[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 136 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 136

   Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning resolution of the 
    conflict between the Government of Turkey and Kurdish militants.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 25, 1996

   Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Hoyer) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning resolution of the 
    conflict between the Government of Turkey and Kurdish militants.

Whereas armed conflict has existed in southeastern Turkey since 1984, and the 
        entire region has been placed under a state of emergency since 1987;
Whereas the human toll of this conflict has been great, with the loss of more 
        than 20,000 lives, the displacement of more than 3,000,000 civilians, 
        and the destruction of more than 2,650 Kurdish villages;
Whereas free expression in Turkey is restricted by laws which criminalize 
        nonviolent expression, resulting in the incarceration of journalists, 
        writers, academics, human rights activists, and others as political 
        prisoners;
Whereas in the past 2 years, 13 Kurdish members of Turkey's parliament have been 
        removed from office, jailed, or exiled for expressing political opinions 
        or having alleged contacts with the illegal Kurdistan Workers Party 
        (PKK);
Whereas Kurdish citizens of Turkey have been denied certain basic political and 
        civil rights such as the right to full and free participation in 
        political life, the right to be educated in their mother language, and 
        the right to freely write and publish materials in the Kurdish language;
Whereas the conflict between Kurdish guerrillas and Turkish armed forces has 
        spilled over Turkey's borders and threatens the stability of the region;
Whereas the escalating conflict poses grave threats to economic stability and 
        the existing political order and prevents realization of full-fledged 
        democracy;
Whereas international and local humanitarian organizations, including the 
        International Committee of the Red Cross, have been denied access to 
        southeastern Turkey;
Whereas terrorism poses a grave threat to human rights and violates 
        international law;
Whereas Turkey's leaders have made commitments to building a democratic society 
        and have made significant progress in realizing this goal;
Whereas the Government of Turkey has acceded to upholding international human 
        rights agreements, including the United Nations Universal Declaration of 
        Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions, and the Helsinki Final Act;
Whereas Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the 
        Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, is an important 
        strategic and economic partner of the United States;
Whereas long-term strategic and economic interests of the United States are 
        jeopardized by the continuing conflict in Turkey;
Whereas after 11 years, Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrilla leaders have 
        offered to lay down their weapons;
Whereas a military solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey is not possible, 
        and only a nonviolent political solution can bring peace, stability, 
        full democracy, and prosperity to Turkey; and
Whereas such a solution must be sought and implemented within the framework of 
        the territorial unity of the Republic of Turkey: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the Government of Turkey should immediately release all 
        political prisoners and lift restrictions on free expression 
        and thereby enable all Turkish citizens, including those of 
        Kurdish origin, to enjoy the political and cultural rights of 
        peoples in all democratic countries;
            (2) the President should take every opportunity to 
        encourage the Government of Turkey to initiate steps to end the 
        armed confrontation in that country;
            (3) the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) should declare a 
        cease-fire and restate support for resolution of the conflict 
        through democratic means and within the framework of the 
        territorial unity of the Republic of Turkey;
            (4) the Government of Turkey should declare a cease-fire 
        and reaffirm a foundation upon which its Republic is based: 
        ``Peace at home. Peace in the world'';
            (5) upon cessation of hostilities, the International 
        Committee of the Red Cross and other appropriate humanitarian 
        and monitoring organizations should be given access to 
        southeastern Turkey;
            (6) the Government of Turkey should take steps to further 
        reduce the potential for future confrontation, including--
                    (A) allowing all political parties committed to 
                nonviolence to participate in Turkish political life;
                    (B) repealing the state of emergency in 
                southeastern Turkey;
                    (C) dismantling the paramilitary ``village guard'' 
                system;
                    (D) lifting all constraints on the dissemination in 
                the Kurdish language of television and radio 
                broadcasts, print, music, and other media;
                    (E) allowing schools to offer instruction in the 
                Kurdish language; and
                    (F) establishing consultative mechanisms to defuse 
                sources of conflict and propose strategies to resolve 
                current crisis in southeastern Turkey; and
            (7) the President should support providing technical 
        assistance to carry out paragraphs (1) through (6).
                                 <all>