No. 32

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) welcomes congressional action underway in a response to Turkey’s behavior, which has not met the principles and standards of a NATO member nation. 

“As we have stated all along, Turkey does not share NATO’s core purpose or best interests,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “It is unbecoming of a NATO member to act in the aggressive and provocative manner as it has toward fellow Alliance-member countries. It is time to hold Turkey accountable, and we are encouraged Congress is taking measures to do so.”

The National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (NDAA) is legislation Congress passes each year that sets policy and funding levels for the Department of Defense. This year, the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate each contains provisions that aim at Turkey’s participation in the F-35 program.

“We thank Senators Thom Tillis and Jeanne Shaheen, who are members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, for their initiative and hard work to secure their amendment that targets Turkey’s participation in the F-35 program,” Larigakis said. “We also thank the House Armed Services Committee for drafting and advancing a bill with a strong provision that passed the U.S. House of Representatives.”

Analysis

House Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the NDAA on May 24, 2018. 

The House’s version contains a provision that requires the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit a report on the status of the United States relationship with Turkey within 60 days of the bill’s enactment.  Included in this report is an assessment of the potential purchase of the S-400 missile system from Russia and its impact on U.S. weapon systems such as the F-35s and F-16s, among other weapons systems.

· All U.S. weapons sales to Turkey are suspended until the Secretary of Defense submits the required report to Congress.

Senate Bill

The Senate’s version of the NDAA advanced out of the Senate Armed Services Committee on May 24, 2018.  The Senate still must pass the bill. 

The Senate’s bill, in its current form, has two provisions specific to the transfer of F-35s to Turkey, according to a news report.

1.      A provision that “directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a plan to Congress to remove the Government of Turkey from participation in the F-35 program,” according to a statement issued by U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), who co-sponsored the provision with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).  Senator Tillis’ statement adds, “The Tillis-Shaheen provision…is a direct response to the Turkish government’s wrongful imprisonment of Pastor Andrew Brunson, and Turkey’s troubling intention to purchase the S-400 system from Russia. The provision explicitly states that Congress finds that the Turkish government is unlawfully and wrongfully detaining Andrew Brunson and is denying him due process rights consistent with international norms.”

2.      A separate provision would also require the Pentagon to produce a report on Turkey’s place in the F-35 supply chain.

The senate’s bill also “expresses the sense of the Senate that if Turkey purchases the S-400 air defense system from Russia, the President should impose sanctions against Turkey under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act,” according to a Senate Armed Services Committee statement.

“Turkey’s aggression in the Aegean Sea, which results in almost daily violations of Greece’s sovereignty and recklessly places lives in harm’s way; and Turkey’s gunboat diplomacy in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus, all must be included in this policy discussion,” Larigakis said. “Greece and Cyprus, along with Israel, provide peace and stability in the region.  Turkey is the instigator of instability and is not a reliable ally of the United States.”

Next Steps

The full Senate must act on the bill.  If it passes the Senate, it goes to Conference Committee, where differences with the House’s version will have to be reconciled.  Once reconciled, the bill goes back to each chamber for a vote.  If passed, it will go to President Donald Trump to sign the bill into law.

No. 31

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) sent a letter to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to convey strong concern regarding the actions and behavior of NATO member Turkey toward fellow Alliance member countries. AHI also expressed profound disappointment with NATO’s inability to address intra-Alliance conflicts because it lacks a provision or mechanism to deal with such an issue.

In the letter, AHI President Nick Larigakis contends Turkey continues to demonstrate it is not a true and dependable NATO ally.  Larigakis cited numerous examples, including: Turkish threats directed at the United States military in Manbij, Syria, Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 missiles, Turkey’s countless violations of Greece’s sovereignty in the Aegean, and Turkish aggression toward the surveying vessel of a multinational oil company (Eni) headquartered in NATO-member Italy that was preparing to survey in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus.

“Clearly, Turkey does not share NATO’s core purpose or best interests. Numerous foreign policy and defense policy analysts and journals have called into question Turkey’s actions as a NATO ally.  It is unbecoming of a NATO member to act in the aggressive and provocative manner as it has toward fellow Alliance-member countries, United States and Greece.  We believe it is time for NATO to explore how to ease tensions and address Turkey’s intra-Alliance unproductive behavior,” Larigakis concludes.

No. 30

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Hellenic Institute supports the introduction of legislation aimed to limit the transfer of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and commends the bill’s three original sponsors, U.S. Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Tom Tillis (R-NC).

“We thank the bill’s sponsor, Senator Lankford, and the bill’s original co-sponsors, Senators Shaheen and Tillis,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “The transfer of such sensitive technology to the Erdogan regime, which has purchased the S-400 missile system from Russia despite U.S. and NATO objections, is a threat to U.S. interests and security.  We urge Congress to pass this legislation.”

This past week, Larigakis sent letters to each of the three senators thanking them and conveying AHI’s strong support for the legislation, S.2781.  The letters outlined several reasons for AHI’s backing of the legislation, including Turkey’s blatant disregard for the rule of law as it pertains toward Greece, Cyprus, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.  In addition, Larigakis cited the Turkish government’s threats toward the United States military and Turkish nationals working for the U.S. Embassy and the wrongful imprisonment of Pastor Andrew Brunson.

No. 29

Washington, DC - Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis visited Hellenic House to meet with American Hellenic Institute (AHI) President Nick Larigakis and members of the Board of Directors, May 2, 2018.

"We thank Admiral Apostolakis for taking time from his itinerary in Washington to meet with us," President Larigakis said. "We appreciated the opportunity to be briefed on developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the close-working cooperation between the militaries of longstanding NATO allies, Greece and the United States.”

Admiral Apostolakis' visit to Washington comes at a critical time in U.S.-Greece defense cooperation as Greece approved the upgrade of 85 F-16 fighter jets this week.  In Washington, the admiral also met with his U.S. counterpart, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford, held meetings on Capitol Hill, and made a presentation at a roundtable discussion hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Admiral Apostolakis thanked AHI for the great work it does to promote Greece around the world. He also discussed the daily multi-faceted challenges that Greece faces in the Eastern Mediterranean including from its NATO ally, Turkey.

“Greece is an immensely valuable, proven, and reliable strategic ally for the projection of U.S. strategic interests in the region, and Greece is a frontline state in the fight against terrorism,” Larigakis said. “These messages are central to the policy agenda AHI promotes so strongly in Washington.”

AHI Board Members Athina Balta and Peter Bota, and AHI Legal Counsel and Board Treasurer Nick Karambelas, joined AHI President Larigakis at the meeting.