The US senator calls for action against Ankara’s arms exports and aid to Baku

According to Fars News Agency’s International Group, a senior US senator proposed measures to target Turkish military exports as well as US assistance to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday proposed measures to tightly monitor Turkey’s drone program and reject any further assistance to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

According to Turkey’s Anatolia news agency, Menendez’s proposed changes to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) sought to intensify tracking and reporting by the US government on the implications of Turkish drone exports for US national security and preventing further exceptions to circumvent the 1992 UN ban. The US military is attached to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

According to the Turkish media, Menendez is known for his strong ties to the Greek and Armenian lobbies in the United States.

The US senator said the sale of Turkish drones was “dangerous, destabilizing and a threat to peace and human rights”.

Referring to how Turkish drones played an important role in the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in the autumn of 2020 after nearly 30 years of occupation of Armenia, Menendez noted how Poland, a member of NATO, the Maghreb and Ukraine, both The West also bought Turkish drones.

Several other countries, including Angola, Niger, Nigeria and Rwanda, have expressed interest in buying Turkish drones, he said.

Menendez’s proposed changes call on the US Department of the Interior and Defense to investigate whether Turkish drones contain US-made parts or technology. He also called on the US State Department to determine whether Turkish exports violate the Arms Export Control Act or any other law or sanctions.

As for the Republic of Azerbaijan, Menendez is trying to stop any other exceptions in the 1992 law banning US military assistance to Azerbaijan.

The 1992 law prohibits most aid to Baku until it takes significant steps to end all sieges and other offensive use of force against Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Earlier in May, a US State Department spokesman announced the temporary lifting of the arms embargo against the Republic of Azerbaijan, stating the strategic nature of Washington’s cooperation with Baku.

The Turkish government stood by Baku in full force during the military conflict between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in September 2020, providing financial, weapons and military support to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

This war marked a new page in relations between Ankara and Baku. The Turkish army was able to provide significant military assistance to the Republic of Azerbaijan, especially with air cover and the use of “Birqdar” drones.

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