WASHINGTON, DC – A hard-hitting video – posted by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) – has been viewed over one million times in its first 48 hours online – educating the American public and Pennsylvania voters about the dangers of Dr. Mehmet Oz’s controversial candidacy for an open Senate seat from the Keystone State.
VIDEO: @ANCA_DC and @HellenicLeaders are working to #StopOz – ally of Turkish dictator Recep Erdogan and paid agent for Turkey’s state-owned @TurkishAirlines – who:
– Votes in Turkish elections
– Served in Turkish military
– Denies #Armenian #Genocidepic.twitter.com/Dh3Wpx68Sh— ANCA (@ANCA_DC) August 25, 2022
“We’re seeing growing alarm across Pennsylvania – driven in large part by ANCA coalition advocacy with the Hellenic American Leadership Council – over Dr. Oz’s troubling ties to Turkish dictator Recep Erdogan,” said ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian. “It was encouraging to see our most recent video reach one million views so quickly among Democrats, Republicans and independents who share our commitment to the integrity of the US Senate.”
“Dr. Oz’s candidacy has been defined by false pretenses – pretending to be a Pennsylvanian when he actually lives in New Jersey, pretending to dispense medical advice when he is actually peddling snake oil,” said Hellenic American Leadership Council executive director Endy Zemenides. “That serial dishonesty is what raises the red flags with regards to Oz’s ties to the Erdogan autocracy. The Washington Post first raised these issues in February, and the fact that Oz has failed to address them is alarming. People all over America – who know full well what influence a single senator can have – are rightly asking: ‘Who is Oz?’”
The video, produced by the Really American PAC, is part of a broader Hellenic and Armenian American national and Pennsylvania grassroots effort to raise awareness about Dr. Oz’s ties to Turkey’s repressive Erdogan regime, the national security implications of having a dual Turkey-US citizen elected to the US Senate, and his disconcerting connections to deniers of the Ottoman Turkey’s genocide committed against its Armenian and other Christian populations.
These concerns have been spotlighted in news coverage by NBC News, the New York Post, Forbes, Daily Wire, Daily Caller and Breitbart, among others. “For Americans of Armenian heritage – having spent the better part of the past century working, successfully, to end US cover-ups of Turkey’s genocidal crimes – it would represent a betrayal of the worst kind, a shameful rollback of America’s commitment to human rights, to send to the U.S. Senate an ally of Erdogan, the world’s foremost Armenian Genocide denier,” explained Hamparian in an op/ed in The Washington Times. The ANCA has also called for a US Department of Justice investigation into whether Oz may be in violation of the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) of 1938 for his endorsement agreement with Istanbul-based Turkish Airlines, through which Oz provides “consulting services, certain media, and in-flight film appearances.”
On the local level, the ANC of Pennsylvania continues its statewide grassroots campaign to ensure voters know the truth about Oz’s ties to the Turkish government and Erdogan-aligned stakeholders and can make informed choices at the ballot box.
“The ANC of Pennsylvania has expressed its concerns over Oz’s candidacy from the very beginning. Deeper ties to the Turkish government and its interests are uncovered every day. Pennsylvanians deserve a senator who will represent our interests – not those of dictator Recep Erdogan,” explained ANC of Pennsylvania co-chair Nora Kzirian.
Latest posts by ANCA (see all)
- Coalition of U.S. legislators call for American leadership to secure justice for Artsakh and the Armenian Genocide - April 18, 2024
- ANCA Rising Leaders rally support for Artsakh and Armenia - April 17, 2024
- Senators urge administration to secure the release of Armenian POWs and ensure Artsakh’s right to return as precondition for peace talks - April 5, 2024
This is very encouraging. Forget party lines Armenians of Pennsylvania! We can not elect an Armenian genocide denying
( no clear statement of recognition)Erdogan buddy to the esteemed US Senate. Greeks and Armenians unite!!
We’re fighting anti armenian groups dont you see if he is candidate there must be some anti armenian people in democrat party otherwise he couldnt be candidate
You need to guys accept that there will be descendents of immigrants from Turkey getting into public service. This rhetoric is no different than the Anti-Irish/Catholic attacks against President JFK. You also should not be racist towards people if you find out they are from Turkiye.
AND you guys need to understand that this is the United States of America where there is this thing called the freedom of expression, something alien in terrorist Turkey, and that people have the right to express their thoughts and views no matter how unpleasant to you personally. In fascist Turkey if you are Turkish you can not only get away with the most vile insults directed at minority groups but that you will be considered a patriot defending the Turkish honor. But if the reverse happens, they will be a target of Turkish attacks and they will invent some ad-hoc law to charge them for insulting Turkey and put them behind bars. Remember Hrant Dink and the Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code, also known as “Insulting Turjishness”, artificially invented to silence minorities for speaking their minds that the Turkish government does not like to hear? Have you ever heard of the famous American phrase that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones? And the phrase the teapot calling the kettle black? Well, give it some thought and learn from it.
P.S. Dr. Oz may be a Turkish national but he is actually a Circassian ethnically. The Circassians are Turkic people from the Northern Caucasus region who were transplanted in the Ottoman Empire to replace the native populations, Armenians-Greeks-Assyrians, they murdered in cold blood as part of the Turkification of this criminal empire. They mostly served in Turkish military and as royal guards for the criminal Turkish sultans.
Doctor Oz is a good example of how good people can exhibit unforgivable flaws. In this case, Oz is seeking an Office in the US Senate, a place where his Genocide Denialism & Pro-Erdogan Fascism are very dangerous. He’s a good doctor, but he shouldn’t be in politics.