[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 769 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 769

 Congratulating the government and people of Turkey as they celebrate 
                 Republic Day, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 23, 2007

    Ms. Foxx (for herself, Mr. Kuhl of New York, Mr. Whitfield, Mr. 
Gutierrez, and Mr. Cohen) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Congratulating the government and people of Turkey as they celebrate 
                 Republic Day, and for other purposes.

Whereas every year on October 29, Turkey celebrates Republic Day, commemorating 
        the day when Turkey became a republic;
Whereas on October 29, 1923, the Republic of Turkey was formally established and 
        Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary leader of modern Turkey, became its 
        first President;
Whereas Turkey is the only secular, pluralistic, westward-looking democracy with 
        a predominantly Muslim population;
Whereas Turkey has a significant and constructive physical and influential reach 
        into the Balkans, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central Asia;
Whereas the United States and Turkey share common values of democracy, 
        diversity, tolerance, social mobility, and the separation of religious 
        and civic life;
Whereas Anatolia, home of the Republic of Turkey, has been a cradle of 
        civilizations for millennia;
Whereas the city states of the Lycian Federation, located in Patara, Turkey, 
        inspired the Founding Fathers of the United States as they wrote the 
        Constitution of the United States;
Whereas the United States and Turkey have been close friends and allies for more 
        than half a century;
Whereas Turkish Americans, leaders in many walks of life ranging from the arts, 
        science, academia, and business, are a proud heritage community;
Whereas Turkish Americans are goodwill ambassadors of the friendship between the 
        United States and Turkey and in celebrating their rich cultural 
        heritage, Turkish Americans enrich society in the United States and the 
        United States' understanding of that part of the world;
Whereas Turkey is becoming a reliable energy hub for the Western World in a 
        highly volatile region, completing the East-West Energy Corridor;
Whereas for decades Turkey stood as the bulwark of the North Atlantic Treaty 
        Organization (NATO) on the southeastern flank of the Alliance and 
        guarded a long common border with the Soviet Union;
Whereas since the end of the Cold War, Turkey has become an important partner of 
        the United States in facing new major challenges such as international 
        terrorism, ethnic and religious extremism and fundamentalism, energy 
        security and diversity, the proliferation of weapons of mass 
        destruction, and international organized crime including drug and human 
        trafficking;
Whereas in 1999 President Clinton announced that the United States and Turkey 
        had a ``strategic partnership'', further defining and reinforcing a 
        relationship based on common interests and mutual values;
Whereas in July 2006, the United States and Turkey signed a ``Shared Vision 
        Document'', outlining a strategic vision for bilateral cooperation and 
        coordination on a wide range of international matters of common concern;
Whereas in 2006, Turkey was the 30th largest market for United States exports, 
        totaling $5,723,000,000 and the 44th largest source of imports, totaling 
        $5,359,000,000, resulting in a $364,000,000 trade surplus for the United 
        States;
Whereas from January to July of 2007, Turkey remained the 30th largest market 
        for United States exports, reaching $3,771,000,000 and the 45th largest 
        source of imports, reaching $2,703,000,000, resulting in a 
        $1,068,000,000 trade surplus for the United States, nearly three times 
        more than during the same period in 2006;
Whereas Turkey continues to play an important role in Afghanistan, having twice 
        commanded the International Security Assistance Force, and maintains a 
        Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan, that builds schools, 
        hospitals, and roads; and
Whereas Turkey plays a crucial role in helping supply services and equipment to 
        United States forces in Iraq: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes Turkey as one of the most important 
        strategic partners of the United States;
            (2) commends the government and people of Turkey for 
        strengthening its democracy and becoming a source of stability 
        in its region;
            (3) expresses appreciation for Turkey's efforts in the 
        global war on terrorism; and
            (4) congratulates the government and people of Turkey as 
        they celebrate Republic Day.
                                 <all>