U.S. Lawmakers Urge Biden Administration to Suspend Drone Technology Export to Turkey

A bipartisan group comprising 26 U.S. Lawmakers urged the Biden Administration to suspend drone technology transfers to Turkey. Turkey is going to be investigated for its destabilizing role in many regions, including South Asia.

The group of 26 U.S. Lawmakers, in a bipartisan letter to Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, directed him to investigate Turkey’s drone industry and urged to pay special attention to whether Turkey includes U.S. technologies that infringe U.S. sanctions.

According to the letter, Turkey has collaborated with Poland and Pakistan to sell drones to the countries. Also, the letter stated that Turkey is under joint talks to produce armed UAVs and anti-drone combat systems with Pakistan and Russia. The lawmaker wrote that the transfer of drones to the countries might destabilize the regions like North Africa, Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean, South Asia, and the Caucasus.

Several organizations have supported the letter. The organizations, namely Hindu American Foundation (HAF), In Defense of Christians, Middle East Forum, American Friends of Kurdistan, Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), and Hellenic American Leadership Association (HALC), among others, are the main supporters. In the letter, the lawmaker also pointed out the terror drone attack that Pakistan conducted in Jammu and Kashmir. It stressed that the transfer of drone technology might destabilize peace and stability in the above-mentioned regions. The letter urged to take swift actions in the case.