LOS ANGELES-Representatives of the Turkish and Azeri communities in California hosted a fund-raiser Saturday for LA City Council candidate Christine Essel, who is in a runoff race with Paul Krekorian, organized by a group calling itself Pax Turcica.
Held at the Beverly Hills home of Mehmet and Demeter Mustafoglu, the event featured Pax Turcica founder Javid Huseynov and President of the Azerbaijani-American Council Ismail Rustamov.
In addressing the crowd, Essel thanked the Turkish and Azeri community members for their support of her campaign.
In his remarks, Huseynov praised the Essel for her service, adding that unlike her opponents, Essel does not put ethnic interests ahead of community ones, an ironic statement since throughout the event Krekorian was blamed for his efforts to bloc an initiative to recognize what the Turks and Azeris call the "Khoyalou Massacres."
Pax Turcica is a grouping of organizations that includes, Assembly of Turkish American Associations, the Azerbaijani-American Council, the Turkish Coalition of America, the American Sephardi Federation and the International Charity Fund of Mountain Jews (STMEGI) among others.
The host, LA-based millionaire Mehmet Mustafoglu has chaired the ATAA of Southern California and co-chairs the American Friends of Israel and Turkey. He is also named the Honorary Consul General of Northern Cyprus to Los Angeles.
