Letter to Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State and Mark Esper, Secretary of Defense - Pallone, Maloney, and Bilirakis Lead Bipartisan Condemnation of Reckless Turkish Actions in the Eastern Mediterranean

Letter

Dear Secretary Pompeo and Secretary Esper:
We are deeply concerned by Turkey's ongoing acts of aggression taken in the sovereign
territories of Greece and Cyprus that have led to heightened tensions between several North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members. We urge you to immediately condemn these
actions, reaffirm the rights of these countries to develop their hydrocarbon resources, and
reassert American leadership in the Eastern Mediterranean by halting Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan's confrontational tactics.
Greece, Cyprus, and other important U.S. trade partners in the region have a longstanding and
enduring relationship in the Eastern Mediterranean. This has led to strong regional cooperation
that has led to the discovery and development of important energy resources in the
Mediterranean Sea over the last decade. Most countries directly affected by these new
discoveries have used diplomacy to settle disagreements. Unfortunately, this has not been the
case with the Republic of Turkey.
Since 2017, Turkey has consistently attempted to expand claims on hydrocarbon resources that
are clearly within Greek and Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). It has done so by
greatly intensifying its military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, leading to the
destabilization of the region and heightened tensions between NATO members that has resulted
in several near misses between Turkish and Greek, Cypriot, and French navies. As recently as
this week, Turkey sent the Oruc Reis seismic exploration ship and several warships into Greece's
EEZ. The Greek Navy, with support from the French military, responded immediately to this
breach of its sovereign territory with an appropriate show of force.
Turkey's alarming unilateral actions in the Eastern Mediterranean -- along with the myriad acts
of aggression the Erdogan regime is taking throughout the Middle East and Eurasia -- will
continue unabated until the United States takes clear, decisive steps to oppose them. The United
States cannot stand by as important trade partners, allies, and friends like Greece and Cyprus
endure consistent harassment from the Erdogan regime.
We urge you to condemn the aggressive actions taken by Turkey in the region, work with our
regional partners to de-escalate the current situation and show that the United States will not
allow this reckless behavior to continue.

We look forward to hearing your immediate response to this issue.

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