AHI Sends Letter to President Trump Regarding Upcoming Meeting With Erdoğan

In the letter, Larigakis urges President Trump to use the meeting to hold Türkiye accountable for its destabilizing behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean region and other actions taken that run contrary to American foreign policy interests. Additionally, Larigakis urged President Trump to reject any new sales of weapons to Türkiye that include the F-16 Fighting Falcon or the F-35 Lightning II – the latter of which Türkiye is banned from receiving due to the sanctions you previously placed on it through the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in 2019, following Türkiye’s purchase of the S-400 Triumph (SA-21 Growler) from Russia.

The letter specifically raises issues including:

• The illegal occupation of the Republic of Cyprus and violation of Cypriot human rights.

• Threats to the sovereignty of NATO ally Greece through repeated airspace violations, illegal challenges to maritime boundaries, and iridescent, provocative language from President Erdoğan.

• Human rights violations, including actions that restrict the religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

• Threats to U.S. major non-NATO ally Israel, including threats of invasion.

• Providing political, logistical, and financial support to U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations, including Hamas.

• Purchase and possession of the Russian S-400 Triumph (SA-21 Growler).

• The continually expressed aspiration to join BRICS.

• President Erdoğan’s growing closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

• Support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

• Lack of action to prevent attacks on U.S. servicemembers in Türkiye.

• The illegal occupation of Syria and violation of Kurdish human rights.

In the letter, Larigakis states “We further respectfully urge you to reinforce the commitment of the U.S. to our alliances and partnerships in the Eastern Mediterranean and make it clear that threats to Greece, the Republic of Cyprus, and Israel are unacceptable. Türkiye’s actions require a firm, unambiguous public U.S. response - by holding Türkiye accountable for its violations of international law and actions against U.S. regional goals in this way, you can more fully ensure that our national interests are being met.”

Read the full letter here.