American Friends of Kurdistan statement on U.S. Senate letter to POTUS
American Friends of Kurdistan applauds the United States Senate for sending a timely letter to President Biden highlighting Turkey's horrific human rights record. AFK is working tirelessly with the 117th Congress and urged them to ask the Administration to acknowledge Turkey's declining rights record.
The bipartisan letter signed by 54 Senators highlighted many of the points the AFK team puts on the table daily during our Capitol Hill meetings. The letter specifically sheds light on Turkish aggression in Syria, stating, "In recent years, he [Erdogan] brazenly attacked U.S.-backed Kurds fighting ISIS in Syria."
The founding principle of NATO is that its members must "promote democratic values." The Turkish government does not promote democratic values. NATO membership should be no excuse, and there must be consequences if Turkey does not change its ways.
Kurds remain Erdogan's number one target inside Turkey and abroad. Erdogan continues to label Kurdish officials and civilians as terrorists to further pave the way for his authoritarian agenda. Today, Kurds are targets of Erdogan's aggression in Turkey, Syria, and the autonomous Kurdistan Region in Iraq.
Turkey continues to occupy areas outside its sovereign territories, including Afrin in Syria and large portions of northeast Syria since the 2019 invasion. Erdogan's neo-Ottomanism ambitions must be put to a halt, and aligning with radical Islamic terrorists must have consequences from the United States.
The United States must see Turkey for what it is and not what it used to be. Turkey no longer behaves like our ally and undermines U.S. and NATO national security interests.
American Friends of Kurdistan will continue to shed light on these critical issues.
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