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AHI HAILS CONGRESSIONAL EFFORTS TO BLOCK SALE OF U.S. ARMS TO TURKEY
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 10, 2011 - 10:25 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) welcomes the
effort of congressional lawmakers to block the sale of U.S. arms to
Turkey with the introduction of joint resolution that disapproves of
the issuance of an offer letter for the proposed $111 million sale
of the arms, AHI said in a press release.
"The American Hellenic Institute has long opposed military assistance
to Turkey in testimony submitted before Congress," AHI President
Nick Larigakis said. "The flow of U.S. arms to Turkey only emboldens
Turkey's intransigent stance when it comes to finding a diplomatic
settlement to the Cyprus issue and further encourages its bellicose
threats against U.S. allies Cyprus, Greece, Israel and Armenia. AHI
applauds the lawmakers' effort to block this most recent proposed
sale of U.S. arms to Turkey."
He continued, "Turkey's aggressive behavior in the region is
well-documented, ranging from airspace violations of Greece, to its
invasion and occupation of Cyprus with 40,000-plus troops to its
sabre-rattling rhetoric as Cyprus and Israel explore for gas and oil.
The Obama Administration's pushing of this arms sale during a time
when Turkey is acting belligerently in the eastern Mediterranean and
threatening U.S. allies is unacceptable and downright irresponsible
and disappointing."
U.S. Reps. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and Eliot Engel (D-NY), a senior
member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sponsored the
legislation, H.J.Res.83, which was introduced November 3, 2011. It
has the bipartisan support of initial co-sponsors: U.S. Reps. Gus
Bilirakis (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney, co-chairs of the Hellenic Caucus;
Michael Grimm (R-NY), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Ed Royce (R-CA),
a House Foreign Affairs Committee member. U.S. Reps. Steve Israel
(D-NY) and Jim McGovern (D-MA) have since co-sponsored the legislation.
In a joint statement issued by U.S. Reps. Berkley and Engel, "The
$111 million arms sale to Turkey proposed by the Obama Administration
late last month would include AH-1W Super Cobra Attack Helicopters,
engines, spare parts, training equipment, technical documentation
and support services."
The American Hellenic Institute is a non-profit Greek American public
policy center that works to strengthen relations between the United
States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 10, 2011 - 10:25 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) welcomes the
effort of congressional lawmakers to block the sale of U.S. arms to
Turkey with the introduction of joint resolution that disapproves of
the issuance of an offer letter for the proposed $111 million sale
of the arms, AHI said in a press release.
"The American Hellenic Institute has long opposed military assistance
to Turkey in testimony submitted before Congress," AHI President
Nick Larigakis said. "The flow of U.S. arms to Turkey only emboldens
Turkey's intransigent stance when it comes to finding a diplomatic
settlement to the Cyprus issue and further encourages its bellicose
threats against U.S. allies Cyprus, Greece, Israel and Armenia. AHI
applauds the lawmakers' effort to block this most recent proposed
sale of U.S. arms to Turkey."
He continued, "Turkey's aggressive behavior in the region is
well-documented, ranging from airspace violations of Greece, to its
invasion and occupation of Cyprus with 40,000-plus troops to its
sabre-rattling rhetoric as Cyprus and Israel explore for gas and oil.
The Obama Administration's pushing of this arms sale during a time
when Turkey is acting belligerently in the eastern Mediterranean and
threatening U.S. allies is unacceptable and downright irresponsible
and disappointing."
U.S. Reps. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and Eliot Engel (D-NY), a senior
member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sponsored the
legislation, H.J.Res.83, which was introduced November 3, 2011. It
has the bipartisan support of initial co-sponsors: U.S. Reps. Gus
Bilirakis (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney, co-chairs of the Hellenic Caucus;
Michael Grimm (R-NY), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Ed Royce (R-CA),
a House Foreign Affairs Committee member. U.S. Reps. Steve Israel
(D-NY) and Jim McGovern (D-MA) have since co-sponsored the legislation.
In a joint statement issued by U.S. Reps. Berkley and Engel, "The
$111 million arms sale to Turkey proposed by the Obama Administration
late last month would include AH-1W Super Cobra Attack Helicopters,
engines, spare parts, training equipment, technical documentation
and support services."
The American Hellenic Institute is a non-profit Greek American public
policy center that works to strengthen relations between the United
States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.