No. 91
WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute applauds the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues for sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, signed by 47 members of Congress, which strongly urges him to hold Turkey accountable for their support of Hamas.
The letter comes in response to Turkey facilitating resources which aided Hamas in their October 7th attack on Israel, which killed thousands of innocent civilians, including women and children, in the deadliest act of violence against Jewish people since the Holocaust. The attack also resulted in the deaths of 22 Americans, and many others have been taken hostage.
Lead by the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH), the members of Congress highlighted how “the longstanding political, logistical, and financial support provided by Turkey and President Erdogan to Hamas is well-known and a matter of grave concern” and how “Erdogan consistently espouses antisemitic rhetoric and overtly defends Hamas.”
Citing that “President Erdogan has made Turkey a sanctuary for Hamas” and that “Turkey and President Erdogan have embraced Hamas with open arms,” the letter also raises concerns that this connection between Turkey and Hamas is “a matter that has not received adequate attention from the United States,” to which they urged Blinken to immediately address.
The letter specifically addresses security concerns created by Turkish support for Hamas, explaining how the “Istanbul office has functioned as a crucial hub for strengthening Hamas’s capacity to launch attacks against Israel. It provides training for Hamas operatives, engages in money laundering through Turkish financial institutions, and facilitates the infiltration of terrorists into Israeli territory” and “facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars to support Hamas operatives.”
The members of Congress urged Blinkin to take the following actions:
Formally designate Hamas as a terrorist organization;
Close Hamas’s office in Istanbul and any affiliated entities operating in Turkey;
Revoke Turkish citizenship and confiscate Turkish passports from all Hamas officials within Turkey;
Expel Hamas officials from the country and prohibit their re-entry;
Investigate whether any Turkish banks are implicated in the financing of Hamas, report the findings of such an investigation to the U.S. Department of State, and sanction any banks involved in such financing; and
Investigate whether any Turkish officials were involved in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and report said findings to the U.S. Department of State
AHI President Nick Larigakis stated that “This letter serves as a crucial reminder of the security challenges created by Turkey when they actively support enemies of the United States, as they have done repeatedly. Turkey not only refuses to label Hamas as a terrorist organization, but also actively facilitates the activities of Hamas, which is completely unacceptable. As the letter signed by 47 members of Congress states, the U.S. must take a more active role in holding Turkey accountable when they act contrary to our national security interests.”
Read the full letter here.
Read the press release on the letter from the offices of Rep. Bilirakis and Rep. Pappas here.
Read AHI’s statement on the October 7th attack on Israel here.
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The American Hellenic Institute is an independent non-profit Greek American public policy center and think tank that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.
For additional information, please contact Zac Cotronakis at (561) 529-0306 or [email protected]. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at http://www.ahiworld.org.