French-Armenians of Marseille protest against a sponsorship deal between Olympique de Marseille (OM) and the Turkish Airlines, free-lance journalist Jean Eckian reports from France.
The prestigious French football club Olympique de Marseille (OM), signed on 30 August a partnership agreement with Turkish Airlines.
In a statement issued by Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF-South), representatives of the Armenian community of France noted that this partnership “between the Turkish national carrier Turkish Airlines and Olympique de Marseille raised the anger of the French-Armenians, all supporters of the good image of Marseille.”
“They don’t understand that this alliance representing the denialist Turkish state, the successor of the perpetrator of the Armenian Genocide, is unbearable. We all love Olympique de Marseille, and therefore we feel like it’s a betrayal. It is an affront to the memory of the genocide victims and the dignity of the descendants of genocide survivors on the eve of the centenary of the genocide,” the statement reads.
In addition, many supporters of the OM Club have announced boycott to the 2013-2014 season.
This deal signed for the 2013/2014 season will promote the arrival of the Turkish company on the Marseille airport. Recall that Turkish Airlines has inaugurated on June 4 a new direct service between Istanbul and Marseille.
The CEO of Marseille Turkish Airlines, Ehran Ipeck, said he was satisfied with the agreement reached with OM.
