AHI Launches Major University Campaign on U.S. Policy Toward Turkey

On February 2000, the American Hellenic Institute initiated a major campaign in the university community to highlight the grave deficiencies of U.S. policy toward Turkey. In separate letters and accompanying memorandum to professors of law and professors of international relations, AHI draws attention to U.S. policy toward Turkey as an illustration of the gaping chasm between the theory and practice of U.S. international relations and the role of the rule of law. This university campaign complements the earlier campaign launched in October 1999 with the U.S. print and electronic media.

The letter contrasts the strict conditionality applied by the European Union in its 10-11 December, 1999 to grant Turkey candidate status and the U.S. approach of aiding and abetting Turkey's many violations of international law and human rights standards. Describing this underlying hypocrisy of U.S. foreign policy as woefully unexamined, the letter urges the academic community to pay greater attention to these issues as they go to the heart of what the U.S. as a country stands for. They are relevant to critical areas of American governance. The memorandum sets out eight areas as meriting media investigation and reporting:

1. The U.S. as Accomplice to Turkey's Ethnic Cleansing, Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide;
2. The U.S. as Accomplice to Turkey's Violations of U.S. and International Law;
3. The Cover-Up Role of the State Department, Defense Department and NSC Regarding Cyprus;
4. The Role of U.S. Officials in Undermining American Values;
5. The U.S. as Accomplice to Turkey's Lawlessness Against Its Own Citizens;
6. The Role of Foreign Money in U.S. Governance;
7. The Kidnapping and Murder of Five Americans by Turkish Military Forces/Turkish Cypriot Militia in 1974 and the Failure of the U.S. to Investigate and Take Action Against Those Responsible; and
8. Turkey's Non-Democratic Status

This is a story of national disgrace with universal interest. These issues concern fundamental U.S. values: freedom, democracy, decency, human rights, the rule of law, and the values and principles we fought for in World War II and against Soviet communism. Turkey has been and continues to be a stain on the honor, integrity and credibility of NATO and the U.S.

Copies of the letter to Professor Louis Henkin and the memorandum may be found on the AHI Web site or by clicking the links below:

Letter to Professor Louis Henkin

Accompanying Memorandum.