WASHINGTON, DC – On July 20, Representatives Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) released the following bipartisan statement condemning Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran and reaffirming their opposition to the United States selling fighter jets and military equipment to Turkey:

“One picture is worth 1,000 words, and today’s meeting between Turkey’s Erdogan, Russia’s Putin, and Iran’s Raisi should send a clear message to the Biden Administration and Congress that Turkey cannot, and must not, be trusted. We urge our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support our efforts to stop any sale of U.S. military equipment to Turkey. Turkey may be a NATO ally, but under Erdogan, it continues unprovoked aggression by threatening Exclusive Economic Zones, ordering military flyovers over the Greek Islands, and undermining NATO sanctions on Russia and U.S. operations in Syria while continuing to violate U.S. law through its possession of Russian-made S-400s that threaten NATO security infrastructure. After today, there should be no question that Turkey must be denied American military equipment and weapons.”

Last week, Congress adopted an amendment authored by Pappas and cosponsored by Malliotakis to deter the sale of U.S. F-16 warplanes and modernization kits to Turkey following President Biden’s support for the deal.

Malliotakis, the daughter of a Greek immigrant, is a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs where she serves as the Ranking Member for the Subcommittee on International Development, International Organizations, and Global Corporate Social Impact, and sits on the Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment, and Cyber. She is also a member of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus and the Congressional Hellenic-Israel Alliance.

Congressman Chris Pappas is a lifelong resident of Manchester, New Hampshire, born into a proud Greek-American family. Pappas is a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, where he serves as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He is also a member of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus and the Congressional Hellenic-Israel Alliance.