"Whaaaat?" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian reacts to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suffering shock defeat in Municipal elections

Serena Williams' husband recently expressed his surprise at the unexpected defeat of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the recent municipal elections.

This news holds particular significance for Ohanian due to his Armenian heritage and his outspoken criticism of Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia.

Historically, Turkey has been a source of both moral and diplomatic backing for Azerbaijan. This support has intensified in recent years, 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 conflict.

In the municipal elections held on March 31, Erdogan’s AK Party, fell behind the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), for the first time. The AK Party’s support stood at 35.9% while the CHP was leading the race with 37.3% (at the time of this writing).

This defeat is seen as a major setback for Erdogan and his party, who have been in power for more than two decades. The election results reinforce Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as the president’s main opponent.

Ohanian shared the news of Erdogan’s defeat on X(formerly Twitter) on Sunday, March 31, and expressed his surprise, writing:

"Whaaaat?"

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Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian endorsed Armenia’s bid to join the European Union amid regional tensions

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian at the 2022 Women Sports Foundation's Gala

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian recently voiced his support for Armenia’s potential bid to join the European Union, in the midst of the country’s 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. Although historically allied with Russia, Armenia has recently been looking to diversify its alliances and increase its engagement with the West.

During an interview with a Turkish channel earlier this month, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan disclosed Armenia’s consideration of EU membership (via Reuters.com).

On Friday, March 8, Ohanian took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to share news of Armenia's potential bid for EU membership.

"WOW! Turkey/Azerbaijan want to finish their genocide so badly — that will be significantly harder if Armenia joins the EU. I wonder what the sentiment of Armenians is on this…" Ohanian wrote.

On March 12, the European Parliament approved a resolution affirming that Armenia has fulfilled the criteria of Article 49 of the Maastricht Treaty, thereby qualifying to submit an application for European Union membership.