US congressman: Turkey should be responsible for its actions

US congressman: Turkey should be responsible for its actions
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Update: 12 July 2022 13:26
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Representative Chris Pappas said he felt confident that the two amendments submitted to the US Congress will stop the sale of F16 fighters to Turkey

Turkey’s NATO membership should not shield its government from being held responsible for its behavior against Greece, US Congressman Chris Pappas said.

Turkey’s acquisition of American F-16s while also having the Russian S-400 missile defense system fosters the same risks that got the country ejected from America’s F-35 program, the congressman argued, in an interview with Kathimerini

"Turkey repeatedly flied its F-16s over inhabited Greek islands, has launched a baseless campaign disputing Greece’s sovereignty in the Aegean Sea, and President Erdogan openly threatens armed conflict with Greece on a regular basis," the Greek-American congressman said.

Pappas said he felt confident that the two amendments he submitted to the House of Representatives will in time stop the sale of F-16 aircraft and modernization kits to Turkey.

“The first amendment would prohibit the US from selling F-16s and F-16 modernization kits and upgrade technologies to Turkey unless Congress receives certification that Turkey has not violated Greece’s sovereignty – specifically through territorial overflights or violations of Greece’s internationally recognized Flight Information Region. The second amendment would prohibit the US from selling weapons to a NATO member that has repeatedly violated the airspace, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of another NATO member unless Congress receives certification that such country is no longer engaging in – and has not in the previous six months – such activity.” he said.