Türkiye‘s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun on Friday slammed a U.S. senator for “one-sided” claims on Türkiye’s insurance policies.
“It is sad to see U.S. Congress members and Administration officials perpetuate one-sided views of Türkiye’s policies. Skewed and deeply flawed descriptions of our government’s policies and approaches have, unfortunately, become a staple of U.S. Congressional hearings,” Altun stated on Twitter.
Altun’s remarks got here after U.S. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez claimed that Türkiye doesn’t “deserve” to amass fighter jets from the U.S., citing many causes, together with ties with Greece, NATO enlargement, and human rights.
“Let us set the file straight, @SenatorMenendez. Türkiye doesn’t violate different international locations’ territorial waters or air area. Some of our neighbors have engaged in any such habits and we’ve got all the time responded appropriately. We is not going to enable violation of our sovereignty.
“Türkiye never engages in violation of other countries’ sovereignty including drilling in their exclusive economic zones, as you claim, @SenatorMenendez. The long running Cyprus issue, the resolution of which has been made nearly impossible by the EU, is the culprit here,” Altun stated.
Strongly rejecting Menendez’s claims, Altun stated: “We are not occupiers in Cyprus as you claim but we have been protecting Turkish Cypriots. The reason this issue has been ongoing for so long is the EU’s shortsightedness in admitting Cyprus as a member despite its disputed borders.”
F-16 REQUEST
Regarding Türkiye’s F-16 request, Altun stated Ankara has sought to obtain weapons programs from NATO allies, together with the U.S., constantly, including: “We have turned to other suppliers only when the U.S. Congressional committees, often under your leadership @SenatorMenendez, have made it incredibly difficult.”
Türkiye, a fellow long-standing NATO member, requested in October 2021 to buy 40 F-16 fighter jets, in addition to modernization kits for its present planes.
The Biden administration informally notified Congress of its approval of the sale in January however key lawmakers at Capitol Hill have vowed to nix the deal over a number of calls for, together with making the acquisition contingent on Ankara’s approval of Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership bids.
Ankara maintains that the jets would strengthen not solely Türkiye however NATO.
Stressing that Türkiye has not blocked the enlargement of NATO, Altun stated: “If something, we’ve got been sturdy backers of NATO enlargement by supporting Georgia and Ukraine’s memberships up to now.
“We have sought to protect our common security by asking Finland and Sweden to fight terrorism. Turkish Parliament just approved Finland’s membership and Sweden can get there soon by tightening their anti-terror laws.”
About not becoming a member of EU sanctions towards Russia, Altun stated it isn’t a violation of any worldwide agreements, of which Türkiye is a signatory.
“You may have forgotten that Türkiye is not an EU member. Also, we have given humanitarian support to Ukraine more than many EU countries,” he added.
Regarding Türkiye’s airstrikes in northern Syria and Iraq to guard its borders and residents from the phobia menace, Altun stated: “You are right about Türkiye conducting air strikes against YPG/PKK, as you call them “U.S. companions,” in Iraq and Syria.
“U.S. has been supporting a terror group that has been fighting the Turkish state for more than 40 years. We will not relent in our fight against them.”
In its greater than 35-year terror marketing campaign towards Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist group by Türkiye, the U.S., and EU — has been liable for the deaths of over 40,000 individuals, together with girls, youngsters, and infants. The YPG is its Syrian department.
HUMAN RIGHTS
About senator’s claims on human rights points, Altun stated the federal government has made the “biggest” progress in giving non secular minorities their rights and freedoms, including: “If anyone has any doubts about this, they can simply go and ask the Christian and other minorities living in Türkiye.”
Altun additionally stated Menendez’s cost about jailing attorneys and journalists in addition to political opponents earlier than elections is “unfounded and misleading,” stressing: “These people are indicted for crimes (such as terrorism) unrelated to their profession.”
About the authorized circumstances towards some native personnel employed by the U.S. diplomatic missions in Türkiye, he stated it “has to do with pursuing the culprits of a treacherous coup attempt in our country, whoever they might be.”
He additionally reminded that restoring Ayasofya’s standing as a mosque is Türkiye’s nationwide sovereign resolution.
“We are dissatisfied and actually bored with listening to many of those misrepresentations and false claims about our nation, @SenatorMenendez and (U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken) @SecBlinken. We discover that the U.S. is the troublesome ally in a number of of its regional and NATO relationships together with that of ours.
“We call on U.S. politicians and leaders to drop their preconceived notions about our country and adopt a fair and realistic assessment of the outstanding issues. Despite the flawed perceptions common in Washington, we are always ready for cooperation on issues of mutual interest,” Altun stated.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
