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  • Senate does not approve free frigates for Turkey

    Senate does not approve free frigates for Turkey

    http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/01/04/senate-does-not-approve-free-frigates-for-turkey/
    11:02 04.01.2013

    Despite the best efforts of Ankara's allies in Washington during the
    final hours of the Congressional session, the U.S. Senate refused to
    act Wednesday on a free give-away of advanced American naval vessels
    to Turkey. Earlier this week, the House had approved the controversial
    measure, following a contentious debate, reported the Armenian
    National Committee of America.

    `We join with our Greek American friends in thanking Congressmen
    Engel, Sherman, Bilirakis, and Sarbanes for opposing this
    controversial measure giving away two guided missile frigates to an
    increasingly arrogant and antagonistic Turkey, and welcome the
    Senate's decision to block efforts to `fast-track' passage of this
    controversial measure in the final hours of the 112th Congress,' said
    Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. `This most recent
    setback for Turkey reflects the growing bipartisan understanding on
    both sides of Capitol Hill about the real price America is paying for
    Turkey's growing hostility to U.S. interests and allies. Ankara's
    failure is yet another signal that the era of Turkey's having a
    blank-check in Washington is over.'

    In a letter circulated earlier this week on Capitol Hill, the ANCA
    stressed that: `Such a transfer would materially strengthen Ankara's
    naval capabilities at a time when it is using its maritime fleet to
    aggressively challenge the right of Cyprus to explore its off-shore
    energy resources, and is seeking to obstruct the ability of Greece to
    protect its territorial waters.' The ANCA also emphasized that:
    `Transferring these vessels would also send a dangerous signal to
    Turkey's leaders that our government endorses its military occupation
    of Cyprus, its increasingly belligerent stance toward Israel, its
    blockade of Armenia, its meddling in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
    resolution process, or, for that matter, its violations against the
    rights of Christians, Kurds, and other minorities.' The letter closed
    by noting that: `Such material rewards and moral endorsements are
    neither warranted, nor constructive. In fact, they will work against
    our nation's regional security interests.' The American Hellenic
    Institute, Hellenic American Leadership Council, and other Greek
    American groups also weighed in against the transfer.

    The U.S. House, on December 31st, considered this transfer as part of
    H.R.6649, a measure added to the `Suspension Calendar' under expedited
    procedures requiring a two thirds vote. The House adopted H.R.6649
    after considerable debate, including a defense of the legislation by
    Rep. Ros-Lehtinen and statements in opposition from Representatives
    Eliot Engel (D-NY), the incoming Ranking Democrat on the Foreign
    Affairs Committee, and Brad Sherman (D-CA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), and
    John Sarbanes (D-MD). The absence of Senate action at the end of the
    112th Congress will mean that any legislation authorizing such a
    transfer will need to be re-introduced for consideration by the 113th
    Congress.

    Congressman Brad Sherman, a senior member of the Foreign Affairs
    Committee, opposed H.R.6649 both on its merits and on the process
    being used to secure its consideration in the final hours of the
    Congressional session, noting: `Woodrow Wilson noted that Congress in
    committee is Congress at work. Congress ignoring the committee process
    is a Congress that doesn't work. This bill has not been the subject of
    hearing and, more importantly, a markup in the Foreign Affairs
    Committee. And in the dead of night, provisions to transfer two
    frigates to Turkey, a controversial provision, was added to this
    otherwise innocuous bill... Send this bill back to committee. Let us
    have a real discussion. Let us follow the rules, not suspend the
    rules, when we're dealing with a matter of this importance to our
    foreign policy in the eastern Mediterranean.'

    Congressman Engel, in his remarks, stressed: `Some people say this
    should continue because, after all, Turkey is an ally and we need to
    help them. Well, I look at it the other way. They're a NATO ally, so
    they have responsibility. And the way they're acting has been anything
    but responsible. This is not an inconsequential or trivial matter.'

    Representative Sarbanes, in his comments, remarked that: `This is not
    a non-controversial bill. I know it's being brought here on suspension
    as though it is, and I'm sure in the past when we've had these
    transfers of vessels, excess defense materials and so forth, often
    that is a non-controversial action to take. In this case, it's
    anything but non-controversial, and I'm surprised, frankly, that the
    majority would bring the bill to the floor in this form.'

    In his remarks, Rep. Bilirakis explained his opposition to H.R.6649,
    noting that: `the Turkish navy, as recently as last year, held naval
    live-fire exercises in the eastern Mediterranean. These provocative
    exercises took place near the natural gas fields of Israel and the
    Republic of Cyprus and threatened to disrupt peaceful and productive
    economic activity. Instead, Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that, in the
    eastern Mediterranean, Congress will continue to work to foster the
    relationships between the United States, Greece, Israel, and Cyprus in
    order to promote and foster issues of mutual, economic, and diplomatic
    importance.'

    Congressional scrutiny of the proposed transfer of advanced naval
    vessels, which are described by the U.S. Navy as having been designed,
    among other missions, to support and protect amphibious landing
    forces, was heightened by Turkey's record of aggression in neighboring
    littoral areas, most notably its 1974 invasion and ongoing military
    occupation of Cyprus, as well as its false claims to sovereign Greek
    islands in the Aegean Sea, and its regular incursions into both Greek
    and Cypriot territorial waters.

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