Menendez: Turkey's drones are dangerous, destabilizing, threaten peace and human rights

The Chairman of the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, called for the passage of two additional bills to closely monitor the program of armed Turkish drones, dubbing them as a threat to peace and human rights.

5 November, 2021 12:13

Newsdesk

The Chairman of the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, introduced two additional bills to closely monitor Turkey's armed drone program and remove the exemption on aid to Azerbaijan, according to what was published by the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations website.

Menendez directly targeted Turkey and Azerbaijan with these two projects that he proposed as additional to the National Defense Authorization Act on defense expenditures for the 2022 fiscal year.

Under Article 907 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 1992, the United States banned all aid to the Azerbaijani government until provable steps were taken to stop the embargo and all forms of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, but the State Department regularly exempts Azerbaijan from this provision annually.

The bill on Turkey's armed drone program, submitted by Menendez, requires the State Department and the Department of Defense to prepare a report on Turkey's exports of drones since 2018, and whether these drones contain parts or technologies produced by American companies.

“With the regime in Baku, with the support of Turkey, continuing to choose the path of violence instead of a peaceful negotiation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is time for this administration and all future administrations to stop this kind of assistance and fully respect Article 907,” Menendez said.

"I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure this year's National Defense Authorization Act continues to advance America's national security and foreign policy interests, all while being a wise use of American taxpayer money," he added.

And Menendez concluded, "Turkey's sales of drones are dangerous and destabilizing and threaten peace and human rights. The United States should not be involved in any part of them, and this amendment is recognition that we must prevent the inclusion of American parts in these Turkish weapons."

ANHA