US Sen. Menendez: Clear message needed towards Ankara that violations of int’l law entail consequences

Influential US Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) on Tuesday reiterated his opposition to the sale of US-made F-16 fighter planes to Turkey, while also warning that Ankara’s policy continues to serve as a threat to stability and prosperity in the wider region.

Menendez, chairman of the powerful US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also referred directly to the latest revisionist and belligerent statements by Turkish leadership aimed at neighboring NATO member Greece.

The New Jersey lawmaker said Turkey is disputing Greek sovereignty with provocative overflights of islands in the eastern Aegean, something he said undermines NATO unity amid a very crucial period.

He also called for a clear message to the Islamist Erdogan government that violations of international law will have consequences, at which point he cited “difficulty” to agree to the sale of more US-made weapons to Turkey.

Finally, he expressed optimism, that “at the end of the day”, Turkey will remove its obstacles to NATO ascension for Sweden and Finland.

Menendez spoke at the Economist’s New York-Mediterranean Business Summit, entitled “Investing for stability and pluralistic growth: Cyprus-Greece-Israel”.