Heavy reaction was expressed by Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, following Turkey’s announcement that it has deployed F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems to occupied Cyprus.

In a post on the Commission’s social media, Gregory Meeks said the move “undermines Cyprus’ sovereignty and will only serve to increase tensions in the region”, while calling on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “to change course immediately”.

The U.S. congressman’s reaction comes after the Turkish Defense Ministry announced that six F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems were deployed Monday in the northern part of Cyprus, which is under Turkish occupation. Ankara said the deployment was carried out to enhance the security of the Turkish Cypriot community in the context of developments related to the war in Iran.

The Turkish F-16s, however, are American-made and were acquired through United States military equipment sales programs. Under U.S. law governing arms exports, most notably the Arms Export Control Act, military equipment sold to third countries must be used exclusively for legitimate defense purposes or for other uses approved by the U.S. government.

Deployment of such systems in areas associated with military occupation or on territory not recognized internationally may be considered to violate the terms under which the transfer was authorized, as the United States recognizes the Republic of Cyprus as the only legitimate state on the island.

The issue of the use of US weapons in Cyprus has been the subject of political controversy in Washington in the past. After the 1974 Turkish invasion, Congress had temporarily imposed an arms embargo on Turkey, ruling that U.S. military equipment had been used in a manner that violated export conditions.