I was not reassured. I'm certain Princeton administrators thought the same. Like Princeton, UCLA is accepting money to fund the new chair directly from the Turkish government. That doesn't sound like a genuine interest in the pursuit of knowledge to me. The ambassador's hopes for a better political image for Turkey have no place at any academic institution, much less one with UCLA's reputation and renown.
Turkish influence can be subtle.
The government would effectively assure the appointment of a crony to the chair. Unfortunately, until a few days ago the Armenian American community was unaware of the matter. It was a major departure from the friendly, open relations with UCLA which we have come to expect. UCLA may be led unwittingly into disrepute as a participant in Turkey's revisionist campaign. UCLA should postpone consideration of the establishment of a Turkish studies chair until the issues have been raised with participation by all interested parties.