[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 124 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 124

         Condemning Turkey's illegal invasion of northern Iraq.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 30, 1995

   Mr. Porter (for himself, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Cardin, Ms. 
Furse, Mr. Pallone, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Zimmer, Mr. Horn, and Mr. Hoyer) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                       on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
         Condemning Turkey's illegal invasion of northern Iraq.

Whereas, as a signatory to the Charter of the United Nations, the Government of 
        Turkey is obligated to maintain international peace and security, to 
        develop friendly relations among states based on respect for the 
        principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to 
        achieve international cooperation through the promotion and 
        encouragement of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for 
        all;
Whereas the Government of Turkey, as a party to the International Covenant on 
        Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, 
        Social, and Cultural Rights, has made additional and firm commitments to 
        observe and uphold the rights of all peoples;
Whereas, as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Government 
        of Turkey undertook to refrain in international relations from the 
        threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of 
        the United Nations;
Whereas, as a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, 
        Turkey is obliged to respect the territorial integrity of other states, 
        and to support the human rights, fundamental freedoms and the self-
        determination of peoples;
Whereas, on March 21, 1995, more than 35,000 Turkish military troops, with 
        tanks, armored personnel carriers, and air support, began an invasion of 
        northern Iraq;
Whereas the Government of Turkey declares that the invasion is in response to 
        acts of terrorism by the Kurdistan Workers Party, also known as the PKK, 
        and constitutes the hot pursuit of terrorists;
Whereas reports indicate that the Turkish army has penetrated 25 miles into Iraq 
        along a 150-mile front, and that hundreds of ethnic Kurds have been 
        killed thus far;
Whereas independent international observers claim that some of those killed are 
        innocent civilians, and accuse Turkey of torturing prisoners, and of 
        forcibly evacuating and destroying villages;
Whereas United States Government officials have suggested that Turkey's invasion 
        could last more than three weeks in duration;
Whereas, in scope, scale and duration, Turkey's invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan 
        appears to be an illegal act of aggression and inconsistent with 
        Turkey's obligations under the United Nations Charter;
Whereas Turkey's actions jeopardize United States and international efforts 
        under Operation Provide Comfort in northern Iraq, and threaten the 
        provision of vital humanitarian assistance by nongovernmental 
        organizations to the Kurds;
Whereas the United States Department of State reports that the general human 
        rights situation in Turkey ``worsened significantly'' in 1994, and that 
        in many human rights cases, the specific ``targets of abuse were ethnic 
        Kurds or their supporters'';
Whereas, according to the United States Government, specific violations of human 
        rights by the Government of Turkey in its campaign against the PKK 
        include the illegal use of torture, excessive force, and political and 
        extrajudicial killings of non-combatants; and
Whereas the Government of Turkey and the European Union signed a customs union 
        agreement on March 6, 1995, subject to the ratification of the European 
        Parliament: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns Turkey's invasion of northern Iraq as an 
        illegal act of aggression and violation of international law, 
        inconsistent with Turkey's obligations under the Charter of the 
        United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty, and other 
        international agreements;
            (2) calls upon the President of the United States to 
        express strong United States opposition to Turkey's invasion of 
        northern Iraq;
            (3) urges the United States at the United Nations Security 
        Council to condemn Turkey's illegal act of aggression and bring 
        about an immediate and unconditional withdrawal;
            (4) denounces Turkey's consistent pattern of human rights 
        violations against ethnic Kurds;
            (5) condemns all acts of terror, including those by PKK 
        forces against Turkish civilian, military and other targets;
            (6) supports the maintenance of Operation Provide Comfort 
        and the continuation of other nongovernmental humanitarian 
        assistance for the Kurds of northern Iraq; and
            (7) urges the European Parliament to reject the 
        ratification of the proposed customs union agreement between 
        the Government of Turkey and the European Union unless the 
        Government of Turkey complies with international human rights 
        standards.
                                 <all>