Kobe Bryant’s new deal with Turkish Airlines sparks outrage among Armenian population in Los Angeles

Kobe Bryant’s latest endorsement deal has some Lakers fans crying foul.

And now the drama is following him on the road.

The hoops star inked a deal to be the face of Turkish Airlines as it announced a plan to launch non-stop flights between Istanbul and Los Angeles in March. Under the terms of the deal, Bryant will appear in a film for the airline, make visits to Turkey and get paid for the use of his image, NBC Sports reported.

But the large Armenian population in Los Angeles – many of them who happen to be Lakers fans – are furious over the endorsement and urged Bryant to drop the deal.

Armenian groups and many scholars argue that Turkey committed genocide by targeting the ethnic group during what they said was a massacre beginning in 1915. Today, Turkey refuses to officially admit the genocide took place, which has been a source of tension between it and many of its Western allies – including the United States.

By inking the deal, the Armenian Youth Federation argued, Bryant wasn’t properly acknowledging their community’s concerns.

“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 group said on their website.

In a press release, Bryant said he had never actually visited Turkey, but called it “a country rich in natural beauty and thousands of years of cultural history.”

The group also pointed out that Bryant’s Lakers’ teammate Lamar Odom’s sister-in-law, Kim Kardashian, had recently come “under scrutiny in the Turkish press for tweeting about Armenian Genocide recognition.”

Earlier this month, Kardashian tweeted Nancy Pelosi to ask her to schedule a new vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, which would officially recognize the genocide.

Bryant’s camp has so far been silent on the controversy.

Since the endorsement was first noticed a week ago, Armenians across the world have joined in to protest the NBA star.

In Bryant’s latest game in Toronto, the Lakers were met with about 30 protesters from the city’s Armenian community, CPTV24 reported.

“Kobe,” protesters urged in their sign, “Do the right thing.”

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