Turkish Forum

Author: Harut Sassounian

  • Turkish Prime Minister Shoots Himself in the Foot Again

    Turkish Prime Minister Shoots Himself in the Foot Again

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    Prime Minister Erdogan embarrasses himself and his government just about every time he opens his mouth! His angry statements, often bewildering and insulting, give Turkey a black eye internationally and provide fresh ammunition to his domestic opponents.
    A year ago, the Prime Minister threatened to deport 100,000 Armenians from Turkey, thereby reminding everyone around the world that Ankara’s present leaders are not much different from their bloodthirsty forefathers who deported and killed 1.5 million Armenians during the Genocide of 1915-23. After he was roundly condemned at home and abroad, Erdogan explained that he had meant to deport only undocumented workers from Armenia. When told that the 100,000 figure included both native and foreign Armenians, the Prime Minister blamed his aides for giving him faulty population figures!
    Erdogan made another faux pas early this month during a visit to Kars, when he called for the demolition of a gigantic monument symbolizing “Armenia-Turkey Friendship.” The 100-foot, 1,500-ton unfinished statue was commissioned by the city’s former mayor who believed that reconciliation and open borders with Armenia would boost his city’s sluggish economy. The monument depicted the figure of a man sliced into two, extending a hand of friendship to his other half. Calling the statue “freakish” or “grotesque,” the Prime Minister urged the new mayor to have the $1.5 million monument torn down before his next visit.
    By calling the Kars monument an “ugly” work of art, Erdogan unleashed a torrent of criticism and triggered a chain of events that made him the laughing stock of the world:
    — Erdogan’s political opponents accused him of pandering to the city’s Azeri voters who vehemently oppose any reconciliation with Armenia. They attributed the Prime Minister’s demolition order to crass electoral motives rather than to his artistic taste.
    — Turkey’s Culture Minister tried to come to Erdogan’s rescue by claiming that the Prime Minister had called the surrounding shanty houses “freakish,” rather than the statue itself. Undeterred, Erdogan embarrassed his Minister by rebuking him and repeating his earlier statement. Next, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc jumped into the fray by wishing that “God would spare him from finding himself in the same awkward situation as the Culture Minister.”
    — Even Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey’s much-touted Foreign Minister, got into the act, vainly trying to make his Prime Minister look good. Davutoglu claimed that the real problem with the monument was that it “fails to blend into the Seljuk, Ottoman and Russian character” of Kars. In a sarcastic retort, The Economist of London accused Davutoglu of conveniently erasing the city’s “Armenian legacy,” adding that “a long-abandoned tenth-century Armenian church recently reopened — as a mosque!”
    — Mehmet Aksoy, the well-known sculptor of the monument, compared Erdogan’s order to the Taliban’s demolition of ancient Buddha statues in Afghanistan. Aksoy warned that Turkey’s image would suffer terribly should the monument be blown up. He threatened to sue the Prime Minister for insulting his artwork.
    — The international media excoriated Erdogan by ridiculing his artistic taste and exposing his crass political motives. The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, the Associated Press, Radio Free Europe, Reuters, BBC, the Washington Post, Liberation, and hundreds of other media outlets, condemned Erdogan’s destructive directive.
    — Several Turkish journalists questioned the Prime Minister’s right and authority to have a statue removed and destroyed.
    — Armenia’s Foreign Minister reacted indignantly to Erdogan’s statement and urged him to build a new foundation for normalizing bilateral relations, rather than damaging them. Most commentators interpreted the Prime Minister’s detrimental words as the last nail in the coffin of the unconsummated Armenia-Turkey Protocols.
    Not surprisingly, Mubariz Gurbanli, a member of Azerbaijan’s Parliament, expressed his pleasure with Erdogan’s order to demolish the “Armenia-Turkey Friendship” statue. Gurbanli was correct in pointing out: “There is no need to erect a monument to the non-existent friendship with Armenia.”
    Of course, tearing down monuments is nothing new for Azeri and Turkish officials. A few years ago, Azerbaijan demolished thousands of historic Armenian khatchkars (cross-stones) at a cemetery near Julfa, Nakhichevan, seeking to emulate the Turkish government’s wholesale destruction of hundreds of Armenian churches and monuments ever since the Genocide. Indeed, Erdogan himself is continuing the age-old tradition of his predecessors in ordering the destruction of the Kars “friendship” statue.
    If Davutoglu and Erdogan are truly sincere in promoting Armenian-Turkish friendship, they should promptly demolish the monstrous “genocide monument” built in Igdir in 1997, consisting of five 130-foot swords thrust towards the sky, intended to perpetuate the great lie about Armenians killing Turks!

  • Sassounian’s column of Dec. 30, 2010

    Sassounian’s column of Dec. 30, 2010

    Resolute Response Required to Pelosi’s
    Failure on Genocide Resolution
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    Armenians worldwide are justifiably outraged by the refusal of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leadership to bring the Genocide Resolution to a vote.
    Cong. Pelosi had “the majority, the authority, and the opportunity” to schedule a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, but failed to do so, the Armenian National Committee of America announced last week. Why didn’t she bring up the Resolution to a vote? It is important to note that contrary to their previous practice, neither the President nor the Secretary of State made any public statements against the Resolution. They did not have to; they had made a behind the scenes deal with Speaker Pelosi not to schedule a vote on the Resolution before Congress adjourned for the year, according to a knowledgeable Washington source. Under these circumstances, the self-serving claims of Turkey’s Ambassador and Turkish-American organizations that their belated actions blocked the vote were complete exaggerations, if not outright falsehoods, and inconsequential!
    The Armenian Genocide Resolution is neither the beginning nor the end of Armenian political demands. Here is why: this is a commemorative resolution with no force of law; similar Genocide Resolutions were adopted by the House of Representatives twice, in 1975 and 1984; and such resolutions are only a means to an end.
    What is the real objective of the Armenian Cause? Obtaining justice for Armenians from the descendants of those who not only butchered them, but occupied their homeland and confiscated their properties.
    Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated last week that the Resolution was like “the sword of Damocles hanging above our heads.” He expressed the hope that such initiatives would not be brought up again in Congress as they wasted Turkey’s energy and time. The threat felt by Turkish leaders a century after their ancestors’ heinous crimes and the waste of their valuable resources to counter the Resolution are reason enough for Armenians to bring such initiatives to every legislative body in the world year after year. Moreover, each time Turkish leaders demand that a U.S. President block such a resolution, in return they are obligated to make costly political concessions to the American side.
    Armenian-American organizations, led by ANCA, must now make a dispassionate strategic assessment to consider their next moves:
    1. File lawsuits against Turkey and Turkish firms in U.S. federal courts, the European Court of Human Rights, and the World Court.
    2. Increase the number of “hanging swords” on Turkish leaders’ heads by submitting multiple congressional resolutions that go beyond genocide acknowledgment. Among other things, these could include restitution of confiscated Armenian properties and return of churches to the jurisdiction of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey.
    3. Capitalize on Turkish leaders’ anti-western policies and statements to generate support for Armenian issues among the new Republican majority in the House.
    Here are some preliminary thoughts on specific actions that could be considered by Armenian-American leaders in the coming weeks:
    1. Steps to be taken against Minority Leader Pelosi and House Democratic leaders as political payback for their obstructionism. It is now up to them to woo their disappointed Armenian supporters with a series of concrete actions, not promises, to undo the damage they have caused to their own credibility.
    2. Start planning for the 2012 elections to ensure that no Armenian-American would cast a vote or contribute a single dollar for Pres. Obama or any other member of Congress, Democrat or Republican, opposed to Armenian issues.
    3. Assess the inaction of leaders in Armenia and the Diaspora who did not lift a finger nor utter a word in support of the Genocide Resolution, while Turkey’s President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister were pressuring Pres. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to block the vote.
    4. Capitalize on the activism of the newly-energized Armenian-American community, especially the youth and celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Serj Tankian, to engage them in creative ways of pursuing the Armenian Cause.
    5. Support Senators who have an interest in placing a new “hold” against Francis Ricciardone or his replacement as nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Turkey. There has been no U.S. Ambassador in Ankara for more than 6 months. Similarly, Azeri-American efforts in support of the Turkish campaign of genocide denial must be countered by placing a new “hold” on Matt Bryza or his replacement as nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan. There has been no U.S. Ambassador in Baku for more than 18 months.
    Instead of getting dejected by last week’s temporary setback, Armenians should strengthen their political resolve and escalate their demands from Turkey, using all legitimate means of redress to advance their just cause!

  • Armenians Sue Turkey Claiming U.S. Air Base Land

    Armenians Sue Turkey Claiming U.S. Air Base Land

    By Harut Sassounian
    Publisher, The California Courier-
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    Over the years, Armenians have gradually shifted their attention from the recognition of the Genocide to the pursuit of legal remedies for their massive losses suffered between 1915 and 1923.
    Several lawsuits have been filed recently in U.S. Federal Courts against Western insurance companies and banks. In July, Armenian-American attorneys sued the Republic of Turkey and its two major banks, seeking compensation for confiscated properties and loss of income.
    A new federal lawsuit was filed last week by attorneys Vartkes Yeghiayan, Kathryn Lee Boyd and David Schwarcz, along with international law expert Michael Bazyler, against the Republic of Turkey, the Central Bank, and Ziraat Bank for “unlawful expropriation and unjust enrichment.” The plaintiffs are Los Angeles-area residents Rita Mahdessian and Anais Haroutunian, and Alex Bakalian of Washington, D.C.
    The three Armenian-Americans, who have deeds proving ownership of properties stolen from their families during the Genocide, are seeking compensation for 122 acres of land in the Adana region. The strategic Incirlik U.S. Air Base is partly located on their property.
    During the Genocide, the Turkish government initially placed all properties belonging to Armenian victims under seal. Subsequently, it directed the Ziraat Bank to hold all proceeds from the sale of seized properties in trust and for safekeeping on behalf of the Armenian owners. These properties were then transferred to the Turkish Treasury and placed under the administration of the Central Bank. The lawsuit accuses the Republic of Turkey, the Central Bank and Ziraat Bank of unfairly benefiting from the plaintiffs’ seized assets.
    The three Turkish defendants are currently engaged in commercial activities in the United States which grants jurisdiction to U.S. courts. The Republic of Turkey operates several state-owned or controlled enterprises in the U.S., such as the Turkish Airlines and Tourism Information Office. Both the Central Bank and Ziraat Bank also have offices in the United States.
    In addition to seizing the Armenian plaintiffs’ property, the Turkish government has pocketed the rent paid by the United States for the Incirlik Air Base during the past 60 years. The base is operated by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service — a U.S. Department of Defense entity. Several major American corporations, such as Baskin Robbins, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and AT&T transact business and provide services on the base for U.S. troops. These companies have also been profiting from Armenian-owned lands for many years.
    The lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs “are suffering harm from the loss of use and proceeds from their property.” Turkey and its Central Bank’s “continued unlawful use of the property causes a direct effect in the United States because a U.S. commercial entity pays money” to Turkey to lease the Incirlik Air Base and “is engaged in a long-term business arrangement with defendants….”
    The lawsuit also states that the “plaintiffs’ action is additionally based upon their rights in property unlawfully expropriated by defendant Turkey in violation of international law, pursuant to a Turkish campaign of genocide…. International law prohibits the taking of property when it is done in a discriminatory way or pursuant to gross violations of human rights. Plaintiffs’ property was taken pursuant to the genocidal campaign of the Ottoman Turkish Empire to destroy, in whole or in part, Armenian Christians in Turkey.”
    The plaintiffs assert that after the Genocide, the Turkish government transferred Armenian-owned “businesses, factories, shops, farms, and all other economic enterprises into Turkish Muslim ownership,” Yet, the most shocking charge is the accusation that the Turkish authorities used “the proceeds derived from the sale of Armenian property to fund their deportation.” It is noteworthy that beyond depriving Armenians of their lives and property during the Genocide, Turkish authorities strictly forbade the survivors from reclaiming their properties, by stamping their passports “Return prohibited.”
    The Armenian-American plaintiffs estimate the current value of the property seized from their families to be $63.9 million, since their land constitutes 3.7% of the $1.7 billion “plant replacement value” of the Incirlik Air Base, according to the latest U.S. Defense Department data. The plaintiffs are demanding the current fair market value of their property as well as the accrued rental for the past 60 years, possibly totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. This lawsuit does not include the value of other Armenian properties in Incirlik, including a church and school.
    In the coming months, several other lawsuits are expected to be filed in U.S. courts against the Turkish government and other Turkish entities, including a claim for the Turkish Presidential Palace in Ankara, which is located on land owned by the Kassabian family.

  • Sassounian’s column of Dec. 16, 2010

    Sassounian’s column of Dec. 16, 2010


    US Court of Appeals Hands

    A Major Victory to Armenians

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    By Harut Sassounian

    Publisher, The California Courier

    In a stunning development, a federal appeals court handed Armenian-Americans a major legal and political victory last week. It reversed its earlier ruling and decided that a California law extending the deadline for lawsuits against life insurance companies WAS constitutional, after all!

    The new ruling did much more than assist heirs of Armenian Genocide victims to file lawsuits against insurance companies for unpaid claims. It also blocked possible legal action by Turkish organizations which could have undone decades of struggle for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by local and state governments in the United States.

    In 2009, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided that a law adopted by the California Legislature in 2000 — extending to December 31, 2010 the statute of limitations on insurance claims — was unconstitutional, because it included a reference to the Armenian Genocide. In a 2-1 decision, the court ruled that the State of California had infringed on the foreign affairs power reserved by the U.S. Constitution to the federal government. Two of the three federal judges asserted that the state had contravened the federal government’s policy of not acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.

    I pointed out in a column I wrote in response to the 2009 appeals court decision that Judges David Thomson and Dorothy Nelson were mistaken in claiming that Congress and states were prohibited from adopting resolutions on the Armenian Genocide. In their majority opinion, the two Judges selectively mentioned only those resolutions that were not approved by the House, ignoring that the U.S. House of Representatives twice adopted Armenian Genocide resolutions in 1975 and 1984, and Pres. Reagan issued a Presidential Proclamation in 1981, acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. I also wrote that the U.S. government did NOT have an official policy of denying the Armenian Genocide. I also wondered why the California Attorney General was not asked to file a friend of the court brief to defend the state from unwarranted accusations that it had adopted a statute that supposedly violated the U.S. Constitution.

    Given the serious consequences of the 2009 court ruling for their clients as well as the Armenian Cause, the Law offices of Geragos & Geragos; Kabatek, Brown, Kellner LLP; and Yeghiayan Law Firm engaged the services of attorneys David Balabanian, David Salmons, and Erin Conroy from Bingham McCutchen to seek a rehearing of the case. Friend of the court briefs in support of the rehearing were filed by the Armenian National Committee of America, Armenian Bar Association, Zoryan Institute, International Association of Genocide Scholars, EarthRights International, Center for Constitutional Rights, Cong. Adam Schiff, and California Attorney General Jerry Brown.

    On December 10, the same appeals court with the same judicial panel as last year’s ruled 2 to 1 that the California law referring to the Armenian Genocide did NOT conflict with U.S. foreign policy. Judge Nelson, switching sides, joined Judge Harry Pregerson in ruling in favor of the Armenian plaintiffs. “We conclude that there is no express federal policy forbidding states to use the term Armenian Genocide,” Judge Pregerson wrote for the majority. He quoted from “various statements from the federal executive and legislative branches in favor of genocide recognition.” He specifically cited the Armenian Genocide resolutions adopted by the House of Representatives in 1975 and 1984, and Pres. Reagan’s Presidential Proclamation of 1981. Judge Pregerson also stated that “the federal government has never expressed any opposition” to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by any of the 43 states!

    Following this ruling, the lawsuit against the three German insurance companies can resume, opening the door for more lawsuits against other insurance companies, subject to a possible rehearing by a full 11-judge panel of the appeals court.

    In addition, Armenian-Americans can now use the appeals court’s ruling to persuade those members of Congress who may be reluctant to support a pending Genocide resolution out of an unfounded concern that it may contradict U.S. foreign policy. The court’s ruling makes it crystal clear that the federal government has never denied the Armenian Genocide and never objected to the plethora of U.S. cities, counties, and states recognizing it. The decision of the appeals court should be forwarded to all members of Congress, State Department officials, and the White House.

    Neil Soltman, attorney for the three German insurance companies being sued, stated that he was baffled by the appeals court’s decision. Gunay Evinch, President of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, called the ruling “unprecedented,” “politically motivated” and “shameful.”

    It is noteworthy that Armenians are suing German insurance companies in California, and a Turkish lobbying group is squirming — for good reason!

  • Armenians should stay away from Turkey until assassination plot is investigated

    Armenians should stay away from Turkey until assassination plot is investigated

    By Harut Sassounyan

    The Turkish Cihan wire service made a sensational revelation last week – a Turkish hit squad had planned to assassinate a visiting Armenian Parliamentarian on March 22, 2009.

    Based on information obtained from Turkish security services, Cihan disclosed that Mutlu Erdogan and Selcuk Onur Ozyilmaz, members of the Turkish Unity Revenge Squad (Turk Intikam Birligi Teshkilati), were plotting to kill an unnamed ARF (Tashnag Party) leader. They were tipped off about his presence in Turkey, after he had acquired a Turkish cell phone.

    The Armenian Weekly, a Boston-based ARF publication, speculated that the target of the Turkish hit men may have been Ara Nranyan, an ARF Parliamentarian from Armenia, who was in Turkey to attend a Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) conference as Chairman of the Audit Committee of BSEC’s Parliamentary Assembly.

    During a phone conversation, the hit squad members discussed their plan to assassinate Nranyan, but decided to postpone their intended action, having learned that the security forces were trailing them. “Let a few months pass and we will slowly begin to conduct operations. We won’t stand idly by,” the conspirators told each other on a phone call which was monitored by Turkish authorities.

    The ARF Bureau press office expressed concern that “information about Nranyan’s entry to Turkey was made available to a terrorist organization,” noting that “such information could have only been provided by the Turkish state.”

    Meanwhile, a Turkish police report established a link between the hit squad and Ergenikon, a covert group of military and intelligence officials who carried out terrorist operations, including political assassinations, in order to create mayhem and instability in Turkey with the aim of toppling the elected government.

    “Nranyan’s visit was not secret, but it was not a high profile visit either. So, it is possible that the information the alleged plotters had was from a source within the Turkish government,” ARF Bureau political affairs director Giro Manoyan told the Armenian Weekly. “We are taking the issue seriously and looking into it, trying to find out as much information as possible,” he added. “The information is disturbing because it corresponds with certain facts,” said Manoyan. “In a country where someone like Hrant Dink who was considered a ‘dove’ was gunned down in broad daylight, we wouldn’t be surprised that a member of the ARF, generally viewed in Turkey as ‘hawks,’ would be targeted,” Manoyan noted. Indeed, it was revealed that the Ergenikon group had even planned to assassinate the Armenian Patriarch of Turkey!

    It is surprising that ever since this most serious revelation, no Armenian government official has bothered to make a statement or issue a condemnation. Not even the Chairman of the Armenian Parliament has raised his voice at the news that a member of his legislative body had been targeted for assassination.

    One would have expected that the Armenian government would have pressed Ankara to disclose how a hit squad was alerted about the upcoming visit of an Armenian Parliamentarian to Turkey — was it through a phone company insider, a Turkish visa officer or a state official who knew of Nranyan’s plan to attend the BSEC conference?

    Armenia should demand that Turkey conduct a thorough investigation of this ugly incident and disclose the steps taken to ensure that such leaks to terrorists about visiting Armenian dignitaries do not take place in the future. Until Yerevan becomes satisfied that the Turkish government is doing everything possible to guarantee the safety and security of Armenian visitors, no Armenian official or tourist should step foot on Turkish soil, and no Armenian athlete or sports team should participate in any tournament in Turkey. No more soccer diplomacy! Also, until further notice, no Armenian from the Diaspora should visit Turkey.

    Strangely, some naïve Armenians do not seem to realize that when they go to Turkey on vacation, they are not simply visiting another country, but going into enemy territory. Since there are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey, no Armenian consular official can come to the assistance of an Armenian citizen in trouble, as was the case in the killing of a pregnant Armenian woman near Ankara, and the beating of an Armenian family vacationing in Antalya.

    Armenians should raise this assassination plot at every opportunity through the global media and international meetings, particularly the Black Sea Economic Cooperation conference, demanding that Turkish officials bring severe charges against the accused hit men, disclose the findings of their investigation, and take preventive steps before Armenia agrees to send another official delegation to Turkey.

    /Times.am-Armenian news/

  • Sassounian’s column of Dec. 2, 2010

    Sassounian’s column of Dec. 2, 2010

    California Officials Honor

    Republic of Artsakh and its President

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    By Harut Sassounian

    Publisher, The California Courier

    Bako Sahakyan, President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh), just completed his third visit to Los Angeles. Unlike his previous two visits, he was received last week by prominent political figures as a Head of State, even though his country is not officially recognized by the international community.

    Pres. Sahakyan was in California for 10 days on the occasion of Armenia Fund’s annual Thanksgiving Day telethon that raised over $20 million to provide humanitarian assistance to the villages of Artsakh.

    In addition to visiting the local Armenian community and meeting benefactors, for the first time Pres. Sahakyan was welcomed by the City Councils of Los Angeles and Montebello, asked to speak before the World Affairs Council of Orange County, and invited to a State Luncheon held in his honor by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

    The Los Angeles City Council received Pres. Sahakyan and his entourage on November 19 and honored him with a proclamation and city resolution, highlighting his commitment to the independence of the Republic of Artsakh. Council member Paul Krekorian warmly saluted the President: “It is my distinct and proud honor to recognize Pres. Sahakyan, a true champion of freedom, justice, and liberty. He is a warrior who fought and paid in blood for the freedom and independence of his homeland and his countrymen.” The President was officially welcomed to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States, by Eric Garcetti, President of the City Council. Pres. Sahakyan thanked the Council members for the honor and invited them to visit the Republic of Artsakh. Several other Council Members also made welcoming remarks. It was heartwarming to see the flag of the Republic of Artsakh for the first time alongside the U.S. flag in the City Council Chambers during this special ceremony.

    Later that evening, Pres. Sahakyan addressed the World Affairs Council of Orange County, during a banquet in his honor at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach. This unprecedented event took place without a hitch, despite demands for its cancellation by Elin Suleymanov, the Consul General of Azerbaijan, the US Azeris Network, and a handful of Azeri and Turkish demonstrators.

    Pres. Sahakyan was next honored by Mayor William Molinari and the City Council of Montebello on Nov. 22. The Mayor welcomed the President and presented him a Proclamation. In response, Pres. Sahakyan expressed his gratitude for the sister-city relationship between Montebello and Stepanakert, the Capital of Artsakh. Later that evening, the President attended a reception in his honor organized by the local community at the Montebello Armenian Center.

    The following day, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa gave a State Luncheon at the Getty House for the President of the Republic of Artsakh — a special honor for visiting Heads of State. Before the luncheon, the Mayor met privately with Pres. Sahakyan and discussed bilateral relations between the Republic of Artsakh and Los Angeles, a sister city with Yerevan. In expressing his gratitude, the President invited the Mayor to visit Artsakh and Armenia. The luncheon was attended by the President’s delegation, Consul General of Armenia Grigor Hovhannissian, Councilman Paul Krekorian, City Council President Eric Garcetti, and Armenian community leaders.

    In a gracious gesture, Mayor Villaraigosa made an appearance on Thanksgiving Day at the telethon broadcast live on November 25, and urged viewers worldwide to contribute generously to the Armenia Fund’s humanitarian project of providing drinking and irrigation water to 200 villages in Artsakh.

    On November 24, Pres. Sahakyan met with a group of young professionals who made a commitment to support the opening of a special office to represent Artsakh in Los Angeles. The President welcomed the group’s initiative, stating that a formal announcement would be made shortly.

    Overall, Pres. Sahakyan’s visit to California was a resounding success, not only in raising a substantial amount of money for Artsakh’s humanitarian needs, but also in establishing valuable political ties with the cities of Los Angeles and Montebello, and the Orange County World Affairs Council, thereby strengthening Artsakh’s prospects for recognition by the international community as an independent state.

    While the Consulate of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles spends hundreds of thousands of dollars annually on high-powered lobbyists to carry out anti-Artsakh propaganda, Pres. Sahakyan, with the assistance of the Armenian community, succeeded in effectively countering the Azeri campaign, without spending a single dollar!