On a day where renewed conflict in Syria put into question whether Turkey has “won” anything in this country, the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) launched its latest video campaign questioning Ankara’s reliability as an ally.
In a clear reminder of how problematic Turkey was for the first Trump administration, the video emphasizes attacks on and “massacres” of US allied Kurds immediately after President Donald Trump’s declaration that he wanted to pull the US out of the region. The video also provides a vivid, and violent, reminder that the regime of Recep Tayyip Erdogan assaulted American citizens on American soil at Sheridan Circle during one of the Turkish president’s visits to the Trump White House.
HALC is linking Turkey’s aggressive behavior to the possibility of new major arms sales to Turkey by the Trump administration, warning that if such deals proceed, the weapons most likely will be used against US allies and interests in the region.
Endy Zemenides, HALC’s executive director, told Kathimerini: “If we are going to call out purported allies who have been trying to take advantage of the United States, Turkey is at the top of the list. Unfortunately, the Biden administration went along with Ankara holding several US priorities ‘hostage.’ President Trump and Congress should be signalling that these Turkish tactics will no longer be tolerated by the United States.”