Alexis Ohanian, husband of tennis star Serena Williams, recently expressed his surprise at the unexpected defeat of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the municipal elections. This news is relevant to Ohanian, because of his Armenian heritage and open criticism of Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia.
Over the years, Turkey has provided both moral and diplomatic backing for Azerbaijan. This support has increased recently, with Turkey playing a significant role in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including joint military exercises and the use of Turkish-made drones. In the municipal elections held in March, Erdogan’s AK Party fell behind the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), for the first time. This defeat is seen as a major setback for Erdogan and his party, who have been in power for over two decades.
Ohanian also recently voiced his support for Armenia’s potential bid to join the European Union, while the country has tense relations with Russia and Azerbaijan due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia has strained relations with Turkey, which backs Azerbaijan and denies the Armenian Genocide. Despite its historical alliance with Russia, Armenia has recently been looking to diversify its alliances and increase its engagement with the West. On March 8, Ohanian shared news of Armenia’s potential bid for EU membership on his social media (formerly Twitter) account.
