AHI & ANCA Oppose U.S. Approval of Weapon Sale to Turkey
No. 40
WASHINGTON - On May 14, 2025, the United States Department of State approved two possible Foreign Military Sales to Turkey for air-to-air missiles (AAM), which would collectively cost $304.1 million. Despite the Department of State specifying that these arms be used by Turkey for air defense, these missiles are also able to be used for offensive purposes. The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) and the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) stand in opposition to this sale, given prior and current actions by Turkey that demonstrate the risks of further arming the country with such weapons.
In addition to a myriad of other hostile actions against our democratic allies in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey has repeatedly used F-16s provided by the U.S. to violate Greece’s airspace. Such actions are contrary to the stipulations of the Arms Export Control Act, which states that decisions on issuing export licenses shall take into account if the sale would “increase the possibility of outbreak or escalation of conflict,” both of which apply to these violations. To this point, in a bipartisan letter to President Donald Trump regarding the United States bilateral relationship with Turkey, led by vice co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, Representative Dina Titus (D-NV), and signed by 21 other Members of Congress, specific attention was given to “Turkey’s use of U.S.-provided F-16s to routinely incur upon Greek sovereign airspace.” Given these concerns, the United States should not approve of weapons sales to Turkey that can be equipped to aircraft used in these violations.
Beyond the Mediterranean, Turkey has also reportedly used F-16s provided by the U.S. to interfere in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by deploying F-16s in Azerbaijan to provide reconnaissance and logistical support to Azerbaijani forces. This was highlighted by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) on the Senate floor in 2024 while urging the passage of legislation to block the sale of F-16s to Turkey, which received the support of a dozen Senators. In his statement, Senator Paul explain that “our planes that we give to the Turks, the F-16s, are actually being used in another war with Armenia. […] The war in 2020 and Azerbaijan’s subsequent military operation in 2023 killed thousands and created a humanitarian disaster, forcing more than 100,000 people to flee, more than three quarters of the population of that region.” Rather than be rewarded with the approval of weapons that can be used to attack Armenia in the future, Turkey must be held accountable for these unacceptable actions and should be reprimanded for using U.S. provided aircraft for purposes other than legitimate self-defense.
The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) is a non-profit policy center and think tank founded in 1974 that promotes the interests of the United States in foreign affairs involving Greece, the Republic of Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Southern Europe.
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