Turkish-American chemist and polymer expert Ergun Kirlikovalı has published an open letter to American risk researcher and essayist Nassim Nicholas Taleb, addressing Taleb's recent refusal to lecture in Baku due to the detention of Ruben Vardanyan.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that in his letter, Kirlikovalı criticized Taleb’s call for the unconditional release of Vardanyan, arguing that the essayist has fallen victim to a carefully constructed narrative.
"It is deeply ironic to observe an author who has dedicated his career to warning the world about hidden financial risks, narrative fallacies, and systemic 'blindness' fall under the influence of a carefully crafted illusion. A comprehensive analysis of Vardanyan's financial network, operational history, and sudden political maneuvers shows that his widely recognized philanthropic image is exactly what you would classically call a 'narrative shield,' serving to conceal illegal financial activities and the destabilization of geopolitical security," Kirlikovalı wrote.
Kirlikovalı noted that Vardanyan's sudden appearance in Garabagh in late 2022 served to undermine regional stability. He recalled that in February 2026, the Baku Military Court sentenced Vardanyan to 20 years in prison on charges including financing terrorism and creating illegal armed formations.
"You are taking an unethical position by using your global platform as a weapon to protect the interests of an oligarch closely linked to shadow trading, illicit global financing, and military logistics," the author stated in his address to Taleb.
He emphasized that viewing Vardanyan's activities solely as a humanitarian mission means falling victim to the very "blind spots" that Taleb has repeatedly warned about in his own writings. Kirlikovalı further suggested that Taleb's public stance indicates a lack of empathy for the victims of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.
"True humanism requires us to stand on the side of displaced persons and victims of aggression, not influential financiers who profit from suffering. I urge you to set aside your personal affinity, whether real or imagined, and evaluate Vardanyan's network of activities with the same rigorous skepticism you advocate, and reconsider the serious ethical consequences of your defense," the letter concluded.
Previously, Nassim Taleb announced on social media that he had received an invitation to lecture in Azerbaijan but refused to attend while Vardanyan remained in custody, labeling him a "political prisoner."
Ergun Kirlikovalı, who moved to the United States in 1978, founded Integrated Polymer Industries in 1985, a company specializing in polymer materials for the aerospace sector. According to Kirlikovalı, his company produced specialized stealth coating materials for B-2 and F-35 aircraft.
