U.S. Congressmen against Missile Sale to Turkey

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Co-Chairpersons of the Hellenic Caucus were joined by Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and George Radanovich (R-CA) in calling on Congressional leaders to reexamine a controversial $162 million U.S. missile sale to Turkey, reported Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). In letters addressed to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House Armed Services and International Relations Committees, the four legislators voiced their "deep concern and opposition to the application currently before your Committee for the foreign military sale to Turkey of 50 AGM 84K Joint Standoff Land Attack Missiles - Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) and associated equipment and services." Noting that Turkey has enforced an illegal blockade against Armenia for the last twelve years, provides support to Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh, and refuses to normalize relations with Armenia, they stressed that, "there are no safeguards in place to ensure that the transfer of these advanced new weapons to Turkey will not be used to threaten Armenia." Commenting on the presence of more than 40,000 Turkish military troops in the Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus, the legislators argued that the sale would "exacerbate the already existing military imbalance over Cyprus," and "worsen the uneasy, insecure and disadvantaged position of the Republic of Cyprus in terms of its defense and weapons proliferation."



Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hampariam thanked the Congressmen and remarked that the sale of missiles to a state that intruded into Cyprus with the American weapons and conveyed these weapons to Azerbaijan during the conflict with Nagorno Karabakh doesn't meet the U.S. interests.