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Shkruar nga PamfletiThe letter from the senators seeks clarification on whether the US ambassador to Turkey's positions reflect official Washington policy.
Members of the House of Representatives are asking Secretary of State Marco Rubio to clarify whether public statements by US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barak reflect the official line of the US government.
The intervention is being made through a letter currently circulating in Congress for signatures. At the center of the letter are the possible rapprochement between Washington and Ankara on the F-35 program and Mr. Barak's statements on Hezbollah's role on the Lebanese front.
In particular, lawmakers believe that the US ambassador's statements create uncertainty regarding Washington's position on issues directly related to US law, NATO security, and the regional balance in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.
The first part of the letter concerns Turkey and the F-35 program. The lawmakers point out that Congress has already imposed strict conditions on Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 system. In this light, they ask the State Department to explain whether there has been a change in US policy or whether the restrictions set out in the legislation still fully apply.
In this context, it is required to clarify how the sanctions provided for by the CAATSA law (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) are applied in the case of Turkey and what steps Ankara must take before its participation in the American military program is discussed again.
Lawmakers recall that Turkey has yet to meet basic conditions set out in US law. These include the removal of the S-400, a commitment not to purchase similar Russian systems in the future, and confirmation that it has not purchased other Russian defense systems.
The second part of the letter concerns Tom Barak's statements regarding Lebanon, Israel, and Hezbollah. Again, the lawmakers ask the State Department to state whether it considers statements that appear to place Israel and Hezbollah on the same level as consistent with U.S. policy.
US Ambassador Tom Barak made the remarks at the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya. Speaking on a panel, he described the ceasefire in Lebanon as extremely fragile and argued that two crucial factors, Hezbollah and Iran, were missing from the equation. He also said there should be a process of dialogue or political management with Hezbollah, which, he said, cannot have the goal of eliminating it.
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