Armenian Community Responds to Kobe Bryant’s Direct-Flight to Inhumanity
AYF urges Bryant to properly acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and drop his ill-advised business deal with Turkish Airlines
LOS ANGELES–Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has signed a 2 year agreement with Turkey’s national airline carrier. Bryant will be the reported “global ambassador” for Turkish Airlines, serving as the face and image of the company and its manager, the Turkish Republic.
The decision has caused uproar within the Armenian-American community in the United States and especially within Southern California, which boasts the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia. As victims of genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish government from 1915-1923, Armenians are angered that Bryant would sign a contract with a country that denies justice to the victims.
It’s a two-year deal that will involve Bryant starring in a promotional film that will be aired on international television channels and in movie theaters in more than 80 countries next year, reported CNBC on Tuesday.
Armenian Americans hope that Kobe would balance what clearly looks to be a profitable business deal with a strong moral statement against Turkey’s violations of human rights, including, of course, its ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide.
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Tuesday’s Petros and Money’s segment on Fox Sports Network reported on Kobe’s recent deal with Turkey and the backlash of the Armenian community. |
Soon after the announcement of Bryant’s deal, disappointed callers flooded the lines of AM 570, the Laker radio station for over 30 years. Many in the community wonder how Bryant, who plays in a city with such a significant Armenian-American population, can sign a deal with a carrier which represents a country with such a deplorable human rights record.
Armenian Youth Federation offices throughout Southern California have similarly been bombarded with phone calls from concerned Armenian youth asking for a call to action.
The AYF urges Kobe Bryant to stay true to his loyal fan base and rescind his contract with Turkish Airlines. The AYF further asks Bryant to put out an official statement affirming his commitment to ending human rights abuses and voicing his support for House Resolution 252, calling on the United States Congress to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide.
“We ask our community to reach out to Kobe and urge him to speak out about the Armenian Genocide and recognize the wrongdoings of the Turkish government,” said Caspar Jivalagian, a member of the AYF. “Whether it is through his Twitter account (twitter.com/KBtwofour) or by calling local sports talk shows on Fox’s AM570, or ESPN’s AM 710, he really needs to hear from his fans about this ill-advised business agreement.”
The United Human Right Council, a grassroots activist group, echoed these concerns, “Turkey has a long history of human rights violations, including the occupation of Northern Cyprus, brutal repression of its Kurdish population, and imprisoning its citizens to suppress free speech. These types of abuses cannot be ignored.”
In 2007, Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink was gunned down in front of his office in Istanbul by an ultra-nationalist youth, angered by Dink’s outspoken stance regarding the genocide. Most recently, Kim Kardashian, sister-in-law of Laker forward Lamar Odom, came under scrutiny in the Turkish press for Tweeting about Armenian Genocide recognition.
“Kobe has a proven track record of aiding various humanitarian efforts, and this is an opportunity for him to become a true “global ambassador” of truth and publicly speak out about the Armenian Genocide,” added Jivalagian.
Founded in 1933, the Armenian Youth Federation is the largest and most influential Armenian American youth organization in the United States. With chapters throughout the country and affiliates around the world, the AYF actively strives to advance the social, political, educational and cultural awareness of Armenian-American youth.
I never thought I’d support Kobe but the guy is a basketball player, not an ambassader of human rights. Any fans should overlook the off court choices he makes same way they overlooked his rape trial. If you ask me Armavia should have made him a better offer…
Then again, you dont see Dwyane Wade/Michael Jordan making off-court decisi…ons that upset the youth of the Armenian diaspora in Los Angeles
Don’t be so oblivious, Kobe.
Can Armenians stop vacationing in Turkey before accusing/attacking Kobe?
karen is right people
Armenia does millions of dollars worth of trade with turkey making them richer
then when a American athlete makes a deal with a Turkish AIRLINE company they get up in arms i just don’t get it
I’m 10% agree with Mr. Sassounians comment,and I’m wondering why we Armenians think the whole world suppose to understand our cause,witout even having an idea that who are Armenians or where is Armenia,First we have to spend a lot of money to advertise that in the world(like Turkey is doing with full page advertisments in Time ,Newsweek,LA Times Etc.and all with Christian symbols
and icons) Throughout last almost 100 years we have just cryed and cryed..
but never tried to accept the truth that money is everything , and we would spend more to advertise our country and history of our Great Nation to the world.and please do not make a big deal out of Kobe’s contract.I’m prity
sure if you ask Kobe what is the difference between Armenians and Turks, or I an and Iraq, etc. he would not have any idea .So stop advertising more on Turk Hava Yollari.
Sorry I meant %100 agree with Mr Sassounian
This is a slap in the face for our community- the strongest outside of Moscow & Yerevan. if this goes through, we are nothing.
At least its not Nutella
It is a matter of principle. That is why I urge every Lakers fan to shred their #8 and #24 jerseys and mail it to him at Staples Center.
Not exactly sure just how much official money/trading goes between Turkey and Armenian but for sure Armenia does not deny the Armenian Genocide. So how about this solution… Kobe goes ahead with the Turkish Airline deal but also comes out in the press that he recognizes the Armenian Genocide and urges all, including Turkish Airlines, to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
Many Armenians still travel to Western Armenia (Present Day Turkey) to visit Acient ruins of the Armenian Capital Ani and Van. The Foamous Armenian mountain (Ararat/Masis) is also located in Trukey now. Most of eastern Turkey should not belong to turkey, as there are many Turkish Armenians still living in that old Armenian Region.
This is a great opportunity for Kobe to say that his sympathies lie in favor of recognition of the Sudanese genocide of blacks and the Turkish genocide of Armenians.
Shame on Kobe Bryant for working a deal with the Turkish Airlines for his personal profit. Doesn’t he know that Turkey has the worst Human Rights Violations in the World as well as the destruction of the Armenian People committed by the Turkish Ottoman Government of 1915-1923, that is documented as the first Holocaust. More pressure must be applied to him otherwise we must consider him Anti-Armenian. Armenian’s in California & thru out the U.S. must protest this slap in the face against Armenian’s.
It’s a bit like Koby advertising the KKK. For some, it’s only business!!
You have to look at the big picture, Armenian population in L.A., his role in the L.A. community, passion for the city. His off court decisions DO impact his character, no matter how you look at it. This is completely unexcusable in my opinion and we need to let ESPN and Kobe know how much we support him and how drastic of an impact this is to his Armenian fan base. This is also a slap in the face to his homeland of Africa, where even today Africans are being massacres in Darfur. Think about it!
how many turks are typing under armenian names ? lol
I’m kind of confused and often outraged. We keep coming back as far as I remember my whole life, we’ve done so much to show the world what Turkey has been hiding the Armenian Genocide to the world with the help of countries like the USA which says “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “JUSTICE FOR ALL”. What God? What justice? It’s been talked about so many times yet so many humans watch Turkey lie over and over again, hiding behind the USA government’s help. The message to Turkey is, it will be easier to except soon and fix what you’ve done wrong rather than fighting with the truth, it will come to the surface one way or another and then you will be so much more sinner. Your Koran will be in shame.
Sometimes I think do we protest too much or not enough? Or we should leave GOD take in charge and we’ll see what happens when the time is right.
For the blind, ignorant, and the hypocrites read about the truth! It is in books all over the world. (also in USA)
The pictures and the stories that are written by people like in countries such as England, Germany, France, Spain, USA and so many other countries did not lie when they wrote these stories.
To Kobe: I believe you’re a smart individual and there is one truth and we will watch you to make that move.
To those whom are blind, ignorant, and hypocrites it is not about Kobe it is about what Kobe can do as a human being that has the power and the opportunity in his position.
To those who support Turkey you are confused and not sure who you are maybe you are not human, or Armenian!
To those who buy Turkish goods you can live without it, specially Armenians, don’t be the weak one be strong. Everything out there made by Turks you can find made from other countries if not yes you can live without it also. It is a small price to ask! but it will make bigger difference than you think!
If you could not afford to donate money support the cause you can always support it this way “DO NOT BUY TURKISH PRODUCTS” you should afford not to buy Turkish made products. Tell your friends and feel proud that you made a difference not buying it. Yes you as one person will make a deference. PLEASE DO NOT NEGLECT, DO YOUR PART.
John Varouj Godgaveian
Many of you do not understand this subject it is not about Kobe Bryant or the Armenian genocide alone its about a violation thats been acted against the human race, what does it take for you to understand? When been held by your mother and your mother has been raped by a Turkish soilder or you see within your own eyes that your parents family have been skined alive is that when you’ll understand? Do you want me to be more colorful? you say so very lightly what Turks did go and listen to those gone through with it listen there story’s there is million of them pick one!
Are you kidding me, did Turkish Airlines commit genocide, it’s like blaming American Airlines for slavery. I guess the Armenian Youth Fed has nothing better to do. They should get Gloria Allred to represent them.
You know I feel the reason Kobe would agree to such a deal is out of ignorance. I wonder would he agree to buddy up with those that slaughtered the Rwandans? There is no difference. Turkey has never owned up to the genocide they tried to inflict on the Armenians.
It’s just money? Really? Zero respect for Kobe …… go sell some Nike’s
A few facts for previous posters and the article’s author…There are very few Turkish Armenians living in eastern Turkey these days (sadly). The vast majority of Turkish Armenians live in Istanbul….Hrant Dink was gunned down not for his stance on the genocide but for trying to build bridges between Turks and Armenians…Tourism amongst Armenian Americans to eastern Turkey is in fact very popular. However, many decide to take in other parts of Turkey while visiting…Turkey is also the home of many tens (perhaps even hundreds) of thousands of Armenians who have come since the end of the Cold War as economic migrants, the greatest employment being in child and elderly care. Again, they mostly live in Western Turkey. These are low-paying jobs in Turkey, but allow the workers enough to save something to send/bring back to family in Armenia (and usually steer clear of government hassles as part of the unregistered economy). Since Turkey won’t open the border (although hints it will soon), official trade between the two countries is quite low. If the border opens, trade will be so mutually beneficial that it will quickly mushroom.
As far as ballplayers like Kobe, we could also say they are supporting human rights abuses when they don the red, white, and blue for the Olympics, since the USA has committed gigantic crimes against humanity in Vietnam and Iraq.
Armenians need to get over this. Hell, even Obama hasn’t acknowledged the genocide…so why are you all pissed at Kobe, who isn’t even in a position of authority to speak on something like this. Turkish Airlines also sponsors Manchester United and Barcelona FC, so if you’re a fan of those teams, you should stop. Turkish Airlines also sponsors the Champions League….so, if you’re a soccer fan, and love the champions league, maybe you all should stop watching until they acknowledge the genocide. Turkish Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, with many different airlines. Some of which are Luftansa, Continental, US Airways, and United….they are all partners, and a flight on any of those airlines will get you miles if you are a Turkish Airline frequent flier…so since they are partners with Turkish Airlines, maybe you should boycott them too until they acknowledge a genocide that historians are still debating.
See how silly this is??? Kobe is an athlete…if you have a problem, take it up with the politicians.
You do realize that Los Angeles is in a country that has never properly acknowledged its own indigenous genocides of Native Americans, right? Has France ever acknowledged its own involvement of genocide of Algerians? We can go around the world here.
I’m really surprised the Turks asked a basketball player and an American to promote their company. I would have thought Turkish Airlines would have asked a well-known Turkish footballer or basketball player to promote them.
Personally, I reckon Kobe went ahead with this to boost his international profile. Turkey recently hosted the World Basketball Championships. Allen Iverson is now playing there too. I think this is Kobe’s first non-sports marketing deal where he is the global, not just US ambassador. This may have caused him to committ to this deal too quickly.
As for the Armenia Genocide issue, I don’t think Kobe has even heard about it. The Turks obviously would not have mentioned it. Kobe’s management team should have done better research about Turkey. They just thought of the marketing opportunities for basketball and jumped right in, without considering other factors.
I’m not Armenian or Turkish. I live in London, I studied politics and history. I have heard about the Armenia genocide many times before. I remember a few months ago, the US Senate were debating whether to recognise this genocide and Turkey got very paranoid about it. I understand the Turks have problems with the Kurds in Iraq too.
I know the Armenians want countries to recognise the genocide. Do you guys think the Armenia government is doing enough to remind and educate people around the world of the genocide and also tell people about Armenia? This is an honest question. I would like to read your responses. As I said, I live in London and I only know about the genocide because I studied politics, history. I guarantee most non-Armenian origin people in London have never heard of the genocide. Most won’t even know where Armenia is. That’s sad. I’ve heard from my friends it is a very beautiful place.
Why don’t we Armenians get the money to hire a top American balllplayer to sign up with Armenian’s Airlines? We need to “put up, or shut up.”
Instead of boycotting Kobe, we should educate him.
I wanted to do my part as not only a Lakers Fan, but as a good American.
http://lakers-fan.com/understanding-the-kobe-turkey-controversy/
NS
We should be supporting our fellow Californian and educate him so he could help us get our word out to the world and the Government. We shouldn’t blame him, lets all invited him and his people for a sit down, round table talks about the “genocide”. And maybe he’ll do the right thing by helping us out inside the turkey.
We need to remind Kobe that Turkey not only did genocide against its Christians, but also supports the Sudan’s president who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for genocide against its non-Muslims africans. Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir was received with a warm welcome and was defended by the Turkish president.
Read more about it here: http://www.huliq.com/1/77705/anca-alerts-congres-emerging-turkey-sudan-genocide-axis
kobe is a dispicable scum. Never listen to anything he says. he is dirty gutter trash.
the rapist peice of **it should be in jail or better yet face down in skid row.
It’s time for our new generation to learn and independently learn what happened to our ancestors. You should publish the following research tools for our youth.
These are only few of the articles published by the newspapers of the world on 1915:
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F70D1EFF395D16738DDDAE0894D8415B858DF1D3
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F10814FD355C13738DDDAC0994DA415B858DF1D3
To research the archived newspapers published on 1915 do the following:
1. Go to google
2. Click on News
3. Enter the word Armenian
4. On lower left hand side click on Archive
5. Click on Custom Range
6. Enter dates when the Genocide occurred, e.g 04/01/1915 through 12/01/1915
7. This is where you see the truth as reported by major newspapers on that year.
You have to look at the big picture, Armenian population in L.A., his role in the L.A. community, passion for the city. His off court decisions DO impact his character, no matter how you look at it. This is completely unexcusable in my opinion and we need to let ESPN and Kobe know how much we support him and how drastic of an impact this is to his Armenian fan base. This is also a slap in the face to his homeland of Africa, where even today Africans are being massacres in Darfur. Think about it!
Boycott these companies that gave $ to defeat genocide Resolution:
http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/billsum.php?id=105918&lname=H.RES.252
How can anyone support Turkey when they honor mass murderers.
Here:
Talat: a boulevard in Ankara, four avenues in Istanbul, a highway in Edirne, three municipal districts, four primary schools. Enver: three avenues in Istanbul, two in Izmir, three in occupied Cyprus, primary schools in Izmir, Mugla, Elazig. Cemal Azmi, responsible for the deaths of thousands in Trabzon: a primary school in that city. Resit Bey, the butcher of Diyarbekir: a boulevard in Ankara. Mehmet Kemal Bey (a governor), hanged for his atrocities: thoroughfares in Istanbul and Izmir, statues in Adana and Izmir, National Hero Memorial gravestone in Istanbul.