[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 82 (Monday, June 22, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H4952]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           REGARDING THE TURKISH TRANSFER OF F-16s TO CYPRUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, on June 18th, the Turkish Government sent 
six F-16s to Northern Cyprus and issued a warning to Greece about its 
military activity on Cyprus.
  The movement by Turkey of F-16s is cause for alarm, because in recent 
months Ankara has stepped up its belligerent rhetoric over the Cyprus 
problem. Last month, Turkey abruptly changed its position in the Cyprus 
peace negotiations and began insisting that three new preconditions be 
met before meaningful negotiations could take place. This unreasonable 
turnabout prompted a public rebuke of the Turks from Ambassador Richard 
Holbrooke, the President's Special Emissary for Cyprus.
  With the recent deployment of F-16s to Northern Cyprus, Ankara has 
edged an already volatile situation that much closer to military 
confrontation.

                              {time}  2115

  What I find to be particularly abhorrent is that the Turks are using 
American weaponry to destabilize this region.
  I and many of my colleagues here in the House have pointed out time 
and again on the House floor, in committee proceedings, and with 
legislation that the Turkish presence on the island of Cyprus with 
35,000 troops is illegal. Turkey is the only country in the world that 
has recognized northern Cyprus as an independent country.
  Ankara's presence in northern Cyprus, incidentally, is being 
bolstered by far more than American F-16s. Turkish forces are well-
equipped with a laundry list of sophisticated American weaponry. The 
United States should not allow Ankara to use American-made weapons to 
enforce the illegal occupation of Cyprus. Using American weapons in 
this fashion may well be a violation of the Arms Export Control Act.
  Turkish arms transfers are not specific to Cyprus, I should point 
out, Mr. Speaker. There are also illegal transfers of U.S. or NATO 
standard weapons and other military supplies being sent to Azerbaijan 
by Turkey. Turkey has long sided with Azerbaijan.
  One of the major complications of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict is 
the blockade of Armenia and Karabagh by Azerbaijan, and the Turkish 
blockade of Armenia in support of Azerbaijan. These blockades have made 
life hard for the Armenian people, stopping vitally needed relief 
supplies from the U.S. and other countries. Now Turkey is funneling 
military equipment to Azerbaijan, equipment I have seen myself in a 
previous visit to the front lines in Nagorno-Karabagh.
  Just a few weeks ago I opposed the suggestion that appeared in the 
media that Turkey may want to transfer American F-16 fighter planes to 
Azerbaijan. That country already has air superiority because it 
inherited a lot more airplanes from the Soviet Union than did Armenia. 
F-16s would give Azerbaijan overwhelming air superiority.
  There are now suggestions that Turkey may transfer advanced NATO 
howitzer or cannon artillery to Azerbaijan. Mr. Speaker, I will be 
asking my colleagues to join me in sending a letter to the chairman of 
the Committee on International Relations asking that he hold hearings 
on the use of American weapons by Turkey in northern Cyprus and 
Azerbaijan. Any use of American weaponry by Turkey that violates U.S. 
foreign policy and national security interests must be met with a swift 
and vigorous change in U.S. policy.
  I would also encourage all of my colleagues to join me in pressuring 
Turkey to be a partner in the search for a lasting peace in the region, 
and not a contributor to a continuing cycle of violence and tensions.

                          ____________________