US Senator Menendez tells committee he opposes arms sales to Turkey
- Written by E.Tsiliopoulos
Chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Robert ("Bob") Menendez expressed his opposition to the sale of new arms to Turkey on Tuesday.
The US Senator spoke of "violations of international norms including overflights of Greek airspace" and territorial waters as "not acceptable", and said the committee "has jurisdiction over arms sales (...); I find it very difficult to agree."
Despite its status as a NATO ally, Turkey continues to be the "most persistent and proximate threat to East Mediterranean security and prosperity," Menendez said, citing the neighboring country's challenges of Greek sovereignty with provocative overflights in the Aegean Sea. Violating airspace with fighter jets "is simply unacceptable behavior," he underlined.
He also called for lifting the embargo of arms sales to the Cyprus Republic, calling the current partial embargo "anachronistic". The full lifting of the embargo will allow Cyprus to "ultimately modernize its defense capabilities and further integrate with EU and US," he said.
Related items
- Greek bases to hosts largest NATO air exercise this Fall.
- Far right deputy punches another far right MP, lands in jail, faces prosecutor
- Sakellaropoulou: The victims of the Armenian genocide must never be forgotten
- PM Mitsotakis at 'Aegis' event: 'The first time so much funding is spent on preventative actions' for climate crisis
- Eleni Tsolaki trolls herself after Elon Musk's comment: I have a proposal to take over as CEO of Twitter
Latest from E.Tsiliopoulos
- Greek bases to hosts largest NATO air exercise this Fall.
- Far right deputy punches another far right MP, lands in jail, faces prosecutor
- Sakellaropoulou: The victims of the Armenian genocide must never be forgotten
- PM Mitsotakis at 'Aegis' event: 'The first time so much funding is spent on preventative actions' for climate crisis
- Eleni Tsolaki trolls herself after Elon Musk's comment: I have a proposal to take over as CEO of Twitter