Kamil Ekim Alptekin Explained

Kamil Ekim Alptekin (born 1977)[1] is a Turkish businessman with real estate, aerospace, and consulting interests. He is the current Chairman of the Turkey-U.S. Business Council (TAİK) and an advocate for improved Turkish-American relations.[2] His payments to Michael T. Flynn for research and lobbying work against the Gülen movement were central to a political controversy in American politics.[3] [4] [5] 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.[6] These charges were eventually dropped. [7]

Early life and education

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 Netherlands, his parents left Turkey in 1981, when Alptekin was 4.[1] [8] He studied law and economics at Utrecht University, graduating in 2001.[1] [8] [9]

Career

He received a nine-month fellowship to work as a staffer on the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs and for Representative Tom Lantos.[1] [8] He later worked for the Democrats 66 parliamentary group at the States General of the Netherlands in The Hague.[1] [8] He held a one year fellowship at the INTERPOL Counter-Terrorism Fusion Centre in Lyon.[8] He was a senior fellow with the Humanity in Action non-profit, and founder of the Frieda Menco Foundation.[1] [9]

In 2005 Alptekin began a business providing counter-terrorism equipment and consulting services to the government of Turkey, including video surveillance cameras for police helicopters.[8] He is involved in real estate development along the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul.[8]

He serves as an Honorary Consul to the Republic of Albania.[9]

Eclipse

When Eclipse Aviation Corporation filed for bankruptcy, Alptekin and his partners attempted to buy it out with financing provided by the Russian state bank Vnesheconombank and a loan personally approved by Vladimir Putin.[10] The Russian government financing ultimately fell through, and instead Alptekin and his partners bought Eclipse Aviation for $40 million, using it to found Eclipse Aerospace.[8] [10] [11] [12] Under Alptekin, Eclipse Aerospace began producing the Eclipse 550 very light jet, partnering with Sikorsky Aircraft.[12] [13]

Inovo BV

Inovo BV, the Dutch corporation he owns, is the sole Turkish representative in Ratio Oil Exploration, which is the Israeli firm exploring the Leviathan gas field in the Mediterranean Sea.[8] [14] Ratio has denied that it has any affiliation with Alptekin or Inovo BV, though BuzzFeed News has produced evidence documenting a relationship dating back to at least early 2016.[15] [16] [17]

Lobbying against Gülenism

Following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, Alptekin began soliciting lobbyists in the United States in order to reduce support for Fethullah Gülen and the Gülen movement.[8] [18] One of those firms was Flynn Intel Group, which was paid at least $530,000 for its efforts.[8] [19]

According to U.S. prosecutors, Alptekin and Bijan Rafiekian worked on behalf of the Government of Turkey in order to secure Gülen's extradition.[6]

Investigation and charges

As part of his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, special prosecutor Robert Mueller assumed control of a Virginia-based grand jury criminal probe into the relationship between Flynn and Alptekin's Inovo BV.[20]

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.[21] [22]

In April 2019, Alptekin was referred to in the Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, otherwise known as the Mueller Report. 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.[23]

On 11 September 2023 the Prosecutors ultimately decided to drop all charges. [24]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: https://web.archive.org/web/20170627181121/http://www.liberal-international.org/site/file/Statements/Final_Report_LI_Factfinding_Mission_Turkey_2730_March_2008.pdf . June 27, 2017 . . Liberal International Turkey fact-finding mission 27-30 March, 2008 . 11 .
  2. Web site: ABOUT TAİK . Turkey-U.S. Business Council . The current Chairman of the Business Council is Ekim Alptekin, the Chairman of EA Group. .
  3. Web site: Buncombe. Andrew. Donald Trump's national security chief 'took money from Putin and Erdogan', says former NSA employee.
  4. Web site: LOBBYING REGISTRATION.
  5. Web site: Foreign Agent Registration Statement.
  6. Web site: Case 1:18-cr-00457-AJT Document 1 . December 12, 2018 . December 17, 2018 . . James P. . Gillis . Evan N. . Turgeon.
  7. Web site: Prosecutors drop charges against Bijan Kian, a onetime business partner of Michael Flynn. September 11, 2023 . September 11, 2023 .
  8. News: The Man At The Center Of This Trump Scandal Wants To Clear His Name. . Borzou . Daragahi . June 20, 2017 .
  9. News: . K. Ekim Alptekin . https://web.archive.org/web/20170627183652/http://the-atc.org/c16a/speakers/ekim-alptekin/ . June 27, 2017.
  10. News: Flynn’s Turkish lobbying linked to Russia . . Isaac . Arnsdorf . April 25, 2017 . June 27, 2017.
  11. News: İlker . Pehlivan . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170516213723/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-investor-to-produce-light-jets-in-turkey.aspx?pageID=438&n=turkish-investor-to-produce-the-lightest-jet-in-turkey-2010-12-28 . Turkish investor to produce light jets in Turkey . May 16, 2017 . December 28, 2010 . Ekim Alptekin bought Eclipse Aviation after the company announced bankruptcy..
  12. News: https://web.archive.org/web/20111123092017/https://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2011/11/air-taxis . Air taxis: The return of the Eclipse . . November 22, 2011 . November 23, 2011 . P.C..
  13. News: IN FOCUS: EA Aerospace puts Eclipse on the map . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170627191159/https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/in-focus-ea-aerospace-puts-eclipse-on-the-map-370462/ . June 27, 2017 . Kate . Sarsfield . April 16, 2012.
  14. News: Ratio . Ligad . Rotlevy . June 28, 2016 . June 27, 2017 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170627210300/https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3868606/tarama0024-1.pdf . June 27, 2017.
  15. News: Borzou . Daragahl . . 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. . June 26, 2017 . Evidence Ties Israeli Firm To Turkish Businessman At Heart Of Flynn Scandal, Despite Denials . June 27, 2017 . https://archive.today/20170627232728/https://www.buzzfeed.com/borzoudaragahi/evidence-ties-israel-firm-to-turkish-businessman-at-heart . June 27, 2017.
  16. News: Report: Turk With Alleged Links to Michael Flynn Was Also Retained by Israeli Firm . . Eran . Azran . 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." . June 27, 2017 . June 27, 2017.
  17. Web site: Gold. Matea. The mystery behind a Flynn associate’s quiet work for the Trump campaign.
  18. News: Questions surround Turkish businessman at center of Flynn controversy . . Amberin . Zaman . March 10, 2017 . June 27, 2017.
  19. Web site: Schouten. Fredreka. Turkish client paid $530,000 to Michael Flynn's consulting firm.
  20. News: Exclusive: Special counsel Mueller to probe ex-Trump aide Flynn's Turkey ties . . 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 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. . Nathan . Layne . Mark . Hosenball . Julia Edwards . Ainsley . Kevin . Krolicki . Ross . Colvin . June 2, 2017.
  21. News: Flynn’s Work for Turkey Laid Out in Charges Against Two Others . . David . Kocieniewski . David . Voreacos . December 17, 2018.
  22. Web site: Two Men Charged with Conspiracy and Acting as Agents of a Foreign Government . December 17, 2018 . 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 to the FBI. . United States Department of Justice.
  23. Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election
  24. Web site: Prosecutors drop charges against Bijan Kian, a onetime business partner of Michael Flynn. September 11, 2023 . September 11, 2023 .

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