Pentagon admits Congress has blocked U.S. arms sales to Turkey, reports the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

During a State/Defense briefing on FY20 arms transfer figures, Assistant Secretary of Defense R. Clarke Cooper – when pressed publicly about Congressional opposition to U.S. arms sales to Turkey – reluctantly (haltingly) admitted that senior U.S. legislators have effectively blocked military sales to Ankara.

QUESTION: Thanks. Can you say whether or not there’s effectively no arms — Turkish arms — arms sales to Turkey have been kind of effectively blocked, for the time being?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE R. CLARK COOPER: There are — I mean, there’s — in the — in the public space, I mean, there are — there are holds on — on Turkish sales on the congressional side, yes.