House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce was joined by Ranking Member Eliot Engel, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer in introducing House Resolution 354, a resolution condemning the violence against peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence on May 16, 2017, the Armenian Assembly of America reported. The House Resolution calls for “the perpetrators to be brought to justice.”

According to the source, the resolution states: “after hours of peaceful protest, violence erupted when pro-Erdogan supporters and individuals from the Turkish Embassy grounds pushed past District of Columbia police officers to brutally attack the demonstrators.” The Resolution expressed deep concern that “Turkish officials blatantly suppressed the First Amendment rights of United States citizens, and multiple armed Turkish security officials beat, kicked, and choked unarmed demonstrators.”

In addition, the Resolution noted that the Washington Metropolitan Police Department and other reports confirm that “the demonstrators did not instigate the violence,” and that this is the third instance of violence perpetrated in the U.S. by members of Turkish President Erdogan’s security detail.

H.Res. 354 calls for “any Turkish security officials who directed, oversaw, or participated in efforts by Turkish security forces to illegally suppress peaceful protests on May 16, 2017, should be charged and prosecuted under United States law.”

Taking a strong stand against the growing trend of repressive authoritarianism in Turkey, H.Res. 354 states that “the United States should take steps to strengthen freedoms for the press and civil society in countries such as Turkey, and combat efforts by foreign leaders to suppress free and peaceful protest in their own countries.”

“The Assembly applauds Representatives Royce, Engel, McCarthy, and Hoyer and their introduction of bipartisan legislation condemning Turkey’s outrageous attack against peaceful protesters and assault on our cherished democratic values,” Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny said.

In last week’s statement, the Assembly called upon Members of Congress and the Administration to condemn this latest affront by Turkey on basic freedoms. The Assembly also launched a grassroots campaign to urge Members of the House and Senate to condemn the Turkish attack and hold those who perpetrated these acts of violence accountable.

In addition to the House Resolution, 28 Members signed a bipartisan letter urging Secretary of State Rex Tillerson “to speak out publicly against these actions and, just as importantly, ensure that these men are held fully accountable for their actions.” The previous day, Senators Lindsey Graham and Patrick Leahy sent a letter to Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kilic, which says in part: “We encourage local law enforcement personnel to prosecute perpetrators of this attack to the fullest extent of the law and support the expulsion from the United States of any diplomatic personnel involved.” Other Members have spoken out against these attacks as well.

Candidate with Deep Armenian-American Community Ties Determined to Win Race for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District Seat

McLEAN, Va.—Nancy Najarian — a champion for Armenian-Americans, strong communities, quality jobs, and a world-class education for every child – has announced she is running for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, represented for the past 24 years by now retiring Rep. Jim Moran D-VA. Committed to being a voice that will stand up for our community, Najarian has launched an aggressive fundraising campaign to meet the March 31st deadline – the first quarter of fundraising for a race that most likely will be decided in a June 10, 2014 primary. Nancy is positioning herself to be a strong contender in a very crowded field by raising early money from her supporters nationwide. Those committed to sending to the U.S. Congress a professional woman with strong ties to our community are urged to donate to Najarian for Congress campaign by March 31, 2014.

The VA-8 district borders Washington, D.C., and includes the Cities of Arlington and Alexandria, home to the Alexandria – Gyumri Sister City Association and its annual Armenian Festival. The district also includes portions of Fairfax County, including parts of McLean and Falls Church, two military bases and the Pentagon. Raising significant funds will enable Najarian to place well in the first quarter, gain support from national women’s groups poised to support a competitive woman candidate, and position her to win the upcoming primary on June 10th — a winner takes all primary. With a district that is strongly Democratic, the likelihood of Najarian winning the general election as a primary winner is high.

“I want to bring to the U.S. Congress a steady support for issues affecting the average Armenian-American family. These include empowering small business owners to build and sustain their businesses, supporting children’s welfare and women’s healthcare issues, ending paycheck inequality gaps, increasing public education initiatives and investment in STEM education, and moving a stalled Congress forward by finding solutions to problems so that we all can enjoy a brighter future,” said Nancy Najarian.

Born in Boston, raised in Belmont, baptized and later married in the Armenian Apostolic Church, Nancy Najarian, her husband Mike Stimson and their two children have been residents of Northern Virginia since 1995. Najarian is proud of her Armenian heritage and commitment to uphold her roots as an Armenian mother, a wife, a professional and small business owner. She is the granddaughter of Genocide survivors, and was inspired by her parents’ values of an honest day’s work, playing by the rules, and giving back to the Armenian community. Her business acumen and personal drive derives from the models her parents set. Her father, K. George Najarian, built a successful business from the ground up, her mother went back to school and earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees to become an educator, and her stepmother, Dr. Carolann Najarian, has devoted her life to providing charitable medical care in Armenia and the U.S. In addition, her parents, involved early with the relief effort following the 1988 Armenian earthquake and later with support for the newly independent Armenian government and its people, were outstanding models of how to apply Nancy’s professional expertise and academic training to her ethnic roots.

At the height of the Azeri blockade of Armenia and during the armed conflict supporting Nagorno Karabagh’s right to self-determination, Najarian moved to the newly independent Republic of Armenia. In 1992 she taught English to aspiring Armenian MBA students in Yerevan. Later she created and co-managed the non-profit, Technical Assistance for the Republic of Armenia (TARA Inc.), helping struggling Armenian entrepreneurs start businesses and bringing diasporan Armenian professionals to assist Armenian private sector organizations. Najarian was an early Board Member of the Armenian Assembly’s grassroots arm, ARAMAC, raising U.S. government awareness of the severe consequences of the energy blockade against the Armenian people and the economy. Additionally, Najarian is a charter member of the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association, and after graduating with an M.S. focused on International Business and Trade, Najarian volunteered at the Armenian Embassy in Washington, D.C. for the Economic Attaché. As a volunteer fund-raiser, Najarian has raised funds for various Armenian organizations, was for years an active participant in the Armenian Network of America, and throughout her career has offered advice to aspiring Armenian Social entrepreneurs. She holds a Bachelor’s from NYU, and a Master’s from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Congress introduces resolution condemning Turkish violence in Washington, D.C.

Nancy Najarian Announces Candidacy For U.S. Congress