdeh chapter informed all participants, who use the ACF Youth Center facilities, about the steps his executive board has taken to enhance security in and around the compound.

Each organizational representative provided a briefing of their respective activities. It was Archpriest Vassilian, who in his remarks, praised each organization and their members for coming together to confront the challenges facing the community and rallied together to provide assistance to Armenia, Artsakh, Lebanon and the local community. He emphasized the need to continue working as one large family to leverage the capabilities of each organization and institution in service of the community and the Armenian Nation.

A16th-century Armenian church in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakır province heavily damaged by PKK terrorists in 2015 officially reopened on Saturday after extensive government-funded restoration.

Pointing out that everyone "shares the excitement” of the renovated Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakır, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said at the opening ceremony that services will start on Sunday, May 8 "and that this structure, which has been the target of terrorism, will be reopened for worship."

The historic church in Diyarbakır's Sur district was damaged by PKK terrorist attacks in 2015 and restored with funds provided by the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry under the coordination of Turkey’s General Directorate of Foundations.

Various cultures and faiths live together in peace and worship freely in Diyarbakır, which is home to many priceless structures, said Ersoy, including the Surp Giragos Armenian and Mar Petyun Chaldean churches.

"Unfortunately, these two structures, which are among the important treasures of our cultural heritage, were targeted and destroyed by terrorist groups who wanted to cast a shadow over the peace and tranquility of the city in recent years,” he explained.

"We believe that the places of worship all over Anatolia are signs of respect and fellowship among us.”

The church, the largest Armenian Gregorian church in the Middle East, is known not only by citizens of the city but also worldwide, Ersoy said, adding that restoration of the Surp Giragos Armenian and Mar Petyun Chaldean churches cost approximately TL 32 million ($2.14 million)

Sahak Mashalian, the patriarch of Turkish Armenians, called the opening of the church a lifeline for Diyarbakır's Christian population, which has been on the decline.

"It contains an important and meaningful message of friendship for the Armenian world in terms of the development of Turkish-Armenian relations,” he said.

"There are so many bright and positive events and experiences to be emphasized in the thousand-year-old Turkish-Armenian relations that we believe should be highlighted with the bridges of friendship that must be established in the future."

"We have to see this church, which was opened for worship, as a monument of good neighborly relations between Armenians, Turks and Kurds, Christians and Muslims," he added.

Turkey has a sizeable Armenian minority population, and normalization talks started earlier this year between Turkey and neighboring Armenia.

Ergun Ayik, head of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church Foundation, said the group worked for the renovation of this church under the leadership of the Diyarbakır Governorship and with the support of the General Directorate of Foundations.

Stating that the restoration was completed with sensitive and meticulous work, Ayik added: "We hope to preserve this church forever with the support of our community, state and regional actors.”

After a seven-year hiatus at the church, the bell was rung, a blessing rite was performed, candles were lit and prayers were performed.