Thursday,
Family Of Woman Killed By Pashinian Motorcade Car Alleges Cover-Up
• Susan Badalian
Armenia - Flowers, toys, and candles on a street in Yerevan where a pregnant
woman was hit and killed by a police car that led Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinian's motorcade, April 27, 2022.
Close relatives of a pregnant woman who died after being hit by a police car
escorting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s motorcade accused Armenian
authorities on Thursday of destroying evidence relevant to the case.
They claimed that the law-enforcement authorities are reluctant to prosecute all
officials responsible for the death of Sona Mnatsakanian.
Mnatsakanian, 29, was struck by a police SUV while crossing a street in the
center of Yerevan on April 26. The vehicle did not stop after the collision.
Its driver, police Major Aram Navasardian, was twice arrested by investigators
but freed by courts. Navasardian denies the accusations of reckless driving and
negligence leveled against him.
Members of Mnatsakanian’s family are unhappy with the course of the ongoing
criminal investigation, saying that it amounts to a cover-up. The deceased
woman’s mother, Armine Makinian, said the authorities are hiding key facts
surrounding the fatal accident.
“They’ve destroyed [recordings of] radio conversations,” charged Makinian.
“Namely, what was spoken with the [police] driver moments before the crash, what
order was given, when [another] policeman who regulated traffic [near the site
of the accident] got that order, when they turned on their sirens.”
“All that data should have been documented and handed over to the investigator
in charge of the case. But the investigator has no such things at his disposal,”
she said.
The indicted policeman’s lawyer, Ruben Baloyan, confirmed but downplayed the
absence of audio of radio conversations among security personnel that escorted
Pashinian on that day. Citing the investigators, he claimed that they were not
recorded due to a technical malfunction.
According Raffi Aslanian, the lawyer representing the victim’s family, forensic
tests found that the police car raced through the city at almost 109
kilometers/hour (68 miles/hour), breaching a 100-kilometer/hour speed limit set
for government motorcades.
“This doesn’t really matter,” countered Baloyan. “He [Navasardian] could only be
subjected to disciplinary action for speeding.”
The lawyer again defended his client’s failure to stop his car and help
Mnatsakanian.
Makinian pointed out that her daughter died more than an hour after being hit by
the police car. She or her unborn baby could have stayed alive had she been
immediately rushed to hospital, said the grief-stricken mother.
“He [the policeman] must have stopped even at the risk of losing his job,” added
Makinian. “The prime minister was also obliged to stop to see what happened
there.”
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian inspects new Patrol Police vehicles in
Gyumri, April 16, 2022.
Pashinian’s limousine and the six other cars making up his motorcade drove past
the dying woman. Pashinian has still not publicly commented on her death.
The deputy chief of his staff claimed on April 27 that the motorcade would have
caused a traffic jam and made it harder for an ambulance to reach the victim had
it stopped right after the crash. Opposition figures and other government
critics brushed aside that explanation, blaming Pashinian for Mnatsakanian’s
death.
The probe of the accident has also prompted concern from seven members of
Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag. Four of them are affiliated with German
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party.
In a joint letter sent on July 6, the German lawmakers urged Armenian parliament
speaker Alen Simonian to “closely follow the case to bring justice to Sona
Mnatsakanian and her family.” They said they hope that those responsible for the
young woman’s death will be brought to justice “regardless of their rank and
position.”
Pashinian Ally May Become Armenia’s Top Election Official
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia - Vahagn Hovakimian speaks at a session of the National Assembly,
Yerevan, February 6, 2020.
A longtime associate of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on Thursday did not deny
reports that the ruling Civil Contract party will install him as chairman of
Armenia’s Central Election Commission (CEC).
Tigran Mukuchian, the current CEC chairman who has been in office since 2011,
will complete his tenure in October. His successor will soon be elected by the
Armenian parliament controlled by Civil Contract. The parliament’s factions have
until July 25 to formally nominate their candidates for the post.
The Yerevan daily Zhoghovurd reported on Wednesday that Pashinian’s party will
nominate one of its senior lawmakers, Vahagn Hovakimian. It has enough
parliament seats to appoint him as the new head of the body administering
Armenia’s general and local elections and releasing their results.
Hovakimian did not confirm or refute the report when he spoke to RFE/RL’s
Armenian Service.
“Everything will be clear when the parliamentary group [of Civil Contract] makes
a decision,” he said, adding that the parliamentary majority “has not yet
nominated any candidate.”
Armenia -- Tigran Mukuchian, chairman of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC),
speaks to journalists, Yerevan, 21Feb2017
Hovakimian, 48, is a former journalist who worked for Pashinian’s Haykakan
Zhamanak daily from 1998 to 2012. Pashinian hired him as a parliamentary
assistant after being first elected to the National Assembly in 2012.
Hovakimian became a parliament deputy in 2019. He has since co-sponsored major
bills which critics say are aimed at helping Pashinian tighten his hold on power.
In particular, Hovakimian was one of the authors of controversial 2020
constitutional changes that led to the dismissal of Constitutional Court judges
at loggerheads with the Armenian government. Opposition lawmakers charged at the
time that the parliament approved the changes in breach of legal procedures for
amending the constitution. Hovakimian and other Pashinian allies denied breaking
the law.
Mukuchian, the outgoing CEC chairman, had been installed by former President
Serzh Sarkisian’s administration. He retained his post after the 2018 mass
protests that toppled Sarkisian and brought Pashinian to power. Pashinian had
for years accused the former Armenian authorities of rigging elections.
Turkey Reaffirms Conditions For Normalizing Ties With Armenia
• Tatevik Sargsian
Turkey - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attends a news conference
with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in Ankara, June 23, 2022.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday made the normalization of
Turkish-Armenian relations conditional on Armenia negotiating a peace accord
with Azerbaijan and opening a land corridor to its Nakhichevan exclave.
Cavusoglu complained that Yerevan has taken no “concrete steps” in that
direction after four rounds of Turkish-Armenian normalization talks held this
year.
“We don’t yet see clear steps from Armenia on the Zangezur [corridor] and other
projects or the peace treaty,” he told Turkish state television. “Armenia’s
leadership headed by Prime Minister Pashinian should take positive steps for
peace. Words alone are not enough.”
“Whether Armenia likes it or not, this is the reality,” said, pointing to the
Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance. “We are one nation and two states. That is why if
there is to be peace in the region, everybody needs to take steps, including
Georgia and Central Asian countries. We expect concrete steps from Armenia on
this issue, be it Zangezur, the comprehensive peace treaty or steps towards us.”
Cavusoglu has repeatedly made clear before that Ankara is coordinating the
ongoing Turkish-Armenian dialogue with Baku. He stressed in February the
importance of the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty which Baku says must commit
Yerevan to recognizing Azerbaijani sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Turkey - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meets his Armenian
counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Antalya, March 12, 2022.
The Armenian government has said, by contrast, that it wants an unconditional
normalization of relations with Turkey. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan
complained in May that Ankara is “synchronizing” the normalization process with
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks.
Meeting in Vienna on July 1, special envoys of the two neighboring states agreed
to open the Turkish-Armenian border to citizens of third countries and to allow
mutual cargo shipments by air. The Turkish and Armenian foreign ministries said
this will be done “at the earliest date possible.” But they set no concrete time
frames.
Armenian opposition leaders have repeatedly accused Pashinian of being ready to
accept the Turkish preconditions. The prime minister’s political allies have
denied that.
Pashinian’s administration maintains that the possible peace accord with
Azerbaijan must address the thorny issue of Karabakh’s status. It has also ruled
out any exterritorial corridors passing through Armenia’s internationally
recognized territory and southeastern Syunik province in particular.
Syunik is the sole Armenian province bordering Iran. Tehran has repeatedly
warned against attempts to strip it of the land border with Armenia.
“The Islamic Republic will not tolerate policies or plans that lead to the
closing of the Iran-Armenia border,” Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, tweeted on Tuesday after holding separate talks in Tehran with the
presidents of Turkey and Russia.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
Author: Varazdat Torgomian
Opposition says it is preparing declaration recognizing all Pashinyan’s agreements as null and void
NEWS.am
Armenia –
23:40, 15.07.2022
The issue of Artsakh was on the agenda of my meetings in Strasbourg, we also talked about the issue of prisoners of war, Ishkhan Saghatelyan, the coordinator of the Resistance movement said.
His remarks came during a rally in France square, listing several minutes he made from his European visit.
Saghatelyan said that Nikol Pashinyan's claim that there is a demand formed by the international community to lower the bar in the status of Artsakh is a lie. "There was a demand for a common peace agenda and to achieve peace, but when I explained to international partners that this peace cannot be at the cost of repatriation of the Armenian people, depopulation of Artsakh and ethnic cleansing, those justifications and arguments had no objection, which is very understandable,” he said.
The second record, according to him, is that the Armenian authorities, like in all other areas, have completely failed here. The defense of Armenia and Artsakh on the international platforms is in an absolute state of disrepair, our interests are not protected.
Saghatelyan said that Turkish-Azerbaijani delegations on international platforms present the Resistance movement as revanchists who want to destabilize the situation in the region. "Our struggle is not only against Nikol's government, but also against its owners. In fact, we must realize that today we are fighting not only against the government of the day, but also against Turkey, Azerbaijan and their money-financed agencies, "fakers" and agents," he said.
The coordinator of the Resistance movement also informed that now they are preparing a declaration of denunciation, cancellation, the content of which is as follows, which the next authorities should consider null and void any agreement reached by Nikol Pashinyan, whether written or verbal.
"Given that Pashinyan has nothing to do with the interests and will of our people, he promised the people one thing with his government program during the pre-election period, and now he is doing something completely different, he is serving the interests of Azerbaijan and Turkey, putting aside the vital interests of the Armenian people. We will take the initiative that the next government should as a matter of urgency declare null and void any verbal and written agreement reached by Nikol.
And after the final development of this document, we will propose that all political forces and figures of Armenia sign it and the whole world, including Aliyev and Erdogan, and all understand that any agreement reached with Nikol is null and has no legal significance for the Armenian people,” he said.
PM urges citizens to follow fire safety rules amid hot weather
13:31,
YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. During the Cabinet meeting today Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan urged the ministry of emergency situations to intensity awareness raising works on fire safety rules.
The PM said that there is a dangerous situation in the country now because of the high rise in air temperature, stressing the need for preventive measures.
“The important factor is the approach of our citizens, their behavior while in nature. Let’s ask our citizens to strictly follow the fire safety rules and also be careful as leaving glass panes in nature is dangerous. The ministry of emergency situations should activate the preventive measures and be ready to response in an operational way. Last year we acquired two helicopters which enables to carry out fire-fighting works. Trials were already implemented, we should be convinced whether the personnel is ready or not”, the PM stated.
He urged to hold regular awareness-raising campaigns by using media and social networks. “It’s a very dangerous situation, and we should do everything to prevent bad developments”, he said.
In his turn Minister of Emergency Situations Armen Pambukhchyan said that they have convened an urgent session over the rise of air temperature and will work on an enhanced regime these days.
Joe Biden visits Armenian Church in Bethlehem, talks to Patriarch
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia –
US President Joe Biden visited the Armenian Church of the Nativity Cathedral in Bethlehem today and had a meeting with the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nurhan Manukyan, Fr. Hovnan Baghdasaryan, Chancellor at Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, informs.
During his private conversation with Mr. Biden, the Patriarch thanked him for recognizing the Armenian Genocide and discussed other topics as well.
On this occasion, the patriarch presented President Biden with a plate made of Armenian terracotta and a pomegranate.
Sports: UEFA Champions League: Armenia’s Pyunik defeat Cluj, make it to second qualification round
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia –
, 01:21
Armenian champions Pyunik came back from behind twice to defeat CFR Cluj (Romania) in the first round of the Champions League qualification.
Bismark Adjei-Boateng opened the score six minutes into the game, Zoran Gajic canceled the goal in the 89th minute, moving the match into extra time.
The Armenians were once again forced to fight back after Claudiu Petrila scored in the 94th minute. Zoran Gajic found the net again close to the end of the extra time.
The Armenians finally beat Cluj in a penalty shootout. Pyunik will face Luxembourg Champions Dudelange in the second round.
AW: Avetik Chalabyan to remain in prison
Avetik Chalabyan, activist, politician and a member of the “Unification” movement, will remain under arrest. On Sunday, July 10, the Yerevan Court of Common Jurisdiction, headed by Judge Arusyak Aleksanyan, published its decision, which satisfied the appeal for extension of detention submitted by the investigative body implementing the proceedings.
“How can I hinder the proceedings if you have completed the proceedings? What can I possibly do? If you have completed the proceedings, then you have effectively taken the actions proposed by the prosecutor, and there is no logical action that I can hinder. I have no desire to do so either. The materials of this case are sufficient enough to eventually lead to my acquittal in any reasonable court. These steps will one by one lead to the conclusion that the criminal offense is absent,” Chalabyan said in his closing speech at the open court hearing of the extension of detention dates.
Earlier, a hasty motion was submitted to the court to extend Chalabyan’s detention after the prosecutor in charge of the trial did not confirm the indictment of the case and returned the materials of the proceedings to the preliminary investigative body with an instruction to continue its investigation.
“How do you imagine escape from investigation for a man, who is a member of the board of directors of five companies, a member of the board of trustees of two charitable foundations, a father of a large family, the primary caregiver of four children and two elderly parents. Did you write all this just for the sake of writing? How can I escape? Can I escape from myself? A man who returned to Armenia during the war with his entire family, with three boys. A significant part of the population of our country takes its children out of the country to escape serving in the Army. Did I return to Armenia with three boys to escape from Armenia?” said Chalabyan, adding that this trial would seem ridiculous under the legal practice of any country.
Chalabyan is accused of the act provided for in Article 163, Part 3, Clause 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia without any credible evidence and with gross violations of criminal procedures. The article has been reclassified and softened by the new Criminal Code that came into force on July 1.
“Avetik Chalabyan is a political hostage of the current authorities, and the courts are their executioners. Yesterday, the investigator confirmed that Avetik Chalabyan should remain in custody only so that he and the prosecutor could send the case to the court in a relaxed manner. He admitted that they have no other investigative actions to perform. So to say, Avetik Chalabyan will remain in custody on the basis of sending the case to court,“ Varazdat Harutyunyan and Arthur Harutyunyan, Chalabyan’s defense team, stated earlier.
Public groups and activists have been fighting for Chalabyan’s freedom for months now, calling for his release through mass protests, petitions and all means prescribed by law.
Editor’s Note: This announcement was drafted by the legal team of Avetik Chalabyan.
Patrol Service will be introduced also in Kotayk, Gegharkunik, Tavush and Aragatsotn Provinces
17:27,
YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a session of the Police Reforms Coordinating Council was held, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.
The tasks to be done in the next 6 months in the sidelines of the police reform strategy were presented, including the process of introducing the Patrol Service in Shirak and Lori Provinces.
It was reported that in the second half of the year, it is planned to ensure the continuity of the introduction of the operational center for the management of the Patrol Service. Next, Patrol Service units will be formed in Kotayk, Gegharkunik, Tavush and Aragatsotn Provinces, and then throughout the country. The training processes of the future Patrol Service personnel in the above mentioned 4 Provinces will start in August. In total, 1,880 people applied for getting a job at the Patrol Service, of which only 718 are police officers. 1,332 people have received the right to participate in the examination process, of which 606 will join the service.
Next, the technical equipment of the Patrol Service, the reorganization of the Police forces, and the creation of the National Guard were discussed. The officials in charge assured that all the activities are carried out in accordance with the timeline.
Issues related to the activity of regional police departments and the new model of territorial divisions were also discussed.
Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the effective implementation of all the measures envisaged by the Police reforms and emphasized the need to carry out consistent work in the direction of expanding the involvement of women in the Patrol Service. In this regard, the Head of the Government gave specific instructions.
Governor Newsom Signs State Budget with $10 Million for Armenian American Museum
Press
Contact:
Shant
Sahakian, Executive Director
Armenian
American Museum and Cultural Center of California
(818)
644-2214
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GOVERNOR NEWSOM SIGNS STATE BUDGET
WITH $10 MILLION FOR ARMENIAN AMERICAN MUSEUM
Glendale, CA (July 7, 2022) –
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the 2022-2023 State Budget with $10
million in new funding for the Armenian American Museum currently under
construction in the City of Glendale. The new funding brings the State of
California’s total investment in the cultural and educational center to $19.8
million.
Governor Newsom first proposed the new
funding for the museum in the May Revised Budget proposal
for the State of California. Last week, the Governor made the additional
funding official with the signing of the state budget.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to
Governor Gavin Newsom for his strong leadership and unwavering support of the
Armenian American Museum,” stated Executive Chairman Berdj Karapetian on the
heels of the major announcement. “We also extend our special thanks to Senator
Anthony Portantino for his long standing advocacy in support of the project.”
Senator Anthony Portantino, a longtime
champion of the museum, has been collaborating with the Governor’s office to
educate state officials and colleagues on the historic significance of the
project.
“I am deeply appreciative to Governor
Newsom for proposing and signing $10 million in new state funding to support
the Armenian American Museum,” stated Senator Anthony Portantino. “The Governor
recognizes the major impact the institution is going to have on all
Californians and once again has proven his commitment with this critical and
timely investment.”
The Armenian American Museum is a
world class cultural and educational institution that is currently under
construction in the museum campus at Glendale Central Park. The museum will
offer a wide range of public programming through the Permanent Exhibition,
Temporary Exhibitions, Auditorium, Learning Center, Demonstration Kitchen,
Archives Center, and more.
The museum celebrated its historic
groundbreaking and commenced construction on the project in Summer 2021. The
Phase I construction of the semi-subterranean parking garage and foundation is
on schedule to be completed in Summer 2022. The next major phase of the project
will be the Phase II construction of the two-level 50,820-square-foot museum
complex.
For more information, visit https://www.ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org.
###
Kindly,
Arsine Sina Torosyan
Communications Director
Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California
116 North Artsakh Avenue, Suite 205, Glendale, CA 91206
Office: (818) 351-3554, Ext. 706
Direct: (818) 644-2215
www.ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org
Confidentiality Notice: This communication and any documents, files, or previous e-mail messages attached to it constitute an electronic communication within the scope of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 ISCA 2510. This communication may contain non-public, confidential, or legally privileged information intended for the sole use of the designated recipient(s). The unlawful interception, use, or disclosure of such information is strictly prohibited under 18 USCA 2511 and any applicable laws.
California Governor Gavin Newsom.jpg
JPEG image
California Senator Anthony J. Portantino.jpg
JPEG image
AW: ANCA welcomes escalation of Congressional opposition to F-16 sale to Turkey
WASHINGTON, DC – Thirty-five US Representatives have pledged – in a bipartisan letter to President Biden – to “take every action afforded to us as members of Congress” to block the sale of US F-16 fighter jets and upgrade kits to Turkey, in light of the Erdogan regime’s repression at home and aggression abroad against Greece, Cyprus, Armenians and Kurds, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
“Armenian Americans join with all our coalition partners in thanking Congressman Pallone for his leadership in checking Erdogan’s escalating threats of aggression against Greece, Cyprus, Armenians, and Kurds,” said ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian. “We express our appreciation to all who joined this bipartisan appeal and who support legislative initiatives to block the reckless sale of F-16’s to Turkey.”
In addition to the ANCA, the following US civil society organizations are on the record opposing the sale F-16s to Turkey: American Friends of Kurdistan, American Jewish Committee, Hellenic American Leadership Council, In Defense of Christians, Middle East Forum, and PSEKA – International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus.
Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Hellenic Armenian Caucus co-chairs Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) were joined by Greek-American Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH) and Dina Titus (D-NV) in securing Congressional co-signers on the letter to President Biden, sharing their deep concern about the support he expressed for an F-16 sale to Turkey during the recent NATO summit in Madrid, Spain.
The Congressional letter states, “Turkish and Turkish-backed forces have utilized American-made weaponry and components during these incursions to commit war crimes, including purposefully bombing civilian targets like hospitals and schools in Iraq, Syria, and Nagorno Karabakh. They have also been used repeatedly to violate the sovereign territory of NATO allies and partners like Greece and Cyprus. These are hardly the actions of a committed ally to the United States and Europe.” The letter concludes stating, “precedent shows that Erdogan will not change his behavior if we continue to reward his efforts to undermine the NATO alliance. The United States must not provide any further support to Turkey’s military until tangible steps are taken to halt his destabilizing actions and violations of international law at home and abroad.”
In addition to Representatives Pallone, Bilirakis, Maloney, Pappas, and Titus, Congressional co-signers on the letter to President Biden include Representatives Karen Bass (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Charles Fleischmann (R-TN), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Susie Lee (D-NV), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), James McGovern (D-MA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Jackie Speier (D-CA), David Valadao, (R-CA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
The full text of the Congressional letter to President Biden opposing the F-16 sale to Turkey is provided below.
#####
Text of Congressional letter to President Biden opposing the F-16 sale to Turkey
July 8, 2022
Dear President Biden,
We are deeply concerned by comments made on June 30 at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Madrid, Spain, on the potential sale of Block 70 F-16s and mechanical upgrades to Turkey. We have strongly urged the rejection of this sale because it would reward President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for ignoring Turkey’s alliance commitments to the United States and NATO and the vast human rights abuses his regime continues to commit at home and abroad.
Erdogan has consistently chosen to prioritize divisive tactics for personal gain above the collective good of his allies. His choice to block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO until he received absurd and unrelated concessions makes it clear that he has done the bare minimum to bolster NATO’s strategic posture since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered the largest crisis the alliance has faced in decades.
Erdogan’s use of alarming tactics antithetical to the common good of the NATO alliance should not come as a surprise. His regime has repeatedly used its military power to destabilize the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, South Caucasus, and North Africa for years. Turkish and Turkish-backed forces have utilized American-made weaponry and components during these incursions to commit war crimes, including purposefully bombing civilian targets like hospitals and schools in Iraq, Syria, and Nagorno Karabakh. They have also been used repeatedly to violate the sovereign territory of NATO allies and partners like Greece and Cyprus. These are hardly the actions of a committed ally to the United States and Europe.
The sale of American advanced fighter jets to Turkey will not incentivize Erdogan to suddenly transform into a good ally. More likely, these weapons will lead to further death and destruction in the region. Turkey also continues to utilize S-400 missile defense systems, which potentially exposes important tactical information about U.S. weaponry and military operations to Russia.
Additionally, the Erdogan regime continues to promote unfair elections, suppress civil society, and abuse human rights at home to maintain its grip on power. With the Turkish economy in decline and Erdogan’s standing at an all-time low, news outlets directly controlled by his repressive ruling party will use any major weapons sale as propaganda to prop him up like they have already done with the concessions obtained at the NATO summit.
As your Administration seeks to advance the sale of new F-16s and modernization kits to Turkey, please know that we will take every action afforded to us as Members of Congress to prevent it from moving forward. Precedent shows that Erdogan will not change his behavior if we continue to reward his efforts to undermine the NATO alliance. The United States must not provide any further support to Turkey’s military until tangible steps are taken to halt his destabilizing actions and violations of international law at home and abroad.
Thank you for your attention to these concerns, and we look forward to your timely response.
Sincerely
#####
Noubar Afeyan bestowed with title of Honorary Doctor of Yerevan State University
16:26, 7 July 2022
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. American-Armenian entrepreneur, philanthropist and inventor Noubar Afeyan was bestowed with a title of Honorary Doctor of the Yerevan State University today.
The ceremony took place at the YSU’s ISTC Center.
YSU Rector Hovhannes Hovhannisyan said that Afeyan’s biography and activity are a vivid example of patriotism, responsibility, skillfulness, great dedication to experience, love, honest aspirations and high human qualities.
“Recently we have been witnessing major movements in science sector, and the efforts of the government in this sense were quite huge last year, thanks to which the funding for science increased by 83%. We think this step will positively affect in engaging the youth in science. The efforts of Mr. Afeyan aimed at keeping the youth in science are invaluable and welcome. We are ready for cooperation on different matters for the benefit of the Yerevan State University, the students and the teaching staff”, the YSU Rector said.
Afeyan said he has happy and proud of being awarded with the title of the Honorary Doctor of the most powerful university of Yerevan – the YSU.
“This title is obliging for me. I have few connections in Armenia, but I am happy that I attended it and I hope we could create ties with the university in the future”, he said.