WASHINGTON, DC – Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Dave Trott (R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) were joined by House Intelligence Committee Chairman and Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) and key leaders of House Foreign Affairs Committee in calling on the State Department to reject the pending sale of semi-automatic guns for use by Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s security detail, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“We greatly appreciate the bipartisan leadership of Representatives Trott, Pallone and their Armenian Caucus colleagues against the controversial sale of U.S. handguns to the very same armed Erdogan security detail that, on this dictator’s direct command, attacked Americans exercising our Constitutional rights at the peaceful May 16th protest organized in Washington, DC by the ANCA and our coalition partners,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  “Erdogan and his henchmen should be brought to justice for their crimes, not rewarded with American weaponry.”

Rep. Trott explained, “Right here, on U.S. soil, we witnessed President Erdogan’s blatant disregard for democracy as his henchmen waged a brutal attack on peaceful protestors.  As the very model of freedom and liberty around the world, the United States cannot condone such an overt suppression of democracy and this proposed arms deal would be nothing less than an endorsement of Erdogan’s henchmen’s brutal attack. We need to call out and hold accountable President Erdogan and his bodyguards for who they really are – thugs.”

The Trott-Pallone letter states that “We can no longer enable Turkey to compromise our democratic values, and this proposed arms sale is nothing short of an endorsement of the actions of President Erdogan’s security force. As such, we strongly urge you to reject this proposed sale and any potential weapons transfer to President Erdogan’s security detail.”