Washington – Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

The United States has urged President Erdogan again and again to halt Turkey’s unilateral acts of aggression in the Eastern Mediterranean, provocative rhetoric, and unlawful behavior which has threatened to further instigate instability and disruption in the broader region and put in peril NATO's internal cohesion and U.S. interests. 

“Now more than ever, a vigilant approach by the United States needed to ensure that the recent positive signals of de-escalation continue. Turkey’s actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the resulting tensions among NATO allies should not become a pattern. Instead, peaceful coexistence and diplomacy must prevail and create conditions for dialogue and cooperation.  

“The Administration should pressure Turkey to abandon its provocative actions in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean seas and lay the foundation for the resumption of exploratory talks between Greece and Turkey.  It’s hugely important that we avoid an intra-NATO conflict, one that only benefits America’s adversaries.”