Friday, October 29 2021 10:34

ArmInfo. A coalition of ethnic, faith-based, and civic groups representing Americans from across the nation are calling on Senate leaders - and working with  U.S. Representatives - to enforce U.S. sanctions on Turkey and block  Erdogan's request to purchase 40 F- 16 fighters and 80 F-16  modernization kits.

As reported by the press service of the Armenian National Committee  of America (ANCA), in a recent letter to Senate Foreign Relations  Committee and Armed Services Committee Chairmen and Ranking Members  Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Jim  Inhofe (R-OK), representatives of the Hellenic American Leadership  Council, Armenian National Committee of America, American Friends of  Kurdistan, Hindu American Foundation, and Middle East Forum shared  their concerns about "national security risks posed to the United  States by Turkey's dramatic turn away from the Western alliance and  our norms of democracy and the rule of law."

The civic groups referenced issues raised by the Senators published  in a joint The New York Times op/ed on April 9, 2019, titled "A U.S.  Fighter Jet or a Russian Missile System. Not Both," arguing that the  same reasons to block the sale of F-35s to Turkey should apply to  President Erdogan's current request to purchase F-16s. They noted  that the F-16 sale would undermine Countering America's Adversaries  Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions, initially put in place  under the previous Administration, as well as "the broader  legislative intent of Congress, which passed this law with  overwhelming bipartisan support and has maintained a hold over new  American weapons purchases by an increasingly malign Turkey."

The coalition concludes, "Access to American weapons systems -  including upgraded F-16s - is a privilege that Turkey must earn, not  a right to which it is entitled. Such access must be withheld until  Turkey proves that it will honor and align with American law, values,  interests, and alliances." The coalition letter is available here.

In the U.S. House, the coalition is backing a Congressional letter to  Secretary of State Blinken, led by Representatives Chris Pappas  (D-NH) and Congressional Hellenic Caucus Co-Chairs Carolyn Maloney  (D- NY) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL). The bipartisan letter expresses  concern about the sale of F-16s and modernization kits, noting  security risks associated with the sale and arguing that by Erdogan's  own words, Turkey has shown no intention of coming into compliance  with U.S. law. "We share your goal of a Turkey that is rooted to the  West, but we will not achieve that goal if the Erdogan government  escapes accountability for violating U.S. law and the standards of  the NATO alliance," argue the Representatives.  The House members are  requesting "a formal notification of any Turkish Letter of Request  (LOR), the specifics of such an LOR, the Administration's position on  such an LOR, and responses to our specific objections."

The Hellenic American Leadership Council has launched a nationwide  action alert urging support for the Pappas-Maloney-Bilirakis letter.   The deadline for Members of Congress to co-sign the Pappas-Maloney-  Bilirakis letter is Friday, October 29th.

Earlier this week, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) was joined by ten  House members in urging President Biden and Secretary Blinken to  refuse Turkey's request to purchase the F-16's and modernization  kits. "As long as President Erdogan advances his expansionist project  in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey will continue to threaten our  national security and the security of our closest allies in the  region - Greece, Israel, and Cyprus. We urge you to act in our  national interest and for the sake of stability in the Eastern  Mediterranean by refusing to reinforce Turkey's aging arsenal of  fighter jets, and we look forward to receiving your response," wrote  Malliotakis, who was joined in cosigning the letter by  Representatives Pappas, Maloney, Bilirakis, David Cicilline (D-RI),  Jim Costa (D-CA), David Valadao (R-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Dina  Titus (D-NV), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Jackie Speier (D-CA).