Speculation has surrounded Ruben Rubinyan, the Armenian parliamentary vice speaker and special envoy in the Armenia\u2013Turkey normalization process, for years. The key point of controversy is his internship in Turkey in 2017\u20132018. Opponents label him \u201can agent of Turkish influence,\u201d while supporters maintain that the internship was simply part of his academic career. Let\u2019s take a closer look at the issue to understand how substantiated these claims are.<\/p>\n
Rubinyan\u2019s year-long research placement at the Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) at Sabanc\u0131 University is the main focus of the dispute. His research was conducted within the Hrant Dink Foundation\u2019s project \u201cExchange of Experience Between Armenia and Turkey.\u201d The topic concerned the influence of public organizations on Turkey\u2019s democratization processes.<\/p>\n
The university itself is at the core of the controversy. Critics argue that Sabanc\u0131 University is not merely an educational institution but a platform for \u201cbrainwashing\u201d foreign students and cultivating loyalists to the Turkish state.<\/p>\n
Sabanc\u0131 University was founded in 1994 by Sabanc\u0131 Holding, one of the largest business conglomerates in Turkey. Its founder, Hac\u0131 \u00d6mer Sabanc\u0131, allegedly seized Armenian properties in Adana -including church properties - in 1930 with the assistance of Kemal Atat\u00fcrk, according to some accounts. This circumstance is cited as evidence supporting the claim that the university was created to promote nationalist and pro-government ideas.<\/p>\n
In addition, critics point to the following as further grounds for suspicion:<\/p>\n
Rubinyan\u2019s Response: Anger and Denial<\/p>\n
At the National Assembly session on January 17, 2022, Rubinyan lost his temper. Responding sharply to accusations labeling him \u201ca Turkish agent,\u201d he declared:<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one dares to call me an agent, an agent of influence, etc.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Education and Career: Rapid Ascent<\/span><\/h3>\n
Rubinyan\u2019s biography reflects a trajectory of successful Western education:<\/p>\n
2006\u20132010: Faculty of International Relations, Yerevan State University<\/p>\n
2011: Master\u2019s degree in Politics and Security, University College London (UCL)<\/p>\n
2012: Master\u2019s degree in European Studies, Jagiellonian University, Poland<\/p>\n
2017\u20132018: Research at Sabanc\u0131 University, Turkey<\/p>\n
Following the 2018 \u201cvelvet revolution,\u201d Rubinyan was unexpectedly appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, despite having no prior diplomatic experience. This further fueled controversy. Critics argued that his appointment was linked to his internship in Turkey, particularly given his research topic - the influence of public organizations on democratization processes.<\/p>\n
It is worth recalling that at an enlarged government session reviewing the results of the first half of 2018, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made a highly publicized statement. He directly alluded to Baku\u2019s influence in the political changes in Armenia and in Nikol Pashinyan\u2019s rise to power:<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to say that there is also our role in removing Serzh Sargsyan\u2019s regime from the political stage in Armenia,\u201d Aliyev said<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Amid rumors regarding Rubinyan\u2019s alleged ties with Turkish services, another episode surfaced: a statement by Mikayel Minasyan, former Ambassador of Armenia to the Vatican and Serzh Sargsyan\u2019s son-in-law. Minasyan openly accused the incumbent Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan, of being an agent of the Turkish special services.<\/p>\n