ANCA: Bills to ban military aid to Turkey and Azerbaijan to be  submitted to US Senate

ArmInfo. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced two amendments to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act  (NDAA) which would block U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan and stop the  sale of F-16 fighter jets and upgrade kits to Turkey, measures  strongly supported by the Armenian National Committee of America  (ANCA).  

"We want to thank Senator Menendez for his leadership in holding to  account two reckless regional powers - Turkey and Azerbaijan -each  representing clear and present dangers to Armenia and Artsakh," said  ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  

"Enacted these measures into law will ensure that neither U.S. arms  nor American tax dollars are sent to either of these regimes." The  Menendez Amendment #SA5752 would repeal the U.S. presidential waiver  authority of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, effectively  blocking all military assistance to Azerbaijan.  Earlier this week,  Chairman Menendez was joined by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in  introducing S.Res.797 which condemns Azerbaijan's most recent attacks  against Armenia, again calls for an end to U.S. military aid to  Azerbaijan, urges the White House to explore Magnitsky Law sanctions  on the Aliyev regime, and calls for increased U.S. aid to Armenia and  Artsakh.  Menendez Amendment #SA5754 limits the transfer of F-16's  and F-16 upgrade kits to Turkey, stating:  The President may not sell  or authorize a license for the export of new F-16 aircraft or F- 16  upgrade technology or modernization kits pursuant to any authority  provided by the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) to  the Government of Turkey, or to any agency or instrumentality of  Turkey, unless the President provides to the Committee on Foreign  Relations of the Senate, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the  House of Representatives, and the congressional defense committees a  certification-- (1) that such transfer is in the national interest of  the United States; and (2) that includes a detailed description of  concrete steps taken to ensure that such F-16s are not used by Turkey  for repeated unauthorized territorial overflights of Greece.  The  amendment mirrors Amendment #399 to the U.S. House version of the  NDAA, led by Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH), Gus Bilirakis  (R-FL), and Frank Pallone, adopted by a vote of 244-179 in July.  In  addition to the ANCA, the following U.S. civil society organizations  are on the record opposing the sale F-16s to Turkey: American Friends  of Kurdistan, American Jewish Committee, Hellenic American Leadership  Council, In Defense of Christians, Middle East Forum, and PSEKA -  International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus.  The Senate  version of the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act is set to be  considered as early as the week of October 11th.  The ANCA is  encouraging Senators to cosponsor the amendments in the run-up to the  final consideration of the measure.