US Congressmen expressed their strong disagreement with President Biden's public support for Turkey's request for the purchase and upgrade of F-16 fighter jets and sent a letter to the White House. Democratic Congressman Frank Palon is playing a leading role in this effort. The letter from members of Congress expresses concern about the White House's stance, noting that such a development would reward President Erdogan for Turkey's failure to meet its commitments to both the United States and NATO.
"Erdogan chooses to put personal gain above the collective good of his allies. His choice to prevent Finland and Sweden from joining NATO until he receives unreasonable assurances makes clear that he has done nothing to strengthen NATO since Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked the biggest crisis the alliance has faced in decades," the MPs said in their letter.
They go on to argue that these practices by the Turkish president, which run counter to the common good of the alliance, should come as no surprise, as Ankara has engaged in a series of destabilizing actions spanning from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Middle East and North Africa.
"His (Erdogan's) regime has repeatedly used its military power to destabilize the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, the South Caucasus and North Africa. Turkish-backed forces and Turkey have used U.S.-made weapons and components during these incursions to commit war crimes, including bombing civilians and targets such as hospitals and schools in Iraq, Syria, and Nagorno-Karabakh. They have also been repeatedly used to violate the territorial integrity of NATO allies and partners, such as Greece and Cyprus. These are not the actions of a loyal and reliable ally."
In this light, US Congressmen argue that the sale of advanced fighter jets to Turkey will provide no incentive for Erdogan to change his behavior and become a good ally. Indeed, they believe that U.S. weapons given to Turkey could lead to more deaths and destruction in the region.
Finally, they remind President Biden that Turkey continues to use the S-400 missile defense system, which could potentially expose important information of U.S. weapons and military operations to Russia. The letter concludes by saying "as your administration seeks to advance the sale of new F-16s and modernization kits to Turkey, you should know that we will do everything in our power as members of Congress to prevent it. The United States should not provide further support to Turkey's military until tangible steps are taken to end destabilizing actions and violations of international law at home and abroad."
Source: APE-MPA
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