AHI Letter Responds To New York Times Editorial On U.S. Government's Double Standard On Turkey

On October 11, 2002, the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) sent a letter to the editor of The New York Times applauding the newspaper's October 6, 2002 editorial ("Double Talk on Democracy") for shedding light on the hypocrisy of U.S. policy regarding the military-controlled government of Turkey. The editorial also rightly points out the need to bring Turkey's ubiquitous military under civilian rule in order to be truly democratic.

AHI's letter also urges The New York Times to further explore in an editorial the truth behind the alleged value of Turkey's military bases, noting several examples of Turkey's unreliability as an ally to the U.S. In accordance with European Union accession criteria, AHI's letter also points out the need for Turkey to significantly improve its human rights record and to meaningfully address its intransigence over Cyprus and the Aegean.

AHI's letter to The New York Times is available online (click here), along with a copy of The New York Times editorial to which it responds (click here). For additional information, please contact Chrysoula Economopoulos at (202) 785-8430 or at chrysoula@ahiworld.org. For general information on AHI, please visit our website at http://www.ahiworld.org.