U.S. House Adopts Trott Amendment to Stop Gun Sale to Turkey

— Amendment Offered by Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Approved Today as Part of Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. House of Representatives today adopted a defense authorization measure including a key Turkey sanctions provision – spearheaded by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Dave Trott’s (R-MI) – officially opposing a $1.2 million sale of U.S. semi-automatic handguns to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s security detail, in response to its May 16th attack on peaceful protesters in Washington, DC, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“Congress took an important step today toward a Turkey sanctions regime by adopting the Trott Amendment in opposition to a proposed sale of semi-automatic handguns to the very same Turkish presidential security detail that attacked American protesters in Washington, DC in May of this year,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “The era of American officials overselling Ankara is clearly coming to a close.”

“Over the past few months, we’ve seen our NATO allies take extraordinary steps against Turkey, and it’s time for the State Department to do the same,” said Rep. Trott. “We need to block this arms sale and once and for all point a finger in Erdogan’s chest and tell him that a strategic location does not place Turkey above the law.” Rep. Trott went on to note that, “just two months ago, Erdogan’s henchmen, with him complacently observing just feet away, launched a brutal attack on peaceful protestors exercising their first amendment rights. A notorious oppressor of basic human rights and freedom, Erdogan imported his nefarious attitudes to our nation’s capital. While Erdogan’s thugs may run unchecked in Ankara, this is the United States of America and this is totally unacceptable. I am proud my colleagues from both sides of the aisle have come together to declare Turkey will no longer compromise our democratic values.

Rep. Trott explained that, “In addition to passing my amendment, this year’s NDAA provides our troops with the modernized equipment and resources they need to safely and effectively do their jobs. It ensures they receive the 2.4% pay raise they have earned, supports their families, all while bolstering our military readiness in the face of an ever-evolving enemy.”

In an op/ed printed in The Armenian Weekly on July 15th, Rep. Trott noted, “We have let Turkey off the hook for too long. Thankfully, my amendment to stop this arms sale to Turkey passed the House of Representatives unanimously.”

Read the complete op/ed here.

House Rejects Sale of Semi-Automatic Weapons to Turkey

(ASBAREZ) WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives on Friday passed the National Defense Authorization Act, with an amendment banning the sale of semi-automatic handguns and ammunition to the Turkish government, introduced by Michigan Republican Dave Trott.

“I am proud my colleagues from both sides of the aisle have come together to declare Turkey will no longer compromise our democratic values,” said Trott after the passage of the NDAA.

The Trott Amendment opposes the $1.2 million sale of U.S. semi-automatic handguns to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail, in response to their May 16th attack on peaceful protesters in Washington, DC.

“Over the past few months, we’ve witnessed our NATO allies take extraordinary steps against Turkey, and it’s time for the State Department to do the same. We need to block this arms sale and once and for all point a finger in Erdogan’s chest and tell him that a strategic location does not place Turkey above the law,” said Trott.

“Just two months ago, Erdogan’s henchmen, with him complacently observing just feet away, launched a brutal attack on peaceful protestors exercising their first amendment rights. A notorious oppressor of basic human rights and freedom, Erdogan imported his callous attitudes to our nation’s capital. While Erdogan’s thugs may run unchecked in Ankara, this is the United States of America and this is totally unacceptable,” added Trott.

“The U.S. Congress took an important step toward Turkey sanctions today by adopting the Trott Amendment, officially putting the U.S. House on record, in a defense authorization measure, against a proposed sale of semi-automatic handguns to the very same Turkish presidential security detail that attacked American protesters in Washington, DC in May of this year,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “The era of American officials overselling Ankara is clearly coming to a close.”

The ANCA’s Hamparian captured live videotape at the scene of the May 16th attack, which took place in front of the Turkish Ambassador’s residence, where President Erdogan was scheduled to have a closed-door meeting with representatives of The Atlantic Council, a think tank in Washington, DC which receives Turkish funding. Hamparian’s video served as source footage for CNN, AP and other news outlets, transforming a violent incident into a global spotlight on Turkey’s violence, intolerance, and aggression.

Hamparian testified before a May 25th Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on this matter. Joining him at the hearing were Ms. Lusik Usoyan, Founder and President of the Ezidi Relief Fund; Mr. Murat Yusa, a local businessman and protest organizer; and Ms. Ruth Wedgwood, Edward B. Burling Professor of International Law and Diplomacy, at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Usoyan and Yusa were victims of the brutal assault on May 16th by President Erdogan’s bodyguards.

On June 6th, with a vote of 397 to 0, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously condemned Turkey’s attack, taking a powerful stand against Ankara’s attempts to export its violence and intolerance to America’s shores. H.Res.354, spearheaded by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY), House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), has received the public backing of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI). A companion measure has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA).

The House vote followed broad-based Congressional outrage expressed by over 100 Senate and House members through public statements, social media, and a series of Congressional letters.

On June 16th, US law enforcement issued 18 arrest warrants – including a dozen against Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s bodyguards – in connection to the May 16th attacks. Two Turkish-Americans have already been arrested for assault, and two Turkish Canadians have also been charged. During a June 15th press conference, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Peter Newsham detailed the exhaustive investigation carried out by the Metropolitan Police Department and other law enforcement agencies leading to the arrest warrants.

Mayor Bowser condemned the attacks, calling them an “affront to our values as Washingtonians and as Americans and it was a clear assault on the first amendment.”

Chief Newsham explained, “We have dignitaries that are in and out of this city on a daily basis. Rarely have I seen, in my almost 28 years of policing, the type of thing that I saw on Sheridan Circle on that particular day. You had peaceful demonstrators that were physically assaulted and the message to folks who are going to come to our city either from another state or from another country is that’s not going to be tolerated in Washington, DC.”

Ներկայացուցիչներու Տունը Վաւերացուց Թուրք Թիկնապահներուն Զէնքերու Վաճառքի Արգելքը

(ԱՍՊԱՐԷԶ) ՈՒԱՇԻՆԿԹԸՆ, «Տիֆենս Նիուզ».- Ամերիկայի Հայ Դատի յանձնախումբը կը տեղեկացնէ, թէ Ներկայացուցիչներու տունը Ուրբաթ, Յուլիս 14ին վաւերացուց քոնկրեսական Տէյվ Թրաթի առաջադրած՝ Էրտողանի թիկնապահներուն արդիական զէնքեր ծախելու ծրագիրը կասեցնելու մասին յաւելուածը։

Քոնկրեսի Հայկական համախմբումի համանախագահ Թրաթ շնորհակալութիւն յայտնած է իր առաջարկին նեցուկ կանգնած քոնկրեսականներուն։ Ան իր առաջարկին նեցուկ կանգնելու յայտարարութեան մէջ շեշտած էր, թէ այս պատժամիջոցով պէտք է յստակօրէն պատասխանատուութեան կանչել Թուրքիոյ նախագահ Էրտողանը՝ շեշտելով, որ իր երկրին ռազմագիտական կարեւոր դիրքը իրաւունք չի տար Անգարային, որ ինքզինք օրէնքէն վեր դասէ։

Ամերիկայի Հայ Դատի յանձնախումբի գործադիր վարիչ Արամ Համբարեան, իր կարգին, դրուատեց Ներկայացուցիչներու տան այս որոշումը։

Թրաթի առաջարկը մէկն էր այն չորս պատժամիջոցներէն, որոնք ներկայացուած էին՝ դատապարտելու համար Ուաշինկթընի մէջ Մայիս 16ին տեղի ունեցած խաղաղ ցոյցի մը ընթացքին Թուրքիոյ նախագահի թիկնապահներուն կողմէ ցուցարարներուն դէմ գործուած վայրագ յարձակումը, եւ շեշտելու, թէ ամերիկեան արժէքներու այսպիսի ոտնակոխումէ մը ետք՝ Թուրքիոյ զէնքեր վաճառելու ծրագիրները խոտոր կը համեմատին Միացեալ Նահանգներու սկզբունքներուն։

Les Représentants américains restreignent la vente de certaines armes au gouvernement turc

(NOUVELLES D’ARMÉNIE) La Chambre des Représentants a vote vendredi 14 juillet le texte sur differents volets de la defense nationale (National Defense Authorization Act), assorti d’un amendement interdisant la vente d’armes semi-automatiques et des munitions afférents au gouvernement turc, amendement proposé par le représentant républicain du Michigan Dave Trott. “Je suis fier que les collègues des deux partis de cette assemblée soient tombés d’accord pour déclarer que la Turquie ne saurait défier plus longtemps nos valeurs démocratiques”, a indiqué D.Trott après le vote du NDAA. L’amendement Trott rejetait l’accord relatif à la vente d’un montant d’ 1,2 million de dollars d’armes de poing semi-automatiques de fabrication américain au personnel en charge de la sécurité du président turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan, qui avait suscité l’indignation à Washington en s’attaquant à des manifestants pacifiques qui s’étaient rassemblés pour dénoncer la visite de R.T. Erdogan, qui était reçu à la Maison Blanche le 16 mai dernier. D. Trott a souligné qu’ « au cours des derniers mois, nous avons été témoins des mesures extraordinaires prises par nos alliés de l’Otan contre la Turquie, et il est temps pour le Département d’Etat d’en faire de même. Nous devons bloquer cette vente d’armes et une fois pour toutes, pointer du doigt Erdogan pour lui rappeler que si elle jouit d’une situation stratégique, la Turquie ne peut pour autant se placer au-dessus des lois.