The AHEPAN Spring 2021 - 23

CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY

AHEPA Commends the United States' Decision to Impose
Sanctions on Turkey
AHEPA commended the United States' December 14, 2020
decision to impose sanctions on Turkey for its procurement of
the Russian S-400 missile defense system, announced Supreme
President George G. Horiates.
" Turkey has demonstrated it is an unreliable and dubious
NATO ally, " Horiates said. " We commend the United States for
holding Turkey accountable under the Countering America's
Adversaries Through Sanctions Act for its purchase of the
S-400s, which is a clear threat to the United States' national
security. Although overdue, this policy measure by the Trump
administration, with bipartisan pressure from Congress, sends a
strong and pointed message to Turkey. It is a victory for accountability and the community, and we applaud all groups and individuals for their advocacy. "
In November 2019, Supreme President Horiates wrote
to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to request the secretary, under authority designated to him by Executive Order, to
impose sanctions on Turkish entities pursuant to Section 231 of
CAATSA based upon press accounts that reported Turkey tested
the S-400 missile defense system against F-16 aircraft.
* Horiates' November 2019 letter followed-up on his
October 2019 letter to then-Secretary Pompeo that
inquired about the status of the United States sanctioning Turkey under CAATSA.
* Also in November 2019, Supreme President Horiates
met with key policymakers in foreign policy on
Capitol Hill, including then-Senate Foreign Relations
Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID) and then-House
Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY),
among others, to work to hold Turkey accountable for
its actions.
* In July 2020, AHEPA asked the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee to press then-Secretary Pompeo on the issue
during a committee hearing, which then-Ranking Member
Robert Menendez (D-NJ) correctly did.
* During the summer of 2020, Supreme President
Horiates again wrote to then-Secretary Pompeo, stating the U.S. must impose sanctions on Turkey, which
received a response from the State Department.
* Ahepans mobilized following a September 2020 memo
Supreme President Horiates sent a memo and provided
a mobilization tool kit to chapters that included talking

www.ahepa.org

points on the policy matter. AHEPA also placed an advocacy ad in several Greek American publications.

Congress passes defense bill that sanctions Turkey,
strengthens U.S., Greece defense cooperation
The Trump administration's announcement came as Congress
imposed mandatory sanctions on Turkey for its violation
of CAATSA with its passage of the FY2021 National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) on Dec. 10, 2021, which AHEPA
applauded, and subsequently was enacted.
The defense bill also strengthened U.S.-Greece defense cooperation with an authorization to appropriate $50.18 million for
military construction at Souda Bay, Crete in addition to requiring
a feasibility study of increased rotational deployments to Greece.

" We commend Congress for holding Turkey accountable
for its blatant violation of U.S. law by calling for the imposition of sanctions on Turkey no later than 30 days after the bill's
enactment, and separately, for strengthening defense cooperation between longtime NATO allies, United States and Greece, "
Supreme President George G. Horiates said. " This bill is a policy
victory for the community, and we applaud all groups and individuals for their advocacy and reaching out to their legislators. "
He added, " We thank the bipartisan and bicameral
lead of legislators such as Senator Robert Menendez and
Representatives Adam Kinzinger and Abigail Spanberger,
who sponsored or secured the provision to impose sanctions
on Turkey; and Congressman Gus Bilirakis, who sponsored
the amendment for a feasibility study of increased rotational
deployments to Greece. "

Spring 2021 · THE AHEPAN

The AHEPAN Spring 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The AHEPAN Spring 2021