American TV channels record disgraceful failure of Turkish diplomacy
YEREVAN, MARCH 5, ARMENPRESS. The leading American TV channels displayed the disgraceful defeat of the Turkish diplomatic circles in the City Council of City of Carson, which voted unanimously on Wednesday to reject a measure to erect a monument to Kemal Ataturk in the city, after lengthy debate during the regular city council session. As reports “Armenpress”, the prominent American ABC7 aired a piece of reporting online dedicated to the issue.
The vote came after hours of heated debate Wednesday over the tribute honoring Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who was the first president of Turkey.
"I want to celebrate my heritage. Ataturk is George Washington to our country," Vega Sankur said.
Opponents said Ataturk was a vicious dictator responsible for the Armenian Genocide.
"I highly doubt that if a city was entertaining a German cultural monument, the German government would recommend a monument of Adolf Hitler," Montebello Mayor Jack Hadjinian said.
"I'm here to vociferously oppose the donation, installation of the statue to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk," Glendale Mayor Zareh Sinanyan said.
Tempers flared when the Turkish Consul General addressed the city council. Opponents standing turned their back on her as she spoke.
Carson is now looking for other sculptures to add to its garden. Currently, the garden only has one piece of art.
As reports Armenpress citing Asbarez, more than 400 people opposing the measure, led by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western US Central Committee, Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region, the Armenian Youth Federation and the American Hellenic Council flocked to the Carson City Hall, where a capacity crowd in the council chamber spilled outside to protest the measure.
Speaking against the monument were Glendale Mayor Zareh Sinanian, Montebello Mayor Jack Hadjinian, Glendale City Clerk Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian, Professor Levon Marashlian and the Vice Chairman of the American Hellenic Council Aris Anagnos. Although there were only six speakers permitted per side, there were 298 speaker cards submitted in opposition to the monument and 101 in favor.
California State Assemblymembers submitted a letter in opposition to the monument, which was presented at the meeting by a representative of Assemblymember and former Carson City Councilman Mike Gipson, and co-signed by Assemblymembers Adrin Nazarian, Katcho Achadjian, Scott Wilk and Mike Gatto.
The Turkish Consul General of Los Angeles Raife Gulru Gezer was one of the six speaking in favor of the monument. Carson Mayor Jim Dear, who initiated the monument proposal, in the end changed his vote.