Category: 2022

Thirty-five U.S. Representatives pledged today – in a bipartisan letter to President Biden – to “take every action afforded to us as Members of Congress” to block the sale of U.S. 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 U.S. 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:

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.

For the first time, Armenia will host the International Biology Olympiad will be held in Armenia. The 33rd edition of the event to be held in Yerevan on July 10-18 will feature students from 64 countries. Representatives of the international jury, observers, as well as winners of the last year’s Olympiad are also expected in Armenia.

Team Telecom Armenia will be the technological partner of the event. It has provided all the necessary technical and digital solutions to ensure the smooth running of the most prestigious school competition.

The competition will take place in two staged – theoretical and practical (each lasting 7 hours). The work of the jury members will be organized through the “OlyExams” program, which is designed to ensure the examination process of science olympiads.

The International Biology Olympiad is an annual competition for high school students. Armenian students started participating in the Olympiad in 2009.

The Olympiad aims to identify, inspire, empower and support the next generation of leaders in the life sciences and to develop their international network.

Elen Asatryan was elected to the Glendale City Council, finishing second in a field of eight candidates and becoming the city’s first immigrant, first Armenian-American and youngest woman to be elected to the council, Asbarez reports.

She will take her oath of office on Tuesday, July 12 at 8 p.m. inside the Glendale City Hall Council Chambers. 

Asatryan, 39, received 13,165 votes, surpassing by a wide margin former mayors Ara Najarian and Vrej Agajanian and broke historic record in Glendale by garnering more votes than the two incumbents as a newcomer in a race with no open seats.

“From south to north and east to west, Glendalians opened their homes, small businesses, and hearts because we share the same vision and hope for the future of our Jewel City. I am grateful for your faith and trust in me to be your voice in city hall and for the tremendous outpouring of support,” said Asatryan. 
“It is an honor to have earned a seat that will allow me to represent the wonderful mosaic of people that make up Glendale.”

“We’re writing a new story for Glendale — powered by courage and empathy. We’ll continue working together to build a city that works for all of us and a city hall that is truly the house of the people.  Our residents and small businesses will receive the support they need and deserve, as we proactively tackle our many challenges. I look forward to building bridges and working towards making Glendale a model city to live, work and play in,” added Asatryan.

Asatryan ran a true grassroots campaign, distinguishing herself by hosting more public events than all other city council campaigns combined and earning endorsements from a long list of organizations, elected officials and community leaders. Her campaign galvanized the largest number of donors and raised the most money of all the candidates in the field, while rejecting money from PACs or special interest groups. 

Asataryan’s passion for the issues and refusal to participate in negative campaigning inspired a diverse group of Glendale residents to get out and vote during a low-turnout election. 

“We proved that people power always prevails in the end, and there is no substitute for honest and authentic campaigning. We unapologetically stayed true to ourselves, stood firmly by our values and our principles, and never resorted to petty politics and destructive tactics despite the hurricane of negativity we braved,” Asatryan said. “I’m very proud of the positive and sincere campaign we ran and very grateful to all who made our collective victory possible. I would also like to thank all the candidates who had the courage to step forward and bring their ideas to the table.”

Asatryan’s priorities for Glendale include: establishing a proactive city hall culture; smart development that incorporates green spaces, affordable housing, sustainability, the arts, and walkable and safe streets; small business recovery & support; overhaul of inefficient & costly permitting processes; promoting dynamic arts, music, & culture; a youth voice on commissions; Citizen’s Ethics Commission; community outreach that engages ALL residents and a workforce that is reflective of the diverse communities it serves.

“There shouldn’t be so many firsts in 2022. I hope this win inspires and shows women and little girls that they have a place in government and politics. I am committed to doing my part to help pave the way,” Asatryan added. 

Born in Armenia, Asatryan moved to Glendale with her family at the age of 10 and attended Columbus Elementary, Toll Middle, and Herbert Hoover High schools.  She brings to the council over two decades of service to the Glendale community and beyond, and her professional background in policy, advocacy, and public affairs.