US Senator Robert Menendez launched a scathing attack against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the occasion of the Turkish president’s threats against Greece. The Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate blasted the president of Turkey demanding he stops all his aggressive and illegal actions in the wider neighbourhood: “I demand from Erdogan to stop all overflights over Greece”, underlined the senator.

Menendez stressed he would not approve any sale of F-16s to Turkey until it stops its aggressive campaign throughout the region, adding ironically that it is a NATO member that is directly threatening to target Athens!

“We have seen Erdogan repeatedly question the national sovereignty of Greece,” he said.

In the summer, he added, Turkey sent fighter jets over the Greek islands. “Threats to strike against Athens fit a pattern of Turkish illegal claims to Greek territory”, he said, underscoring his decision to block the sale of the F-16s.

According to journalist Lena Argyri, Senator Menendez was a “Catapult” in the Senate: “He launched a sharp attack against Erdogan/demanded an end to overflights in the Aegean and the removal of all occupying forces from Cyprus/said no to the sale of F16/demanded the prevention of intervention in Syria/fair elections”.

The US senator in a tweet earlier referred to Erdogan’s threatened missile attack on Athens and the Turkish president’s ties to Putin, citing violations of international law that he described as nothing but alarming and completely unacceptable.

Headed to the @DSenFloor to address Erdogan’s threatened missile strike on Athens.
Erdogan’s growing ties to Putin, pursuit of repressive & anti-democratic norms, & violations of international law are not only disturbing – they are totally unacceptable. https://t.co/bycY8nq4lx

— Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SFRCdems) December 19, 2022

“The US must take Erdogan’s actions seriously. Those who think that he is just selling drugs, let them see that they said the same about Putin and now we have a war in Europe”, noted the American senator.