US Senate Fails To Approve Frigates To Turkey Thanks To Greek-Israeli-Armenian Lobbying

Bravo to the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) and a huge THANK YOU to our Armenian and Israeli friends for helping the Greek lobby in the US to put an end to a plan that wanted to send two missile frigates to Turkey. This is the type of action we want and thirst for from our Greek Omogeneia leaders and we applaud them for their hard work. We look forward to their next call for action and HellasFrappe pledges that it will support every initiative that this advocacy group takes which is in favor of Greek interests. At the same time HellasFrappe calls on all its readers to follow suit.

From HALC - The US Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2012, H.R. 6649, wanted to grant Turkey two U.S. Navy frigates without any assurance that these vessels would not be used against American, Greek, Cypriot and Israeli interests in the region. the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) mobilized its national network of citizen advocates who made calls and wrote letters to Congress demanding that the bill not be passed as written. Their efforts helped to ensure that, while the bill passed in the House by a voice vote over the strenuous objections of several members, it then stalled in the Senate.  HALC - mhttp://hellenicleaders.com/blog/h-r-6649-fails-to-become-law-in-112th-congress/aking our voice heard on this bill.

And here is a news report we found on Asbarez.com about Armenia's support

Despite the best efforts of Ankara’s allies in Washington during the final hours of the Congressional session, the U.S. Senate refused to act Wednesday on a free give-away of advanced American naval vessels to Turkey. Earlier this week, the House approved the controversial measure, following a contentious debate, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.
“We join with our Greek American friends in thanking Congressmen Engel, Sherman, Bilirakis, and Sarbanes for opposing this controversial measure giving away two guided missile frigates to an increasingly arrogant and antagonistic Turkey, and welcome the Senate’s decision to block efforts to ‘fast-track’ passage of this controversial measure in the final hours of the 112th Congress,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “This most recent setback for Turkey reflects the growing bipartisan understanding on both sides of Capitol Hill about the real price America is paying for Turkey’s growing hostility to U.S. interests and allies. Ankara’s failure is yet another signal that the era of Turkey’s having a blank-check in Washington is over.”
In a letter circulated earlier this week on Capitol Hill, the ANCA stressed that: “Such a transfer would materially strengthen Ankara’s naval capabilities at a time when it is using its maritime fleet to aggressively challenge the right of Cyprus to explore its off-shore energy resources, and is seeking to obstruct the ability of Greece to protect its territorial waters.” The ANCA also emphasized that: “Transferring these vessels would also send a dangerous signal to Turkey’s leaders that our government endorses its military occupation of Cyprus, its increasingly belligerent stance toward Israel, its blockade of Armenia, its meddling in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution process, or, for that matter, its violations against the rights of Christians, Kurds, and other minorities.” The letter closed by noting that: “Such material rewards and moral endorsements are neither warranted, nor constructive. In fact, they will work against our nation’s regional security interests.” The American Hellenic Institute, Hellenic American Leadership Council, and other Greek American groups also weighed in against the transfer. - Asbarez - http://asbarez.com/107438/senate-does-not-approve-free-frigates-for-turkey/