Canadian Armenians Join Protest Sunday Over Kobe Bryant's Endorsement Deal with Turkish Airlines

Basketball star Kobe Bryant is under fire for inking a deal with Turkish Airlines to become their new global brand ambassador. Many in the Armenian communities across the globe have called on Bryant to question Turkey's human rights record. He faced a demonstration in Toronto Sunday during a game at the Air Canada Centre. According to CP24, about 1.5 million Armenians died at the hands of the Turks around the time of First World War. The deaths have been called the first genocide of the 20th century by scholars, though the Turks have vehemently denied the characterization saying the killings happened during a time of civil war and political unrest. According to CP24, Canada recognized the mass killings as genocide in 2004. What has rubbed the Armenian community the wrong way is the fact that Bryant has been a vocal human rights supporter through the years.