US Congressmen React to Turkish F-16s in Occupied Cyprus

The decision by Turkey to deploy F-16 fighter jets in occupied Cyprus has sparked reactions in the US Congress, with members of the House of Representatives expressing their opposition through interventions and statements.

Democratic Congressman from New York, Gregory Meeks, head of the party on the Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that "this deployment undermines the sovereignty of Cyprus and will only lead to increased tensions in the region," adding that "President Erdogan must immediately reverse course."

Republican Congressman from Florida, Gus Bilirakis, in a post on Twitter, called the deployment "a clear affront to the sovereignty of Cyprus," "a violation of American law," and "a reckless action that will only lead to increased tensions and instability in the region." He called on President Tayyip Erdogan to "immediately reverse course and withdraw this deployment."

Democratic Congresswoman from Nevada, Dina Titus, "strongly condemned" Turkey's decision, calling the move "unnecessarily hostile and escalatory." She pointed out that this is "yet another reason why Turkey is an unreliable ally" and argued that President Donald Trump should "reject the sale of F-35s to Ankara or the lifting of CAATSA sanctions."

Source: CNA