ANCA slams Оz’s anti-Armenian rhetoric as dangerous

PanARMENIAN.Net - Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), has harshly criticized Mehmet Oz, administrator of the U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs, labeling his rhetoric as “toxic and dangerous propaganda.”

Oz, a physician and dual citizen of Turkey and the United States, is known for his close ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Acting as a de facto lobbyist for Ankara, Oz has recently made anti-Armenian statements, accusing Armenians of participating in healthcare fraud schemes in Los Angeles.

Hamparian stated that Oz’s “disclosures” rely on the exploitation of ethnic identity and are intended to shift the blame for systemic healthcare issues. He expressed concern that such actions come from someone with dual citizenship, reports Sputnik Armenia.

“Oz’s current activities once again prove ANCA was right to block his Senate run in 2022,” Hamparian wrote on X.

Earlier, the LA Times published a report citing officials from former President Donald Trump’s administration, who announced a broad investigation into welfare-related fraud in California. The article also quoted Oz, who claimed that “Russian and Armenian crime groups” were involved in these schemes. According to Oz, this reflects foreign interference that drains public healthcare resources and complicates access to care for U.S. citizens.