US senators call on Pompeo to join EU in imposing sanctions on Turkey

The first letter is signed by Senators Robert Menendez and Chris Van Hollen, while the second is signed by the co-chairs of the Hellenic-Israeli Alliance in Congress, Gus Biliraki and Ted Deutsch. The common denominator in the two letters is the request for clarity in the messages that will be sent by the head of American diplomacy.

Menendez and Van Hollen: Co-operation with EU on imposing sanctions on Turkey

The two senators reminded Mike Pompeo of his assurance that Washington will not allow illegal drilling. According to the report, the US Secretary of State had stated that the US would take diplomatic initiatives to ensure that all actions in the Eastern Mediterranean would be legal. "In accordance with your prior statements, we ask you to call on Turkey to remove its ships from Greece’s EEZ and to resolve this matter in accordance with international law." the senators stressed in their letter.

In this light, Robert Menendez and Chris Van Hollen go a step further and call on the US to work with the EU on a plan of comprehensive sanctions to be imposed on key sectors of the Turkish economy. The senators are calling for these sanctions to be imposed if Turkey continues to act illegally in the Eastern Mediterranean and refuses to settle these issues under the arbitration of the International Court of Justice.

The text of the letter:

Dear Secretary Pompeo:

In advance of your meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias tomorrow in Vienna, we are writing with grave concern regarding Turkey’s provocative actions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Earlier this week, Turkey sent naval vessels to accompany a drilling ship into Greece’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to survey waters for oil and gas exploration. Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu has said that Ankara would issue new seismic exploration and drilling licenses by the end of August.

As you have previously stated, the United States “will not allow anyone, Turkey, to make unlawful drilling” and “we have told Turkey that actions in international waters are unacceptable and we will take diplomatic initiatives so that all actions that are to being taken are lawful.”

In accordance with your prior statements, we ask you to call on Turkey to remove its ships from Greece’s EEZ and to resolve this matter in accordance with international law. 

Second, we ask that you immediately begin to work with the European Union on a coordinated response to Turkey’s increasing provocations and illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean. The European Union has already imposed an entry ban and asset freeze on two Turkish energy executives and France recently deployed ships to the Eastern Mediterranean. The United States and the European Union should immediately develop a plan of comprehensive joint sanctions that would be imposed on key sectors of the Turkish economy if Turkey continues to pursue illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and refuses to resolve these matters through an impartial international tribunal.  

Third, we reiterate our insistence that the administration follow the law and impose sanctions on Turkey under Section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (P.L. 115-44).  Under President Erdogan, Turkey has shirked its international obligations and moved away from the NATO Alliance. The administration’s failure to impose sanctions on Turkey for its purchase of the S-400, in accordance with the law, has emboldened President Erdogan’s aggression across the Eastern Mediterranean and throughout the Middle East.  

The failure of the United States to act decisively at this critical time will only invite further Turkish escalation. Therefore, we urge you take all appropriate measures to ensure Turkey removes its naval vessels from Greece’s EEZ and adheres to its international obligations.  

e the US Secretary of State to take all appropriate measures to ensure that Turkey removes its ships from the Greek EEZ and complies with its international obligations.

It is recalled that the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias talked yesterday afternoon with the two specific senators.

Gus Bilirakis and Ted Deutsch: Mike Pompeo to make it clear that Turkey must stop provoking

The co-chairs of the Hellenic-Israeli Alliance in Congress scold Ankara for its stance, stressing that Turkey is risking an escalation that jeopardizes US strategic interests. In this light, they call on Mike Pompeo to make it clear that continuing this course will create further problems in US-Turkish relations.

"In the East Med Act bill, we drew attention to the long-term Turkish challenges in the region, and in particular to its (Turkey) efforts" to intervene in the efforts of the Republic of Cyprus to explore and exploit the natural resources within its EEZ ". as well as in the violations of the airspace of the Greek territory ", they point out characteristically.

US lawmakers present the Eastern Mediterranean as an area in which a network of workshops has begun to be built on the basis of tripartite cooperation