We, the Turkish Americans of Southern California, are deeply disappointed by the intimidation campaign undertaken by the Armenian political groups against Kobe Bryant, a local sports hero for Southern Californians and all Lakers fans around the world. We are astounded by the endless ability of these groups to turn every opportunity into a political agenda and introduce hatred into every field of life with their sights set now on a sports deal. Sports are normally intended to promote fair competition and aim to bring people together – like Ping Pong diplomacy or Rugby by Nelson Mendela – not spew hate. Their careless actions unfairly jeopardize the popularity of Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA here and around the world. It appears that these special interest groups are determined to continuously inject selfish politics into every aspect of our lives here in America.
There are thousands of Turkish Americans living in Southern California, and over 400,000 in the continental US. Turkey has a population of over 70 million, one of the largest economies in the world and a G-20 member. It is a long-term ally of United States, a member of NATO and a stabilizing force in the mideast. We should be continuing our partnership with Turkey to serve US interests as well as Turkish and not be daunted by these special interest groups.
Kobe Bryant and Turkish Airlines
Basketball is one of the most popular sports amongst our community, both here and abroad. Several professional Turkish athletes participate in the NBA. We would like Kobe Bryant and all Los Angeles Lakers fans to know that we love the game of basketball and we condemn these attempts by special interest groups to contaminate it with politics. Our organization fully supports Kobe Bryant in his new international business venture, which we feel will have a vital role in promoting basketball around the world and bring people together.
Notwithstanding our deep disagreement with the Armenian claims, and the intimidation and aggression demonstrated against Turkish-Americans by the Armenian-American groups, our organization and communities will continue to promote positive relations in the greater communities.
