The AHEPAN Winter 2017 - 17

CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY

AHEPA Applauds Sen. Van Hollen, Appropriators for Passing
Pro U.S.-Greece Funding Measure
AHEPA applauds Senate appropriators for voting to strengthen U.S.-Greece military-to-military Relations in their FY2018 State,
Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, announced Supreme President Carl Hollister.
Thanks to the advocacy of U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), the bill, if enacted, will increase funding for Greece's International
Military Education and Training (IMET) Program to $425,000, which is $275,000 above
the Trump administration's recommended FY18 funding level and $225,000 above the
previous enacted funding level.
In addition, U.S. Sen. Van Hollen, and U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), offered an
amendment that prohibits U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding the sale of weapons to
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security detail. The amendment passed via
voice vote.
"We appreciate Senator Van Hollen for spearheading these two important measures,
and furthermore, we thank the Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Senator
Senator Van Hollen at AHEPA Capitol Hill Day.
Lindsey Graham, and Ranking Member Leahy, for passing them," Hollister said.

AHEPA Commends Trump Administration
for Nixing Small-Arms Sale; Thanks Congress
AHEPA commends the Trump administration for withdrawing a proposal to sell approximately 1,600 U.S. semi-automatic pistols that would have eventually found their way to the security detail of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced
Supreme President Carl R. Hollister.
Fifteen Turkish security officials, and four others, were indicted for their roles in the brutal attack upon peaceful American
protesters outside the Turkish ambassador›s residence in Washington, D.C., May 16, 2017. In June, the U.S. House of
Representatives condemned the violence.
"We commend the Trump Administration for reaching a just and proper decision to withdraw this proposed small-arms sale,"
Supreme President Hollister said. "The May attack was an assault on the First Amendment Constitutional rights of American citizens, and it was not the first one carried-out by the Turkish president's security detail in the U.S. The administration's decision
sends a clear and correct message to Turkish officials that thuggery and the blatant disregard of our fundamental Constitutional
rights on U.S. soil will not be rewarded."
The supreme president added the Order's gratitude to members of Congress, who conveyed bipartisan objection to the proposed
small-arms sale.
"We appreciated the strong, bipartisan objection to the proposed sale voiced by the Congressional Hellenic Caucus,
Congressional Armenian Caucus, and several senior members of
the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Foreign Relations
and Appropriations Committees," he said. "Their strong advocacy
contributed to the administration reaching this correct decision."
In June, then-Supreme President Andrew C. Zachariades sent a
letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson opposing the proposed arms
sale and supported a Hellenic Caucus-led letter.
In July, AHEPA backed legislative measures in the House of
Representatives aimed to halt the proposed sale.

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Winter 2017 · THE AHEPAN

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The AHEPAN Winter 2017