TORONTO, On.–Kobe Bryant faced demonstrations on Sunday as members of the Canadian-Armenian community took to the streets of Toronto ahead of a Lakers-Raptors game to protest the NBA star’s recent deal with Turkey’s national airline carrier, the Armenian Youth Federation of Toronto reported.

The protest began at 11 a.m. at the York Street entrance of The Air Canada Centre, with participants holding large banners reading the words “Kobe: Do the Right Thing,” as well as several other signs pointing to Turkey’s gross record on human rights.

“Kobe’s recent agreement with Turkish Airlines, 49% of which is owned by the Republic of Turkey, has tremendously upset Armenians and stands in stark contrast to public statements he has made calling for an end to the Genocide in Darfur,” said Rupen Janbazian of the Toronto AYF. “Turkey’s long list of human rights violations, including the ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide, restrictions of free speech and expression, and its continued support of the genocidal government of Sudan, prove that this deal seriously damages Kobe’s reputation.”

If Bryant follows through on his deal to serve as the “Global Brand Ambassador” for Turkish Airlines, he will always come to be associated with the violence, oppression, occupation and genocide denial of the Turkish government.

The deal with Turkish Airlines has caused an uproar in the Armenian community in North America, especially within Southern California, which boasts the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia with 600,000 Armenians.

“Toronto’s large Armenian community is likewise upset and we kept the pressure on Bryant during his visit to Canada, asking him to rescind his contract and make a statement separating himself from the actions of the government of Turkey, especially when the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.252) is being put to vote by the United States Congress,” Janbazian said.

The demonstration comes after a week of growing grass-roots and media pressure on Bryant to reverse his deal and acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. ESPN.com, NBA.com, LATimes.com, Bloomberg.com, and CBS 2 News and ABC 7 News, are among the dozens of news outlets, blogs, television stations and websites reporting on the developing issue.

As the controversy continues to spread throughout, other Armenian communities across the continent are sure to become more vocal in demanding a public statement from Bryant, who told a reporter after a Lakers game against the Philadelphia 76ers that he was unaware of the issue altogether.

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.

“For Armenians in Canada and the United States, Kobe’s contract with Turkish Airlines is like jet fuel on the fire of Turkey’s genocide denial,” said Aram Hamparian, the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America in a statement published on the ANCA website Friday.

“We are hopeful that Kobe, in selling his brand, hasn’t also sold his soul by agreeing to remain silent about Turkey’s human rights abuses,” Hamparian said.  “He should reconsider his ill-advised endorsement of Turkish Airlines, and, at the very least, go on record condemning Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide and calling upon our Congress to pass of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.252).”

The Kobe controversy also comes as American and anti-genocide activists across the United States continue to mobilize in support of a possible vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res.252, in the final days of the Congressional session, the ANCA reported on its website.

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.

The Armenian Youth Federation urges Bryant “to stay true to his loyal fan base and rescind his contract with Turkish Airlines.” The AYF further asked 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.”

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.

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For more information on the developing story,  follow the AYF on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

BY ALLEN YEKIKAN

As the controversy surrounding Kobe Bryant’s endorsement deal with Turkey’s national airline carrier deepens, the NBA superstar faces a unique opportunity to stand by his loyal fans and become a global champion for human rights and genocide prevention.

Earlier this week Kobe signed a 2 year agreement to serve as the “global ambassador” of Turkish Airlines, effectively becoming the face and image of the company and its manager, the Turkish Republic.

“At this point, we are seeking to educate Kobe Bryant about the Armenian Genocide, Turkey’s denial and Turkey’s ongoing human rights abuses,” said Caspar Jivalegian of the Armenian Youth Federation. “Turkish Airlines is not like United or American–it was founded by the Turkish government, which still owns some 49% of the company.  They are supporters of groups like the American Turkish Council who lobby against U.S. Affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.”

Kobe’s decision has caused uproar in the Armenian-American community in the United States and especially within Southern California, which boasts the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia, ranging between 400,000-600,000. 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 and actively works to defend modern day perpetrators of the crime.

“Kobe is a champion on the basketball court, and we look to him to be a champion of human rights by speaking truthfully about the Armenian Genocide, supporting U.S. Congressional passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.252), and ultimately dropping this ill-advised endorsement deal,” Jivalegian added.

It wouldn’t be the first time Bryant stood in support of human rights and against genocide. In 2008 he issued a public service announcement through Los Angeles-based non-profit Aid Still Required calling for an end to the genocide in Darfur and urging his fans to unite in bringing aid to the troubled region.

“As 2010 comes to an end, Bryant is again in the headlines over the issue of Genocide. This time, however, not as the anti-genocide activist he was in 2008, but as an unknowing accomplice to the denial of the first genocide in the 21st century,” said Jivalegian. “Today, however, he has a unique opportunity to take a stand against genocide and speak out about Turkey’s support for the Sudanese government.”

Turkey denies the Darfur Genocide and provides arms to the Sudanese government, led by Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

In November 2009, Turkey, came under intense international criticism for agreeing to host al-Bashir.  While Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, defended his ally, refusing to arrest the Sudaenese leader and denying the genocide in Darfur. According to Erdogan, there was no genocide raging, the international warrant for his arrest is a “mistake,” and Bashir may simply have only “mismanaged the situation.”

Since 2003, the Sudanese government has slaughtered half a million people in Darfur, while forcibly uprooting nearly 3 million more from their homes in February 2003. The Sudanese government, like Turkey, denies it is committing genocide.

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 support to Sudan and its ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide.

BY VACHE THOMASSIAN

Kobe Bryant is one of the most recognizable and popular athletes in the world. He is also not strapped for cash, considering his net worth is estimated at $140 million. So the announcement this week that the Lakers superstar signed a 2-year endorsement deal to lend his fame and charisma to sell Turkish Airline tickets came as a bit of a surprise.

The Armenian Youth Federation was quick to respond to the deal by releasing a statement calling for Bryant to take a moral stand and rescind his contract. However, some community members have viewed this “hard-lined” approach as unwarranted—referring to Bryant as a businessman who is simply following the dollar signs, or pointing out that Bryant isn’t an Armenian and therefore would not be interested in the Armenian Genocide.

These perspectives raise concerns about the way we think about ourselves, leading to two important points which have to be made clear: 1) The denial of the Armenian Genocide is not an “Armenian only” issue; 2) We underestimate our true capacity to bring change.

We can look back in history to elaborate these points. From the 1940’s to the 1990’s South Africa was ruled by one political party which implemented a policy of legal racial segregation known as apartheid. The minority white population held all the political power and subjugated the black majority to dehumanizing conditions. In the 1970’s an international movement began that encouraged investors to withdraw direct investment in South African companies and pushed citizens to stop supporting US based companies which had business interests in South Africa, as an act of protest against apartheid.

The movement grew as stockholders pressed their boards of directors, and investors became weary. The movement grew as universities like Berkeley, Stanford and Columbia organized their campuses to divest billions in endowment and bond money from companies with South African ties. This movement was lead by youth and fueled in part by celebrities using their fame to raise awareness for the cause. The billions of dollars that stopped flowing-in undoubtedly got the South African government’s attention. US cities and states followed suit, passing divestment legislation, all leading up to the “Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act” in 1986 which banned new US investments and military sales to South Africa.

The divestment campaign, coupled with the internal struggle of the oppressed population, led to the dismemberment of the apartheid government in South Africa in the early 1990’s. Divestment from apartheid South Africa was lead by people like you: the consumer who asked where their products came from, the student who organized her campus, the union member who pressured her company, the religious leader who encouraged their parish, the musician who wrote a song; people who otherwise, individually, could never have made a difference.

Today we see another divestment movement which has taken shape.  The Genocide currently taking place in Darfur, Sudan has resulted in the murder of almost half a million. Celebrities, like George Clooney and Don Cheadle have given their time and support, not to make a petty profit, but to raise awareness about the desperate situation.  The Al-Bashir government (which unsurprisingly has strong ties with the government of Turkey), has ignored all international humanitarian efforts and continues its genocidal policies. The move to economically isolate the Sudan may be the last hope to stop a catastrophic situation.

The mindset that led the divestment movement is the mindset that our communities and youth should be driven by today.

Justice for the Armenian Genocide is an international human rights issue that belongs on the minds of every single investor in the Republic of Turkey, and every person—celebrity, athlete, actor, socialite—who endorses or supports the government or trade with the government. The moral difficulty of dealing with a company which does business in Turkey should be enough of a factor to dissuade any deal, for any amount of money.

Here, when I see a public figure like Kobe Bryant associate himself with a Turkish company, my reaction is not a knee-jerk hate-inspired reaction, it’s a confident reaction that says, “If he knew the facts, he would quickly change his mind.”

Turkish Airlines is not only the national airlines of Turkey; the government of Turkey owns 49.1% of the company. It’s also a prime example of the public relations work the government is doing to try to repair decades of negativity as a result of its human rights record.

Our choice is to either accept what we think is invincible, or connect our cause, organize and have our concerns heard.

It may seem trivial for an activist youth organization to become a thorn in the side of a multi-million dollar basketball icon, but the fact of the matter remains that a principled stance must be taken when it comes to supporting a genocide-denying regime like the current Turkish government. Much like the South African example demonstrated, decades of inhumanity can succumb to the power of the dollar, and to the power of organization.

Unfortunately, this article is not a call for us to divest from Turkey, because my honest opinion is that we aren’t ready for that step…yet. We have a hard enough time convincing Armenian grocery store owners and importers to stop selling Turkish tomato paste, when the Armenian alternatives are readily available. We have a hard enough time of convincing our new generation that an act of protest is not a one day a year occurrence. And we have a hard enough time convincing some people that our fight for genocide recognition has nothing to do with hating the enemy, and has everything to do with loving our own people.

This is just a first step that says our fight should be everyone’s fight and our power does not yet even know it’s potential.

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Vaché Thomassian is a member of the Armenian Youth Federation Central Executive and the Editor of Haytoug magazine.

Rebuffs Azeri Protests, Defends Self-Determination, and Upholds Kosovo Precedent

BY DAVID ARAKELYAN

NEWPORT BEACH—Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh) President Bako Sahakian said Friday the Kosovo precedent was important for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict and rebuffed Azeri attempts to poison his appearance at a gathering hosted by Orange County World Affairs Council at the Pacific Club, where Sahakian was the keynote speaker.

Sahakian spoke to an audience of about 250 guests, mainly members of the Armenian community and the WAC, but peppered with members of the Azeri community, who asked biased questions during the Q & A session at the end of president’s speech.  Another group of 15 to 20 Azeris were protesting outside of the venue.

A small group of Azeri protestors outside the event.

In his opening remarks, President Sahakian talked about some of the domestic and foreign policy objectives of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the progress that has been made in those areas over the past few years.

In reference to the parallels between Karabakh and Kosovo, which was brought up in one of the questions, the President said that “Kosovo is an important precedent of the implementation of international law, where the principle of self-determination prevailed” and stated that the International Court of Justice confirmed Kosovo’s independence. Just like in Kosovo, the people in Karabakh made their choice to live independently, and that decision is “not subject to speculation and interpretation.”

Sahakian said that Karabakh must return to negotiation table because “no settlement of the conflict is going to be possible without the agreement of Stepanakert.” The President said the government of Azerbaijan was unwilling to take any real steps to resolve the conflict peacefully and pointed to the continued military rhetoric and the constant ceasefire violations initiated by the Azeris.

He called upon the international community to condemn the “destructive position” of Azerbaijan, stating that “the international community can have an influential role in curbing Baku’s militaristic rhetoric and stopping the Azeri government from continuous increase in military expenditures.”

In response to a question about the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Sahakian stressed that the “recognition of Arstakh is just a matter of time” and expressed confidence that “most Western countries are interested in the establishment of a new, free, and democratic state” in the Caucasus.

On the domestic front, Sahakian reported that the gross domestic product of the country has increased fivefold from 2003, when it was only $427 per capita, to 2009, when it reached the $2,000 mark.  Even in 2008, the year when the most recent economic crisis began, Artsakh’s economy grew by more than 70 percent compared to 2007 levels. The budget of the republic currently stands at 55 billion drams (or roughly $150 million), and the main sectors of the economy are construction, agriculture, industry, and energy.

The President expressed confidence that soon, Karabakh is poised to become an energy-exporting country and reforms in the agricultural sector will enhance the productivity of Karabakh farmers.

The protesters outside were holding anti-Armenian signs with references to the “500,000 refugees from Karabakh,” “the occupation of Azeri territories,” and the so-called “Khojaly massacre.”  A few Armenian Youth Federation members challenged the protesters’ falsified claims and gave historical evidence to point out to the inaccuracies contained in the posters held by the Azeris, but that did not seem to change the mind of the Azeri activists.

While addressing statements made about the “Khojaly Massacre” in his response to an Azeri member of the audience, Sahakian stated that the “Khojaly issue was a tactical move [adopted by the Azeris] to divert attention from the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.”

He stated that the Armenian forces never engaged in any actions against the civilian population of Azerbaijan, and only fought back in war which was imposed upon the Armed Forces and the population of Artsakh.