By International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus
PSEKA welcomes and applauds the imposition of sanctions against Turkey pursuant to Section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Turkey, the so-called “reliable ally” member of NATO, has been acting as an adversary for many years. In 1974 Turkey invaded the Republic of Cyprus with the illegal use of American arms and equipment in violation of the US Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
Based on the Rule of Law, an embargo followed but Turkey still occupies 37% of the Island depriving the Human Rights of 200,000 Greek Cypriots from returning to their ancestral homes! Turkey continues to destabilize the Eastern Mediterranean region, violating on a daily basis, the exclusive economic zone of our allies Greece and Cyprus.
We welcome the Trump Administration’s decision to impose the long overdue sanctions and call on President-Elect Biden to make sure that Turkey adheres to the Rule of Law.
If our Government had used the legal authority of such sanctions and made clear to Turkey that irresponsible actions whether in Cyprus, Syria, Libya, Armenia or the East-Med region have consequences, we would not be facing the threat of war between NATO allies.
