Sen. Markey Calls to End U.S. Security Aid to Turkey, Azerbaijan

November 10,  2020



Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts

Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed his concern about the Russian-brokered agreement signed between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia to end the fighting in Nagorno Karabakh and surrounding areas.

“It is a disgrace that the United States under Trump-Pompeo leadership has once again ceded an important foreign policy matter to Russia, this time to the detriment of our Armenian friends who have been targeted, attacked, and exploited by Turkey and Azerbaijan,” said Markey.

“It is a stain on this administration that they’ve allowed President Trump’s friend Erdogan to stage a land-grab in the South Caucasus and make a mockery of the OSCE Minsk process. My thoughts are with the Armenian people who have suffered relentless attacks throughout this campaign by Turkey and Azerbaijan, including the reported use of foreign fighters imported from Syria,” explained Markey.

“As I’ve said before, the United States must clearly condemn this illegal military campaign and end our security assistance to Azerbaijan and Turkey. We must also be prepared to provide the humanitarian assistance that will be so desperately needed by the Armenian people. It is also vitally important that we continue to support democratic institutions in Armenia as the country navigates this challenging time,” added Markey.

“We join with the bipartisan leadership of the Armenian Caucus and Senator Markey in our commitment to ensuring the support of the U.S. Congress and the incoming Biden Administration for Artsakh and Armenia, and also for holding Turkey and Azerbaijan accountable for their war crimes and atrocities against the Armenian people,” said Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

“This needs to start with immediate Global Magnitsky sanctions on Erdogan and Aliyev and – on the humanitarian front – with an initial $250,000,000 package of emergency relief, reconstruction and development assistance for Artsakh and the more than 100,000 Armenians forcibly displaced from their native lands,” added Hamparian.