The Chairman of the Committee on International Relations of the Senate, after enumerating all the wrongdoings of Turkey, including the threats against Greece, asked the head of the American diplomacy Secretary Blinken during a hearing.
Senator Bob Menendez launches 90 -a second-long tirade criticising Turkey on everything from human rights to “What do you call a country that violates another country's airspace and territorial waters without provocations, drills in another country's exclusive economic zone, delays NATO expansion & asks “What do you call such a country?” Blinken responds: “A challenging ally.” Menendez replied “I call that country Turkey” He also added that Ankara doesn’t deserve to get the F-16s.
Listen to the full speech below.
Full Speech by Senator Bob Menendez
What do you call a country:
Which violates the airspace and territorial waters of another country without prior provocation?
Who exercises in the exclusive economic zone of another country?
Who is buying Russian military equipment in violation of US law?
Which has more lawyers and journalists in jail than almost any other country and jails its main political opponent before an election?
Which seeks by force to block the rights of an EU member state to research on its continental shelf?
Which has not only joined the EU sanctions. against Russia, but has exported about $800 million worth of goods to Russia?
Continuing airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, including against US partners such as the Syrian Democratic Forces?
Where did he stop the critical enlargement of NATO?
Which continues to occupy an EU country. with 40,000 troops and in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and seeks to open an area frozen by the United Nations?
Who denies religious freedom to the religious leader of millions of citizens of the Greek Orthodox faith?
Who has turned a church into a mosque in violation of UNESCO commitments?
Where are arrests and imprisons of US personnel?
Vlinken: "I think I would call it a challenging ally"
Menendez: "Well, I call this country Turkey. And the reality is that I don't think that such a country ... that it's worth selling the F-16s to. "
More to come.
