The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) supports an important amendment introduced by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) : Amendment #579 to the FY22 NDAA (H.R. 4350). This amendment requires the State Department to issue a report to Congress on the activities of the Grey Wolves, a Turkish ultranationalist and Islamist group, against the United States and its partners, including an assessment of whether the Grey Wolves meet the criteria to be designated as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
For too long, many policy-makers have propagated the false narrative that Turkey is a reliable, western-oriented ally on the war on terror. The truth is that Turkey supports radical ultranationalist and Islamic terrorist groups, such as Hamas, to the detriment of the security of the United States and its allies. The Grey Wolves are a neo-fascist group which target ethnic Armenian and Greek minorities. The organization regularly threatens the livelihood of the Ecumenical Patriarch, and has been implicated in a failed assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II. Even more concerning, the Grey Wolves have well-documented ties to the Turkish government, in particular its intelligence agency.
According to AHI President Nick Larigakis, “AHI congratulates Congresswoman Titus for shepherding an amendment which will for the first time hold the Turkish government accountable for its relationship with extremist and radical Islamist groups. We support its swift passage.”
Action
Contact your legislators, identify yourself as a constituent, and ask to speak with the legislator’s legislative director or foreign affairs legislative assistant.