Ergun Kirlikovali, founder of Integrated Polymer Industries, the only Turkish engineer manufacturing specialized materials used by the United States Navy and Air Force, author of stealth coating materials for B-2 bombers, and a researcher, has given an exclusive interview to AZERTAC.
— You sent a letter to Nassim Nicholas Taleb, stating that his decision to refuse to visit Baku while Ruben Vardanyan remains in detention was misguided. We appreciate your support for Azerbaijan. What prompted you to write the letter?
— I am a person who has wholeheartedly embraced the principle of “One nation, two states.” Any insult directed at Azerbaijan is an insult to Türkiye and to me personally. Even if I had both hands covered in blood, I would still feel compelled to respond. Over the past 50 years, I have written more than 5,000 letters to politicians, journalists, academics, and others who have tried to tarnish our reputation. In such situations, I never wait for an Azerbaijani Turk to speak up. I consider it my responsibility to do what needs to be done. My heart, mind, and soul find peace only when I have fulfilled that duty. Turks and Azerbaijani Turks living in America, as well as Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Turkmens, and Uyghurs, generally share this way of thinking.
Every year, cultural festivals are held across the United States with the participation of our Turkish brothers and sisters. Azerbaijani Americans also take a keen interest in these events.
For more than a century, Armenians have continuously conducted anti-Turkish, anti-Azerbaijani, and anti-Islam propaganda in the United States, shaping certain negative perceptions. Of course, Christian missionaries in Anatolia also played a role in the formation of these perceptions. I strongly recommend that our young people read Professor Justin McCarthy’s book “The Turk in America: The Creation of an Enduring Prejudice,” which examines these issues in depth.
We, as Turkish Americans, have been fighting these smear campaigns continuously. Yet our messages are often censored or reduced to a fraction of their original length. We must continue this struggle without giving in to fear or fatigue. And, of course, we demonstrate the same determination in support of our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters.
I would like to highlight three points in this regard:
1. In the short term: We must immediately oppose hostile political initiatives targeting us and smear campaigns in the media. For instance, the Armenian lobby is seeking to have the false claim of an “Armenian genocide” taught as part of school curricula in some states. They are now attempting to expand these claims by adding what I consider unfounded allegations concerning Greek and Assyrian genocides. At the same time, they oppose teaching about genocidal acts allegedly committed by Armenians against Turks. If we remain silent, it seems this list will continue to grow. Anti-Turkish lobbying groups are attempting to turn history education into a political instrument. We must organize and challenge such initiatives before they become law. Our community members should contact lawmakers immediately and make it clear that we, too, live in the United States and participate in its elections.
2. In the medium term: We need to become more engaged in political life at the local level. It is essential for Turkish Americans and Americans of Azerbaijani descent to participate more actively in the social and political life of the United States. They should volunteer for charitable organizations in their communities, support people in need and those living with disabilities, and contribute more actively to the protection of animals and the environment. They should take an interest in politics, establish constructive relationships with elected officials, build ties with candidates for public office, and support them both financially and through their election campaigns. By doing so, our Turkish and Azerbaijani communities will become more visible, better known, and more positively regarded across the United States.
3. In the long term: We must focus on providing our young people with the best possible education. Quality education in the United States can be expensive, and admission to leading universities requires more than simply being able to pay high tuition fees. Young people should strive for excellence in sports, the arts, and music and, perhaps most importantly, take an active role in social responsibility initiatives. We should also encourage our most successful young people to enter public service and pursue careers in politics.
— Certain circles have launched a campaign against Azerbaijan over the lawful prosecution of Ruben Vardanyan, claiming that his detention is illegal. What is your view on this?
— I find it ironic that Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a writer who has spent his career warning the world about hidden financial risks, misleading narratives, and “structural blindness,” appears to have fallen for an illusion carefully crafted by Vardanyan. Is Taleb really so foolish, or is turning a blind eye simply in his interest? I have no knowledge of whether there is a financial or other vested-interest connection between Taleb and Vardanyan. However, a serious examination of Vardanyan’s financial network, operational history, and abrupt political moves would show, in my view, that his public image as a philanthropist is nothing more than a carefully constructed fraud.
Let us examine the facts and the record. Vardanyan’s Troika Dialog bank effectively operated what became known as the “Troika Laundromat.” According to international financial bodies and legal investigators, the network systematically concealed the real owners behind companies. It created sophisticated offshore schemes, deceptive structures, intermediary banks, and shell companies to illegally move billions of dollars out of Russia, relying on multiple layers of financial obfuscation.
Banking investigations further exposed how the network allegedly exploited ordinary people who had no idea what was happening, using them to move money through complicated international networks.
Beyond these alleged systematic financial abuses, Vardanyan’s activities raise serious legal and security concerns. Against this backdrop, Taleb’s call for the unconditional release of Vardanyan, who is subject to severe international sanctions, amounts, in my view, to actively defending mechanisms that contribute to the financing of regional violence.
Taleb’s approach also turns a blind eye to the serious political instability allegedly caused by Vardanyan. Vardanyan appeared suddenly in Garabagh in late 2022 and, according to the charges brought against him by Azerbaijan, financed terrorism and helped create illegal armed groups in the region. He was subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Baku Military Court in February 2026. To portray Vardanyan’s path as nothing more than a humanitarian struggle is to fall victim to the very “blind spots” Taleb himself has described in his writings.
Moreover, Taleb’s position, in my view, reflects a profound lack of historical empathy for the Azerbaijani victims of the conflict. For more than three decades, the Azerbaijani people have endured terrible tragedies on their own land. His stance overlooks the documented horrors of the military occupation from 1992 to 2020, which forcibly displaced nearly one million Azerbaijani civilians, as well as the 1992 Khojaly massacre.
Taleb is using his global platform to defend an oligarch with alleged links to shadow trading, illicit global finance, and wartime logistics. That is not an ethical position. Rather, it exposes, in my view, the artificial nature of the campaign. True humanitarianism demands standing beside the displaced and the victims of aggression—not powerful financiers who profit from human suffering.
I invite Taleb to look beyond his own circle and reconsider the deeper ethical consequences of defending Vardanyan, whom I regard as a criminal. Put simply, being a celebrated writer is one thing; being a human being is another.
