Author: Emil Karabekian

With the latest revelations regarding Lieutenant General Michael Flynn’s opposition in concert with Turkey against a U.S. military operation that had been planned for months, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) renewed its call for a thorough investigation of Turkey’s surreptitious influence over U.S. officials to the detriment of U.S. national security.

Today, the Assembly sent to the Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC), Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), House Intelligence Chairman David Nunes (R-CA), and Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA) highlighting key concerns on this matter.

“Time and time again, we have seen Turkey’s corrosive attempts to influence U.S. policy. Given the aforementioned issues, we respectfully renew our request for a thorough investigation of Turkish activities that compromise America’s national security and democratic institutions,” Assembly Co-Chairs Anthony Barsamian and Van Krikorian said.

Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. stated: “It is even more troublesome that [Flynn] failed to disclose his actions and that he may have compromised our efforts to defeat ISIS in order to please his former client. With Mr. Flynn’s willingness to conceal relationships with foreign powers, we must investigate if there are other interactions that have yet to be revealed.”

According to a report in McClatchy Washington Bureau, “Flynn’s rejection of a military operation that had been months in the making raises questions about what other key decisions he might have influenced…”

This new revelation follows Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn’s November 8th op-ed in The Hill wherein Flynn argued that “we need to see the world from Turkey’s perspective.” Flynn was paid over $500,000 for his work on behalf of Turkey according to his recent FARA filing, which he failed to disclose until he was caught.

News about Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn comes just after a brutal attack by Turkish bodyguards against those peacefully protesting in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence.

The assembly’s monitoring committee raised concerns over constitutional amendments that were approved this month in a national referendum amid a state of emergency.

Turkey rapporteur Marianne Mikko said on Tuesday the amendments, which significantly expand the powers of the presidency, “do not comply with our fundamental and common understanding of democracy.”

She stressed that the monitoring process is not “punishment” but a bid to strengthen dialogue with Turkey.

The committee was critical of the atmosphere ahead of the referendum and of emergency decrees after the failed coup attempt in July 2016.

The committee pointed to the detention of parliamentarians and journalists and the sweeping dismissals of civil servants allegedly linked to the coup.

The Turkish foreign ministry said it strongly condemned the “unjust decision” of a European rights body to put it on a monitoring watchlist, adding that Ankara was left with no choice but to reconsider its relations with the body.

“Deciding to re-open the monitoring procedure on Turkey… under the guidance of malicious circles at the PACE is a disgrace to this organ, which claims to be the cradle of democracy,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that xenophobia and Islamophobia were “spreading with violence” across Europe.

Russia is not seeking to influence the presidential race in France, but has the right to meet with representatives of the country’s political parties, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his meeting with the leader of France’s National Front political party Marine Le Pen in the Kremlin, TASS reports. 

“We attach great importance to our ties with France, and we try to maintain equal relations both with representatives of the current authorities and the opposition,” Putin said.

“We do not want to influence the events (the French presidential election) in anyway, but we have the right to maintain contact with all representatives of the country’s political forces, like our partners do, for example in Europe and in the United States,” he said.

Of course, it would be very interesting to exchange views with you on how our bilateral relations are developing and on the current situation in Europe. I know that you represent a group of fast-growing European political forces,” the president stated.

Prior to the meeting, the French politician, who is in Moscow at the invitation of Russian lawmakers, visited an exhibition devoted to Louis IX of France and relics of Sainte-Chapelle in the Patriarch’s Palace of the Kremlin.

Le Pen noted that France and Russia have deep cultural, economic and strategic ties. “This meeting is especially important when we are facing such a serious terrorist threat,” the French politician noted.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, follow the developments in Istanbul and keep in touch with Bishops and elected Locum Tenens Karekin Bekdjian, Fr. Vahram Melikyan, Director of Information Services of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin told Public Radio of Armenia.

Both clergymen and secular figures are taking steps to bring the truth about yesterday’s meeting to the Turkish government.

He said the elections fully comply with the church rules, and reminded that an agreement on election of Locum Tenens had been reached during a meeting at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin last month.

Fr. Vahram Melikyan said the notice of the Istanbul Governor has actually stalled the process of election of the Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul. He said “everything has been carried out in line with church rules.”

He voiced hope that the Armenian community and clergymen would be able to explain in to the Turkish government and overcome the difficulty.

“We hope a proper solution will be found,” Fr. Vahram Melikyan said.

The Clerical Assembly elected Archbishop Karekin Bekciyan, Primate of the German Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church as Locum Tenens —a patriarchal alternate today, Istanbul-based Agos newspaper reported.

The voting is seen as the first step of patriarchal elections.

Thirty members of the Clerical Assembly participated in the elections. Elected by clerics, the Locum Tenens will be responsible for managing the process of electing the Armenicn Patriarch of Istanbul.

General Vicar of the Patriarch Aram Atesyan, Bishop Sahak Masalyan and Armenian Primate of Germany Archbishop Karekin Bekciyan were initially named as candidates. However, Masalyan, in a statement before the election, declared that would withdraw and support Bekciyan.

Aram Atesyan will now step down as General Vicar.

The Clerical Assembly is expected to form a commission comprising clergymen and secular figures to organize the transfer of power from the General Vicar to the Locum Tenens.

The elections of the initiative group will be organized within 10 days after the election of the Locum Tenens. The group will, in turn, organize the elections of the Patriarch of Istanbul within a six-month period.

Shushan Yeritsyan will represent the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (Artsakh Republic) at the contest.

The contest will take place in Spain May 5-15.

“It’s a great pride to represent free and independent Artsakh on the international arena,” Shushan Yeritsyan said in a .

She pledged to spare no effort to represent the country on the highest level and return with best results.

Russia is one of the main investors in Armenia’s economy and a key trade partner, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in a interview with Izvestia.

Sargsyan said that Russia is a top investor for such sectors of Armenia’s economy as energy, transport, metallurgy, telecommunications.

“Russia is one of Armenia’s key trade and economic partners and one of the main investors in our economy that is involved in an entire range of sectors, including energy, transport, metallurgy, telecommunications. This year we mark 25 years of diplomatic relations and a 20-year anniversary of the treaty of friendship, the cooperation and mutual aid,” Sargsyan said in an article published by the Izvestia newspaper on Tuesday.

The sides plan to further broaden cooperation, working on innovative ways of boosting economic ties, he added, highlighting the positive effect Armenia’s membership in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has had.

“After joining the EAEU, our economic and trade potential has significantly increased, given that we gained access to the 180-million strong consumer market of the member states,” the president said.

Photo: AFP

President Donald Trump has said the US is witnessing a “renewal of the American spirit”, as he delivered his first speech to Congress, the BBC reports.

Adopting a measured, upbeat tone, the Republican president spoke of a “new chapter of American greatness”.

Mr Trump condemned recent vandalism of Jewish cemeteries and a shooting in Kansas that left an Indian man dead.

His primetime address sought to bolster his low approval ratings after a bumpy start to his fledgling presidency.

At the outset of Tuesday night’s hour-long speech, Mr Trump tackled recent suspected hate crimes, saying “we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its very ugly forms”.

At the outset of Tuesday night’s hour-long speech, Mr Trump tackled recent suspected hate crimes, saying “we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its very ugly forms”.

On immigration, he dangled the intriguing possibility of a major policy shift towards a goal that eluded his two predecessors, insisting that “real and positive” reform was possible.

That line came hours after he told news anchors off the record at a White House lunch that he might be open to granting legal status to undocumented immigrants.

In his remarks on Capitol Hill, the president also talked tough on the issue, pledging to make US communities safer “by finally enforcing our immigration laws”.

He defended his early actions in office, touting his moves to withdraw the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and order work to start on a US-Mexico border wall.