Armenians attack American-Turkish diner, Turkey's Ambassador says

An Armenian group attacked an American Turkish diner in Beverly Hills, California, destroying the business’ walls and breaking tables and chairs, Turkey’s envoy to the US said in a tweet yesterday. 

Serdar Kilic called on local and federal law enforcement to protect Turkish-American citizens’ rights and bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.

@MayorOfLA members of Turkish American Community in Los Angeles who are also your constituents expect you to stand by them now and condemn unequivocally the attack on a Turkish establishment in LA in the form of a racially motivated hate crime by a group of extremist Armenians. pic.twitter.com/9ebHWXZVPl

— Serdar KILIÇ (@serdarkilic9) November 5, 2020

“I strongly condemn the attack on American Turkish business owner by a group of extremist Armenians in Beverly Hills,” Kilic said.

“I call upon local and federal US authorities to protect rights of Turkish-Americans who are the fundamental elements of the US and punish perpetrators,” he added.

On 27 September, the Azerbaijani army launched a military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh in response to an Armenian attack that targeted civilian areas. The army succeeded in liberating the towns of Jabrayil, Fuzuli, and Hadrut along with dozens of villages.

After clashes, Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay said Ankara will not hesitate to send soldiers and provide military support for Azerbaijan if such a request is made by Baku, and added that there was no such request at the moment.

Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been particularly strained since 1991, when Armenia occupied the Upper Karabakh region, known as Nagorno Karabakh, despite it being an internationally-recognised territory belonging to Azerbaijan.

The region has remained occupied by Armenia ever since, even though the occupation has been constantly urged to withdraw following four UN Security Council and two UN General Assembly resolutions.

READ: The Nagorno-Karabakh crisis is helping to shape US foreign policy