Congress to Trump: Stand Firm Against Erdogan’s Threats

A group of bipartisan members of Congress has sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to stand firm against Turkey’s President Erdogan amid reports that the two leaders will meet shortly.

The letter is signed by prominent members of Congress, including Vice Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Gregory Meeks and led by Democratic Representative Dina Titus. It addresses several critical issues pivotal to U.S.-Turkish relations and regional stability.

Highlighting concerns from recent discussions between the two leaders, the letter emphasizes key topics such as Turkey’s ambitions regarding the F-35 fighter jets, territorial disputes with Greece, Cyprus, and Israel, Erdogan’s alliances with groups like Hamas, and the broader issues of political opposition and human rights within Turkey.

The lawmakers express particular unease over Turkey’s actions, citing violations of Greek airspace and territorial waters, ongoing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, and Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defense system. These actions, including Ankara’s removal from the F-35 program and subsequent sanctions under CAATSA, underscore concerns about Turkey’s alignment with NATO adversaries and its regional policies, including the controversial “Blue Homeland” doctrine.

The Members of Congress also denounce Erdogan’s revisionist “Blue Homeland” policy, which they describe as a “political and military justification for dominating the Eastern Mediterranean at the expense of other regional powers.” This policy has manifested in Turkish efforts to “claim natural gas deposits off the coast of Cyprus” and in the signing of a maritime agreement with Libya that infringes upon Greek and Cypriot sovereignty, actions that “flout international law” and advance Erdogan’s “neo-Ottoman goals.”

Furthermore, the ongoing illegal occupation of Northern Cyprus remains unresolved. “Fifty-one years ago, Turkey invaded Cyprus and embarked on a gruesome campaign to ethnically cleanse parts of the island,” the letter recalls. The so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is still recognized by no other nation and has been condemned in numerous UN resolutions and by the European Court of Human Rights.

Congress’s letter to Trump underscores Erdogan’s divergence from U.S. interests

While acknowledging Turkey’s strategic importance as a NATO ally and its defense spending commitments, the letter underscores Erdogan’s divergence from U.S. interests, citing his geopolitical maneuvers, support for Islamist groups, and contentious regional policies.

Members of Congress warn that Erdogan’s agenda is increasingly aligned with authoritarian and adversarial powers. He has “expressed his desire to join BRICS, seek status within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, support Islamist groups in Syria, annihilate the Kurds, facilitate genocide in Sudan, and boost Russian nuclear industries.”

The letter urges Trump to engage Erdogan, on a firm and values-based approach. The United States must “urge greater respect for international law as well as the rule of law within his own country.”

Doing so, as the authors note, will “strengthen NATO, strengthen our partnerships with countries like Greece and Cyprus, further guarantee Israel’s security, and promote global security.”

Signed by 22 legislators, the bipartisan letter signals a unified stance on safeguarding U.S. interests and promoting stability in a volatile geopolitical landscape.

Related: Greek-American Opposition to Turkey’s F-35 Purchase Intensifies