The Armenian government has hired Mercury Public Affairs, a U.S.-based lobbying and public relations firm that previously represented the Turkish Embassy in Washington. According to a Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing with the U.S. Department of Justice, the agreement with the Embassy of Armenia became effective on April 1, 2025.
Under the terms of the agreement, Mercury will be paid $50,000 per month to provide consulting services, including promoting “Armenia’s geopolitical and strategic significance and role as an essential partner in the South Caucasus for U.S. regional and global interests.”
Mercury represented the Turkish Embassy in Washington from 2018 until October 2020. Turkey had openly supported Azerbaijan in the conflict, providing drones, political backing, and Syrian mercenaries. The firm also continued working with the Turkey-U.S. Business Council (TAIK) until January 2022. TAIK is affiliated with the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK).
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article stated that DEIK retained Actum, a firm established by former Mercury consultants, following Mercury’s contract termination. This statement was incorrect. Actum is not representing DEIK or Turkey and is a completely separate firm. We regret the error and have updated the article accordingly.
In 2023, 301 had reported that the National Democratic Alliance—also affiliated with “Sasna Tsrer”—was represented by The Livingston Group, a lobbying firm with known ties and millions in contributions from the Turkish and Azerbaijani governments.
The full FARA report can be found on the U.S. Department of Justice’s FARA website.
