Menendez Jr.: I see no reason to support Turkey on F-16s

The commitment that from now on Greece and Cyprus will have a new ally in Congress, expressed Robert Menendez Jr, who was first elected as a federal MP in the November by-elections. During an interview he gave to ERT, the new congressman from New Jersey referred to the ties he has with the Greek-American community, saying “I want to reiterate my deep ties with the Greek and Cypriot community. They are very important factors in the 8th District of the State of New Jersey. I look forward to becoming an ally to the community, both here domestically and internationally.”

“Turkey’s destabilizing role”

At the same time, he seemed to be particularly knowledgeable about the peculiarities of our region. In this context, he referred to the destabilizing role of Turkey, saying that the US must set certain limits. As he noted, “Turkey continues to be a difficult factor in the region and a destabilizing force. We continue to monitor the situation and ensure that we have put the appropriate ‘safeguards’ in place for Turkey and its government to become a better ally and a better neighbor with Greece and Cyprus.”

Relatively with the F-16sRobert Menendez Jr. sent the message that Turkey will not be able to find support to the request for the purchase and upgrade of its fighters in the event that it continues to persist in the same defiant behavior. “Turkey has recently adopted positions that are contrary to the interests of Greece and the United States. So as long as it continues to act this way, I see no reason to support its efforts to gain access to the F-16. This is true now. I hope that Turkey will move in a much better direction, but until it does I see no reason to support her in its efforts to procure the F-16s”, he pointed out.

“It is the obligation of the USA to resolve the Cyprus issue”

Finally, Robert Menendez Jr. also spoke about the Cyprus problem, stressing that its solution is a key mission of the USA. As he explained, “the way we became familiar with the Cypriot was from people who had to leave the occupied areas of the island during the invasion, like my Cuban grandparents had to move and restart their lives here in the United States. And while they are highly successful people and important players in our community, at the end of the day, we must continue to fight for the reunification of Cyprus, in which these people will be able to return to the occupied part of the island under the control of the Republic of Cyprus. So that’s the long-term goal. Efforts continue to get there. But this is the important mission we have as an ally of Cyprus and Greece”.

RES-EMP

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