Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced legislation aimed at preventing the Biden administration from assisting Turkey’s Islamist regime in its support of the murder of Armenian Christians. Senate Joint Resolution 60 (SJR60) aims to block the sale of F-16 military fighter jets to Turkey, which are being used in Azerbaijan’s campaign against Armenian Christians.
The resolution is defined as “a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to the Government of Turkiye of certain defense articles and services.”
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) celebrated the resolution in a post on X.
BREAKING: @SenRandPaul (R-KY) launches legislation to block Biden's sale of F-16s to Turkey. pic.twitter.com/2Omewb9k9T
— ANCA (@ANCA_DC) February 7, 2024
The ANCA noted that Turkey’s actions in 2020 violated U.S. and NATO restrictions on third-party weapon transfer: “Turkey deployed US F-16s to Azerbaijan during its 2020 aggression against [Artsakh] (Nagorno Karabakh) – in violation of US and NATO restrictions on the third-party transfer of these weapons systems.”
Turkey deployed US F-16s to Azerbaijani during its 2020 aggression against #Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) – in violation of US and NATO restrictions on the third-party transfer of these weapons systems.
— ANCA (@ANCA_DC) February 7, 2024
Azerbaijan’s campaign against ethnic Armenians has escalated significantly in recent years.
The most intense escalation began in 2020, when Azerbaijan initiated a military offensive to recapture control of the region. This conflict resulted in thousands of deaths, the displacement of ethnic Armenians, and concluded with Azerbaijan gaining control over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas in a Russia-brokered ceasefire.
Despite denials by Azerbaijan and Turkey, many prominent observers have described the actions against Armenia as genocide.
Argentinian lawyer Luis Moreno Ocampo, former International Criminal Court prosecutor, outlined Turkey-backed Azerbaijani forces’ crimes in The Washington Post.
Ocampo stated, “Rather than comply with the court’s binding order to end the blockade, Azerbaijan security forces doubled down in June, sealing off the enclave entirely, preventing even the transfer of food, medical supplies and other essentials.” Ocampo emphasized that “genocide” is the only appropriate term to describe Azerbaijan’s military campaign, stating, “The world must call the crime by its proper name.”
David L. Phillips, the director of Columbia University’s Artsakh Atrocities Project and adjunct professor at Georgetown University, called out the Biden administration at a congressional hearing: “By being silent, by not acting, the Biden administration is making a statement that it values Azeri oil and gas more than it does the lives of Armenians in Artsakh.”
Additionally, despite being the first president to properly recognize the Aremenian Genocide, Biden has waived section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, allowing the US to provide military assistance to Azerbaijan and breaking his 2020 campaign promise to “fully implement and not waive” the section 907 requirements.
