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An indictment was unsealed today charging Bijan
Rafiekian, aka Bijan Kian, 66, of San Juan Capistrano, California, and Kamil Ekim Alptekin, 41, of Istanbul, and a Turkish national, with conspiracy, acting in the United States as illegal agents of the government of Turkey, and making false statements
848:
Robert
Mueller, the special counsel investigating possible ties between the Trump election campaign and Russia, is expanding his probe to assume control of a grand jury investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, three sources told Reuters Federal prosecutors in Virginia are
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In
December 2018, Alptekin and Bijan Rafiekian were indicted on charges of a conspiracy to violate federal lobbying rules, and Alptekin was also charged with making false statements to FBI investigators.
54:. Alptekin was indicted on December 12, 2018 on charges of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government and making false statements to investigators. These charges were eventually dropped.
352:
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Ratio executives didn't respond to BuzzFeed queries but a spokeswoman for the company told TheMarker, the
Haaretz business daily, that "the company never retained Mr. Ekim Alpetkin's services."
737:
An
Israeli energy firm says it "did not employ the services" of Turkish businessman Kamil Ekim Alptekin. But photos, emails, and other documents show a relationship lasting nearly a year.
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Alptekin was born in Ankara. His father
Mustafa Sevinç was a bureaucrat, and his mother Zehra, a teacher. Kamil Ekim was born in Ankara but mostly raised in the
179:. The Russian government financing ultimately fell through, and instead Alptekin and his partners bought Eclipse Aviation for $ 40 million, using it to found
402:
363:
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investigating a deal between Flynn and
Turkish businessman Ekim Alptekin as part of a grand jury criminal probe, according to a subpoena seen by Reuters.
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303:. The report cited the result of the United States v. Bijan Rafiekian and Kamil Ekim Alptekin as a part of the criminal conduct of Michael Flynn.
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34:, and consulting interests. He is the current Chairman of the Turkey-U.S. Business Council (TAİK) and an advocate for improved
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filed for bankruptcy, Alptekin and his partners attempted to buy it out with financing provided by the
Russian state bank
51:
168:
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430:
550:
172:
574:
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Layne, Nathan; Hosenball, Mark; Ainsley, Julia
Edwards (June 2, 2017). Krolicki, Kevin; Colvin, Ross (eds.).
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451:
403:"Donald Trump's national security chief 'took money from Putin and Erdogan', says former NSA employee"
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250:. One of those firms was Flynn Intel Group, which was paid at least $ 530,000 for its efforts.
717:"Evidence Ties Israeli Firm To Turkish Businessman At Heart Of Flynn Scandal, Despite Denials"
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480:"Prosecutors drop charges against Bijan Kian, a onetime business partner of Michael Flynn"
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The current
Chairman of the Business Council is Ekim Alptekin, the Chairman of EA Group.
901:
Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election
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Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election
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has produced evidence documenting a relationship dating back to at least early 2016.
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47:
751:"Report: Turk With Alleged Links to Michael Flynn Was Also Retained by Israeli Firm"
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he owns, is the sole Turkish representative in Ratio Oil Exploration, which is the
98:
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218:. Ratio has denied that it has any affiliation with Alptekin or Inovo BV, though
322:
184:
137:
63:
27:
838:"Exclusive: Special counsel Mueller to probe ex-Trump aide Flynn's Turkey ties"
881:"Two Men Charged with Conspiracy and Acting as Agents of a Foreign Government"
800:
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On 11 September 2023 the Prosecutors ultimately decided to drop all charges.
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Ekim Alptekin bought Eclipse Aviation after the company announced bankruptcy.
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criminal probe into the relationship between Flynn and Alptekin's Inovo BV.
235:
106:
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31:
782:"The mystery behind a Flynn associate's quiet work for the Trump campaign"
578:
281:
145:
110:
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797:"Questions surround Turkish businessman at center of Flynn controversy"
755:
524:"The Man At The Center Of This Trump Scandal Wants To Clear His Name"
353:"Liberal International Turkey fact-finding mission 27-30 March, 2008"
207:
66:, his parents left Turkey in 1981, when Alptekin was 4. He studied
823:"Turkish client paid $ 530,000 to Michael Flynn's consulting firm"
456:
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
863:"Flynn's Work for Turkey Laid Out in Charges Against Two Others"
114:
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He received a nine-month fellowship to work as a staffer on the
67:
861:
Kocieniewski, David; Voreacos, David (December 17, 2018).
450:
Gillis, James P.; Turgeon, Evan N. (December 12, 2018).
271:
Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections
183:. Under Alptekin, Eclipse Aerospace began producing the
121:
non-profit, and founder of the Frieda Menco Foundation.
601:"Turkish investor to produce light jets in Turkey"
136:cameras for police helicopters. He is involved in
657:"IN FOCUS: EA Aerospace puts Eclipse on the map"
88:United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs
295:In April 2019, Alptekin was referred to in the
8:
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568:
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253:According to U.S. prosecutors, Alptekin and
124:In 2005 Alptekin began a business providing
575:"Flynn's Turkish lobbying linked to Russia"
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42:for research and lobbying work against the
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128:equipment and consulting services to the
261:in order to secure Gülen's extradition.
333:
109:. He held a one year fellowship at the
632:"Air taxis: The return of the Eclipse"
431:"Foreign Agent Registration Statement"
599:Pehlivan, İlker (December 28, 2010).
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7:
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885:United States Department of Justice
452:"Case 1:18-cr-00457-AJT Document 1"
113:Counter-Terrorism Fusion Centre in
715:Daragahl, Borzou (June 26, 2017).
655:Sarsfield, Kate (April 16, 2012).
573:Arnsdorf, Isaac (April 25, 2017).
522:Daragahi, Borzou (June 20, 2017).
175:and a loan personally approved by
117:. He was a senior fellow with the
14:
795:Zaman, Amberin (March 10, 2017).
103:States General of the Netherlands
678:Rotlevy, Ligad (June 28, 2016).
269:As part of his investigation of
232:2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt
242:in order to reduce support for
16:Turkish businessman (born 1977)
1:
749:Azran, Eran (June 27, 2017).
385:Turkey-U.S. Business Council
362:. p. 11. Archived from
234:, Alptekin began soliciting
169:Eclipse Aviation Corporation
101:parliamentary group at the
953:
932:Businesspeople in aviation
630:P.C. (November 22, 2011).
97:. He later worked for the
36:Turkish-American relations
917:Utrecht University alumni
299:, otherwise known as the
265:Investigation and charges
226:Lobbying against Gülenism
551:American-Turkish Council
257:worked on behalf of the
58:Early life and education
417:"LOBBYING REGISTRATION"
927:Turkish businesspeople
140:development along the
78:, graduating in 2001.
887:. December 17, 2018.
644:on November 23, 2011.
360:Liberal International
280:assumed control of a
48:political controversy
821:Schouten, Fredreka.
482:. September 11, 2023
259:Government of Turkey
130:government of Turkey
606:Hürriyet Daily News
212:Leviathan gas field
210:firm exploring the
157:Republic of Albania
20:Kamil Ekim Alptekin
547:"K. Ekim Alptekin"
401:Buncombe, Andrew.
275:special prosecutor
190:, partnering with
134:video surveillance
119:Humanity in Action
76:Utrecht University
46:were central to a
38:. His payments to
667:on June 27, 2017.
613:on May 16, 2017.
557:on June 27, 2017.
369:on June 27, 2017.
216:Mediterranean Sea
204:Dutch corporation
192:Sikorsky Aircraft
181:Eclipse Aerospace
126:counter-terrorism
52:American politics
26:businessman with
22:(born 1977) is a
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151:He serves as an
142:Bosphorus Strait
40:Michael T. Flynn
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255:Bijan Rafiekian
244:Fethullah Gülen
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173:Vnesheconombank
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153:Honorary Consul
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867:Bloomberg News
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317:Mueller Report
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301:Mueller Report
278:Robert Mueller
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248:Gülen movement
230:Following the
227:
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202:Inovo BV, the
199:
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188:very light jet
177:Vladimir Putin
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92:Representative
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44:Gülen movement
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780:Gold, Matea.
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721:BuzzFeed News
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804:. Retrieved
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760:. Retrieved
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729:. Retrieved
725:the original
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698:. Retrieved
691:the original
673:
665:the original
661:Flightglobal
650:
642:the original
635:
614:
611:the original
604:
594:
582:. Retrieved
555:the original
484:. Retrieved
461:December 17,
459:. Retrieved
425:
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396:
388:
384:
381:"ABOUT TAİK"
375:
364:the original
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229:
201:
166:
150:
132:, including
123:
99:Democrats 66
85:
61:
19:
18:
937:1977 births
890:to the FBI.
323:Reza Zarrab
185:Eclipse 550
138:real estate
64:Netherlands
28:real estate
911:Categories
801:Al-Monitor
329:References
286:grand jury
95:Tom Lantos
236:lobbyists
107:The Hague
72:economics
32:aerospace
806:June 27,
762:June 27,
731:June 27,
700:June 27,
584:June 27,
579:Politico
310:See also
282:Virginia
246:and the
198:Inovo BV
146:Istanbul
111:INTERPOL
90:and for
843:Reuters
756:Haaretz
680:"Ratio"
284:-based
238:in the
214:in the
208:Israeli
163:Eclipse
155:to the
24:Turkish
82:Career
694:(PDF)
683:(PDF)
434:(PDF)
367:(PDF)
356:(PDF)
167:When
808:2017
764:2017
733:2017
702:2017
586:2017
488:2023
463:2018
115:Lyon
70:and
144:in
105:in
74:at
68:law
50:in
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336:^
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