Rubinyan rejects claims of Turkish role in parliament speaker nomination

Ruben Rubinyan, the ruling Civil Contract party's nominee for speaker of Armenia's National Assembly, on Friday dismissed as "nonsense" opposition claims that Turkey played a role in his nomination, saying the allegations are unsupported by evidence.

The claims stem from the fact that Serdar Kilic, Turkey's special envoy for normalization talks with Armenia, publicly congratulated Rubinyan following his nomination. Critics have argued that the gesture suggests Ankara endorsed or influenced his candidacy.

"They can say such absurd things, but there has to be some basis for them," Rubinyan told reporters.

He rejected the argument as illogical, noting that he had also received congratulations from Russian officials. He also recalled that Georgia's prime minister congratulated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan immediately after the June 7 parliamentary elections.

"Does it mean Nikol Pashinyan won the election on the instructions of Georgia's prime minister?" Rubinyan said.

Rubinyan said similar accusations had been leveled against him five years ago by allies of former President Serzh Sargsyan.

"The same claims were made exactly five years ago," he said. "Where is Serzh Sargsyan's parliamentary faction today? Politically, it no longer exists."

He warned that the opposition Strong Armenia party could face a similar fate if it continued pursuing the same line of attack.

Rubinyan, who also serves as Armenia's special envoy for normalization talks with Turkey, said that if elected parliament speaker, he would step aside from his role.