YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez called out Turkey for arming Azerbaijan and enabling the massacre of innocent Armenian civilians and said he will not approve any F-16s for Turkey until President Erdogan stops his campaign of aggression in the region.

Menendez delivered remarks on the Senate Floor following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s threatened missile strike on Athens, Greece. 

“This is a NATO member—directly threatening to target Athens, a city of three million civilians. According to the United Nations—an intentional attack on civilians is a war crime. And so, Madam President, I come to the Floor today to condemn the recent actions of the Turkish President which are not only disturbing—they are totally unacceptable. For years Erdogan has pursued repressive, anti-democratic policies at home and abroad,” Menendez said in the Senate.

“…From criminalizing insults of Turkey and freedom of expression to the suppression of dissent and political opposition figures, Erdogan has jailed and silenced so many pro-democracy and human rights activists that at one point there were more lawyers and journalists in Turkish jails than anywhere else in the world.His government continues to try and hide the truth about the Armenian Genocide, prosecuting writers and historians. In 2008 one of the journalists who wrote about the genocide was assassinated on the streets of Istanbul. As violent as Erdogan’s tenure has been at home, his foreign policy has been absolutely awful.On the eve of Baku’s War in Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkey sold Azerbaijan 77 million dollars of military equipment that was used to attack innocent Armenians.”

Menendez said that the United States must take the Turkish President’s actions seriously.

“…We need to hold Erdogan accountable for his behavior when he violates international laws, or challenges democratic norms, or allows his forces to commit human rights abuses.”

“And I think, given all of this recent behavior, the United States should not be putting F-16 fighter jets in President Erdogan’s hands.That is why, as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will not approve any F-16s for Turkey until he halts his campaign of aggression across the entire region.I’m sure this won’t make me many friends in Ankara.And President Erdogan has criticized me personally—calling me an enemy of the state.But if standing up to human rights abuses makes me an enemy of Erdogan – if calling out Turkey for arming Azerbaijan and enabling the massacre of innocent Armenian civilians makes me an enemy of Erdogan – if demanding Turkey recognize Greek and Cypriot sovereignty makes me an enemy of Erdogan – then it is a badge I will wear with honor. And so to my colleagues here in the Senate, I’ll close by saying—do not be afraid to stand up for American values in the face of Erdogan’s aggression. To the international community—do not hesitate to hold Turkey accountable for violating international law. To the citizens living in the shadow of Erdogan’s Typhoon missiles—do not forget the United States stands shoulder-to-shoulder with you. And to those people in Turkey who still hope for a free, democratic future—do not give up. One day soon, with your bravery, peace and prosperity will return to your homeland,” Menendez added.