US Congress must not meet Ankara’s request to upgrade and acquire new F-16 fighter jets, New York Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis has said.
The US Congresswoman, was honored recently by members of the Pancyprian Association of Florida and the International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), with the “Kyrenia Award” for her dedication to Cyprus’ struggle for freedom and justice.
Receiving the award, she said that as a daughter of a Greek immigrant, it is “a tremendous honor” to receive the Kyrenia Award from members of the Greek Cypriot community.
She added that in Congress she joined her Hellenic colleagues in bringing attention to Turkey’s illegal invasion and occupation of Cyprus and the thousands of military flyovers they’ve conducted above Greece.
Malliotakis underlined that Congress must prohibit the sale of US fighter jets and military equipment to Turkey given their unwarranted aggression in the region.
It is up to NATO and my colleagues to understand the real threat posed to our allies by Erdogan’s regime and I remain confident that should the Biden Administration attempt to proceed with any sale, Congress will come together both bipartisanly and bicamerally to prevent it, she stressed.
In his address, read out at the event, President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades said that Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis has been working tirelessly to strengthen the partnership between Greece, Cyprus, and the United States and place the Cyprus problem higher on the foreign policy agenda of the US Administration.
He added that Malliotakis repeatedly brings up the ongoing Turkish occupation of Cyprus and human rights violations on the House floor and is constantly making references on the increasing Turkish aggression and threats in the Eastern Mediterranean.
President of PSEKA and the Pancyprian Association of America Philip Christopher praised Malliotakis’ work saying that she is a fierce fighter for Cyprus, Greece and Hellenism, a true supporter for human rights and dedicated to Hellenic values and ideals.
In particular, he added, we salute her monumental efforts to bring Members of Congress into collective action on behalf of the struggle of the Cypriot people for freedom and justice.
The Kyrenia Award is named after the town in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Source: Cyprus News Agency