Community Groups ask Congressional Leaders to Press for Administration Investigation of Use of U.S. Arms in Attack that Killed 35 Kurdish Boys and Young Men
WASHINGTON—Kurdish American, Hellenic American, and Armenian American leaders joined together on Jan. 10 to call upon key Congressional leaders to demand that the Obama Administration investigate whether Turkey violated U.S. arms export laws by using American-supplied weaponry in a Dec. 28, 2011 airstrike that killed 35 Kurdish boys and young men along the Turkey-Iraq border.
In a Jan. 10 letter addressed to the bi-partisan leaderships of the Congressional committees overseeing the State Department and Pentagon, the American Hellenic Institute, the American Kurdish Information Network, the Armenian National Committee of America, the Kurdish Human Rights Watch, and the Kurdish National Congress of North America called upon the eight chairpersons and ranking members of these panels to request that the Obama Administration officially investigate the potential violation of U.S. law.
In their joint letter, the signatories noted that “press accounts, in the Associated Press, Economist, Boston Globe, Radio Free Europe, and elsewhere, have reported that this attack was conducted by U.S.-supplied F-16s, guided by aerial drone intelligence.”
The full text of the letter is provided below.
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Dear Senators Kerry, Lugar, Levin, and McCain, and Representatives Ros-Lehtinen, Berman, McKeon and Smith:
We are writing to ask you—as the legislators with primary oversight responsibility for the Department of State and the Pentagon—to call upon the Obama Administration to investigate and publicly report to Congress regarding Turkey’s compliance with the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 and other relevant U.S. laws, in regard to the Dec. 28, 2011 Turkish airstrike that killed as many as 35 innocent Kurdish boys and young men along Turkey’s border with the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq.
As you have likely seen, press accounts, in the Associated Press, Economist, Boston Globe, Radio Free Europe, and elsewhere, have reported that this attack was conducted by U.S.-supplied F-16s, guided by aerial drone intelligence. In light of these widely reported accounts indicating the possible use of U.S. arms—and in the context of both the horrendous human costs of this particular attack and the history of Turkey’s having long used its military arsenal against civilian populations—we call upon you to request that the Administration investigate this matter. We also ask that you request that the Administration submit an immediate public report to Congress on any potential violations of U.S. law in connection with these killings.
Thank you for your leadership on human rights and for all your service in government promoting U.S. interests and advancing American values in the international arena.
Sincerely,
Nick Larigakis
President, American Hellenic Institute
Kani Xulam
Executive Director, American Kurdish Information Network
Aram Hamparian
Executive Director, Armenian National Committee of America
Dr. Pary Karadaghi
President, Kurdish Human Rights Watch
Dr. Kamal Artin
President, Kurdish National Congress of North America
This is all good but where are the Turkish-American groups ? There must be some decent, humanist Turkish Americans who are angry about what the current Turkish government and the military are doing in the Southeast of Turkey. Why don’t they make their voices heard ?!
Good question anti_racist.
Hi, Arshag. I am Turkish from Turkey and we have many Turks here (but we are still in the minority) who want Turkey to face the dark sides of its present and history in the right manner. But what about similar support from overseas Turks (for example the ones in America) ? It is much easier for them to speak out, compared to us in Turkey due to the factor of ‘no risk of persecution or intimidation’ for them. But, most of them are either quiet , or they are in the pro-nationalist camp !
Everyone in Turkey was shocked and sad about the friendly fire, which was a big mistake, believing to be terrorists. At least we have sincere feelings towards our people in Turkey.
So since you are an anti racist you should also avoid to be an anti Turkey dude. Recently Kurds living in Armenia a few left, have been forced to leave their homeland or face harsh threats, others have been forced to leave their religion Islam become Christians…when suicide bombers attack poor Turkish and Kurdish or western you Armenian nationalists and Turkey haters, keep quiet and feel good about it..we all know that. May God increase good people among the Armenian people and May God protect the Kurdish people from the evil PKK Armenian organization.
so-called Anatolian Homeland: your lies start with your fake name.
There is no such thing as Anatolia, a fake name made up by Invaders.
The correct name is Asia Minor.
And your real homeland ? Ask FM Davutoglu where your ancestors came from (hint: somewhere near China).
“Believing to be terrorists” ? Even Turkish online mainstreams such as TodaysZaman and Hurriyet scoff at the idea. Turk Intelligence had known for years about the smuggling routes and smugglers. No terrorists. No tragic mistake. Something else.
Rest of your lies from the standard Anti-Armenian Disinformation Phrasebook are not worth commenting on. Go away. When you have something useful to say, come back and you will be vigorously received.
Avery and Paul,
What is the source of this assertion in your writings that Anatolia is a neologism or a Turkish neologism? I’m not saying you’re wrong, i just can’t find anything about it either way.
Wikipedia says its of Greek derivation, not that that’s the final word. Plus today it’s inaccessible.
Avery,
Since you know Anatolian (or Asia Minor) Turks’ genes don’t have a statistically significant relationship to those of Mongols, and since you deny even claiming
to have said T=M, what are you saying to our terrible Turk with regards to his”real homeland”?
I am puzzled. Please explain.
Vatan,
We all mourn for the dead and the suffering of the families of those killed “by accident.’ I place that in quotation marks because the TR is actively engaged in oppression and murder.
This particular incident may have been a mistake, but the state also killed Hrant Dink only five years ago. Plus, the military wants to discredit Erdogan, who is doing a fine job of discrediting himself without any help.
I follow the Yezidi issue closely. I have never read that there have been forced conversions to Christianity. Please supply links or info.
Please also supply evidence that PKK is Armenian. Mr. Halacoglu, who was fired, used to say such stupid things, do you have any more info or facts?
What you “all know” about silent Armenian rejoicing when innocent Turks die is false. You “know” it not from evidence [seeing or knowing any such Armenians] but from propaganda. I have lived among Armenians, including the Diaspora Armenians your media portray as the devil. I have never heard anything but pity when civilians anywhere are killed violently. We understand the sadness such death brings, it has been part of our culture now for five generations.
You don’t know Armenians. You only know the image your state and culture teach.
Meet some Armenians outside of Turkey when you travel. Yes we mourn for our dead. Do you?