The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) has said that Turkey’s provocative behaviour towards Greece and Cyprus and the suppression of the religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate constitute examples of law violation.

According to a press release, AHI has sent a letter to the heads of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats, requesting an extensive hearing on Turkey’s history of violating US laws and for the need to reassess relations between the United States and Turkey following the attack upon protesters by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail.

In the June 5, 2017 letter, AHI President Nick Larigakis welcomes the Committee and Subcommittee’s recent actions, which include passage of H.Res.354 by the former and a hearing on the attack by the latter.

President Larigakis points out that Turkey has been a habitual violator of the rule of law, including United States law, for decades. In the letter, Larigakis cites as examples of Turkey violating US law, its provocative behaviour toward Greece and Cyprus, and its suppression of religious freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

“As a result, Turkey is a significant force of instability and its acts have dire implications to US security interests,” Larigakis wrote. “It is this behavior by a so-called ally that the Institute requests the House Committee on Foreign Affairs takes under further examination in a comprehensive hearing on Turkey that reassesses United States relations with Turkey”, he pointed out.

Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and since then occupies its northern third. UN facilitated peace talks are under way to reunite the island under a federal roof.