HARTFORD – The following is a press release from state Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria (R‑Seymour) and state Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw (D‑Avon):
Unified in support of the people of the Eastern Mediterranean and against the violent Erdogan regime, State Representatives Nicole Klarides-Ditria (R‑105) and Eleni Kavros DeGraw (D‑17) in a letter voiced their strong support for continued sanctions against the Turkish government and requested Congresswoman Hayes keep pressure on the Biden administration to reject any consideration to provide weapons systems or military support to the dictatorial regime.
The letter comes in response to reports that Turkey has appealed to the U.S. to sell military F‑16 fighter jets and repair parts for their existing military aircraft fleet. The Representatives noted: “Turkey was expelled from the F‑35 fighter jet program after the Erdogan regime accepted delivery of the Russian S‑400 missile system. Since that time, Turkey has been a destabilizing force in the eastern Mediterranean, seeking to intimidate its neighbors and playing the role of chaos agent in the region. The Erdogan regime has violated a United Nations arms embargo in Libya, deployed its troops and Syrian militias in the region and undermined U.S. security interest while threatening our NATO allies.”
“Stopping these sales and preventing the Turkish government from accessing even more lethal armaments is vitally important to the people of the region and we are calling on our Congresswoman and the entire Connecticut delegation to stand firmly with America’s allies and defend their right to live free from terror,” Rep. Klarides-Ditria said. “Until Turkey ceases causing chaos in the region it would be unconscionable to provide them with any tool that allows for continued aggression.”
“It’s critical that we support our allies in the Mediterranean against the ongoing bullish behavior of the Turkish government.” Rep. Kavros DeGraw said. “Further, it undermines the recent U.S.-Greece Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement renewed last week. “
The World Justice Project recently ranked Turkey as 117 on a list of 139 countries for adherence to the rule of law, they wrote.
