New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez, who’s going through a rising name for resignation over corruption and bribery expenses, has a decadeslong historical past of working and selling a staunch anti-Türkiye stance in Washington.
The mounting graft allegations and his shut ties to U.S.-based Greek and Armenian lobbies, each financially highly effective teams with appreciable political clout, have naturally introduced underneath query his longstanding anti-Turkish stance.
In August 2007, the then-U.S. President George W. Bush’s administration withdrew the nomination of Richard Hoagland for the place of Ambassador to Armenia after Menendez, then a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, positioned a maintain on the nomination on account of Hoagland’s “unwillingness to acknowledge” the occasions of 1915 as a “genocide” – a cost Türkiye vehemently denies.
In Dec. 2019, Menendez co-authored the “Promoting American National Security and Preventing the Resurgence of ISIS Act” in “direct congressional response to Turkey’s military incursion into northeast Syria and attack on the Kurds, as well as their purchase of the Russian S-400 defense system.”
Although Türkiye was the primary nation to battle Daesh terror on the bottom with its personal troops, Menendez referred to as Turkish actions in Syria “destabilizing” and referred to as for help to “Syrian Kurds” – or quite, members of U.S.-recognized terrorist group PKK’s Syrian wing YPG.
“From purchasing the Russian S-400 air defense system, to engaging in offensive operations in Syria against the Kurds, and committing, directing or knowingly facilitating human rights abuses against our Kurdish allies in Syria, the Foreign Relations Committee is saying enough is enough to [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan with this strong sanctions package,” he stated in an announcement – additionally calling for a “Special Immigrant Visa Program” for YPG terrorists.
In the identical month, Menendez additionally spearheaded efforts to make the U.S. authorities acknowledge the occasions of 1915 as a “genocide.”
“By passing my Armenian Genocide resolution, the Senate finally stood up to confirm history: What happened from 1915 to 1923 was – most assuredly – genocide. There is no other word for it. There is no euphemism. There is no avoiding it,” stated Menendez, in full denial of historic details that present either side, particularly Turks and Armenians, suffered casualties amid the complexities of World War I.
Türkiye’s name to arrange a joint committee of historians to probe the matter, nevertheless, has at all times fell on deaf ears.
On Oct. 15, 2020, Menendez once more referred to as for recognition of 1915 occasions as “Armenian genocide.”
“Leading academic authorities, including experts on genocide issues, all agree that the Armenian Genocide was a genocide,” he claimed.
In March 2020, Menendez issued one other anti-Türkiye assertion, this time criticizing the nation’s buy of Russian S-400 air protection methods.
“Countries whose spending violates the spirit of the NATO alliance and puts member states at significant physical risk should be punished; they should certainly not be rewarded. As I said on the Senate floor in November 2019, I remain deeply concerned that the administration has not imposed sanctions on Turkey for this sale. Not only are you violating the law by refusing to impose mandatory sanctions under CAATSA, you are sending a signal to other would-be purchasers of major Russian systems that the United States will not enforce its own laws when it comes to Russia-origin equipment,” Menendez stated in a letter to then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The letter, nevertheless, ignored the truth that the nation Menendez staunchly lobbies for within the Senate, NATO member Greece, additionally runs Russian missile protection methods – the S-300.
Again in March 2020, Menendez delivered one more anti-Türkiye comment as regards to the scenario in Syria.
During a senate listening to titled “Nine Years of Brutality: Assad’s Campaign Against the Syrian People,” Menendez criticized Türkiye’s efforts to achieve a cease-fire within the nation to cease the bloodshed.
“We talk of humanitarian relief, and Russia and Turkey continue to calculate the implementation of yet another ‘ceasefire.’ But we need serious leadership and commitment,” he stated.
“Following the withdrawal of U.S. troops last year, Turkey stepped up its military involvement, pouring more fuel onto a raging fire and undermining our ability to respond,” he stated – though Türkiye and U.S. are on the identical web page as regards to the Syria’s Bashar Assad regime.
A month previous to these statements although, he referred to as for a cease-fire in Syria himself.
In an announcement on Feb. 20, 2020, Menendez criticized the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump and blasted Türkiye for its presence in Syria.
“President Trump’s green light to Erdogan to attack our Kurdish partners – who are on the frontlines of America’s counter-ISIS efforts – allowed these three players to advance their own interests at the expense of hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrian lives,” he stated in reference to YPG terrorists that the U.S. doesn’t acknowledge as being the Syrian wing of the PKK.
“Now is the time for an immediate cease-fire between Russia, the Syrian regime, and Turkey. Now is the moment for the Turkish government to realign its security interests with those of the United States and NATO allies against the murderous regimes it is fighting on the ground,” he added.
On July 10, 2020, the embattled senator issued a bipartisan assertion alongside his Republican colleague Jim Risch on a Turkish courtroom’s annulment of a 1934 Cabinet decree that had turned Hagia Sophia right into a museum, paving the way in which for its use once more as a mosque.
The transfer is a “deep affront to Christians around the world who look to Hagia Sophia as a shining light and deeply revered holy site,” the senators stated in reference to Turkish judiciary’s sovereign prerogative of selection.
On Aug. 13, 2020, Menendez once more took to the stage in obvious lobbying for Greece together with Sen. Chris Van Hollen.
The senators criticized Türkiye’s drilling actions within the Mediterranean – with the one downside being with their criticism the truth that it’s totally based mostly on Greece’s unilateral unique financial zone (EEZ) declare that Türkiye doesn’t acknowledge, citing its outrageously giant dimension and close to complete omission of Türkiye from the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas regardless of the nation’s 1000’s of kilometers lengthy shoreline.
“The failure of the United States to act decisively at this critical time will only invite further Turkish escalation. Therefore, we urge you take all appropriate measures to ensure Turkey removes its naval vessels from Greece’s EEZ and adheres to its international obligations,” the senators wrote in a letter to Pompeo.
“In accordance with your prior statements, we ask you to call on Turkey to remove its ships from Greece’s EEZ and to resolve this matter in accordance with international law,” they stated.
Menendez has additionally criticized Türkiye’s help to Azerbaijan’s transfer to revive its territory in Nagorno-Karabakh area, which is acknowledged as Azerbaijani territory by worldwide legal guidelines.
“As the regime in Baku, with Turkey’s support, continues choosing a path of violence instead of a peaceful, negotiated process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is long past time for this and all future administrations to halt this type of assistance,” he stated in an announcement issued on Nov. 4, 2021, calling for a halt to U.S. army help to Azerbaijani authorities.
Just two weeks after this assertion, Menendez once more delivered remarks in criticism of Türkiye’s help of Azerbaijan’s retrieval of its rightful territories.
“Under Erdogan, Turkey has engaged in unbridled aggression outside of its borders, in violation of NATO’s founding principles and international norms,” he stated.
“The historically and religiously significant city of Shusha now sits in Azerbaijani hands, and the security of many sacred Christian sites falls to President Aliyev and his backer Erdogan,” he additionally added in blatant denial of worldwide regulation.
Source: www.dailysabah.com