NO. 153
Washington, DC—The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) applauds the passage of the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report by the U.S. House of Representatives, December 8, 2020, that mandates sanctions on Turkey and authorizes funding for military facilities at Souda Bay, Crete. AHI looks forward to its anticipated passage by the U.S Senate and eventual enactment.
Souda Bay Authorization of Funding
The conference report authorizes $50,180,000 in funding for military construction at Souda Bay, Crete.
“Regarding Greece, AHI has elevated the importance of military facilities located at Souda Bay in foreign and defense policy circles in Washington and has championed increased investment in NSA Souda Bay,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “We are pleased the legislation will authorize significant funding for military construction at Souda Bay, demonstrating its importance to Washington policymakers.”
Sanctions on Turkey
The conference report includes two provisions related to imposing sanctions on Turkey. The first triggers sanctions on Turkey due to the Turkish government’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system “not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose five or more of the sanctions described in section 235 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 9529).”
“Though the U.S. government could currently sanction Turkey under CAATSA without any additional measures as included in the NDAA, the Administration has elected not to do so,” President Larigakis said. “As a consequence, the FY21 NDAA will mandate that the President sanction Turkey within thirty days of the enactment of the law, which we applaud.”
According to President Larigakis, sanctions can only be terminated once the President certifies to Congress that Turkey no longer has Russian S-400 missile systems, or any Russian successor system, in the country. The sanctions can range from light to severe, and there will be a variety of options to choose from, such as sanctioning Turkish individuals or government officials, or more draconian measures, such as banning Turkish imports or restricting financial transactions with Turkish institutions, among others.
In addition, there is an NDAA provision that expands and clarifies sanctions language regarding Turkstream and Nord Stream 2. Nord Stream 2 is a new export gas pipeline under construction which will run from Russia to Europe across the Baltic Sea, while Turkstream transits gas from Russia to Turkey.
According to Larigakis, the NDAA’s language is designed to punish individuals or financial institutions who facilitate pipe laying activities in connection with Nord Stream 2 or the second TurkStream pipeline project. The language is originally based off a bill, “Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Clarification Act of 2020,” introduced by U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), which seeks to clarify and expand existing U.S. sanctions under the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act of 2019.
“Sanctions on Turkey are long overdue,” Larigakis said. “The decision by Congress to mandate the enforcement of CAATSA sanctions on Turkey is a step in the right direction and demonstrates an increasing shift away from previous policies of appeasement toward Turkey. Furthermore, we appreciate the efforts in the NDAA to hold those involved in supporting Turkstream to account.”
NDAA Next Steps
The NDAA Conference Report needs to be approved by the U.S. Senate, which is expected. It will then head to President Donald Trump for enactment. However, President Trump has indicated that he may veto the bill for reasons unrelated to the Turkey sanction provisions.
The House of Representatives passed the bill by a veto-proof margin, 335-78.