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US lawmakers have called for action on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's inflammatory rhetoric against NATO allies and Israel in a letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Congressmen argue that the Turkish president is undermining Washington's key allies as well as US efforts to fight international terrorism.
In this perspective, they ask the State Department to condemn the statements and actions related to Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"Erdogan's promotion of harmful, anti-democratic policies and his alignment with the axis of evil are straining relations between the US and Turkey. If this trend continues, the US should consider measures to ensure that Turkey fulfills its NATO obligations," the US lawmakers point out in their letter.
The bipartisan letter signed by a total of 24 lawmakers is an initiative of Legislators Josh Gottheimer and Gus Bilirakis and is supported by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the FDD Action Institute.
The full letter from US Congressmen to Anthony Blinken:
We are writing to reiterate our serious concerns regarding the recent inflammatory rhetoric and behavior of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Although allies often disagree, Erdogan's recent behavior has undermined US efforts to fight global terrorism. With democracy under attack around the world, it is vital that allies stand with those on the front lines fighting authoritarianism and strongly condemn anti-democratic behavior that violates our shared values. We call on the government to publicly condemn President Erdogan's rhetoric and actions that undermine support for our key allies abroad, especially Israel.
On July 9, 2024, many of us sent you a letter outlining our concerns about Erdogan's statements about Israel and asking you to condemn his continued support for the terrorist regime responsible for the October 7 attacks. In this letter, we listed some dangerous and inflammatory comments of Erdogan, calling among others the terrorists of Hamas "freedom fighters" and calling Israel a "terrorist state". Since then, President Erdogan has continued to make statements and propose policies that undermine our international partnerships and alliances. Unfortunately, these actions add to Erdogan's history of aligning himself with authoritarian and terrorist regimes that disregard American and European priorities.
Erdogan's statements are repugnant, and his behavior continues to undermine America's security interests abroad, providing fertile ground for authoritarian leaders around the world. In particular, Erdogan has exacerbated divisions within NATO over business and security. Earlier this summer, Erdogan vowed to block existing and future NATO cooperation with Israel. Israel is a critical and valuable NATO partner, contributing significantly in areas such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), counter-terrorism and intelligence sharing. Erdogan's threat to sever these ties would prevent NATO from receiving critical technology and defense information.
While participating in NATO, Erdogan has simultaneously strengthened Turkey's ties with totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. He has abandoned Turkey's bid to join the European Union and now aspires to join BRICS, a group that seeks to strengthen the international standing and influence of our adversaries, including Russia, China and Iran. No other NATO member has joined BRICS, given the apparent conflicts and security concerns. Just days before traveling to the NATO Summit in Washington, Erdogan met with his "dear friend" Vladimir Putin to reaffirm his commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation in Syria. Statements like these directly undermine US support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's unprovoked invasion and opposition to the Assad regime, which commits some of the worst human rights abuses on the planet.
Erdogan's promotion of harmful, anti-democratic policies and his alignment with the axis of evil are straining relations between the United States and Turkey. If this trend continues, the United States should consider measures to ensure that Turkey meets its NATO obligations. While maintaining NATO's unity is essential, Erdogan's recent anti-Israel rhetoric and friendliness toward Russia cannot be ignored. We call on the government to publicly condemn President Erdogan's rhetoric and actions that undermine support for our key allies abroad, especially Israel."
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