IV 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 632 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 25, 2012 Mr. Meeks (for himself, Mr. Connolly of Virginia, Ms. Foxx, and Mr. Cohen) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Commending the Government of Turkey for its efforts to facilitate, host, and care for refugees fleeing the Al-Assad regime’s escalating violence in Syria.

Whereas the ongoing brutality of the Syrian Government against its own citizenry targets innocent civilians, resulting in the loss of nearly 9,000 Syrians, including women and children, destroying communities and livelihoods, triggering massive population displacement within Syria and throughout the region, and creating a deepening humanitarian crisis; Whereas the international community has called for an end to the violence against civilians, facilitation of humanitarian access, and support for a genuine political transition that protects the rights of all Syrians and Turkey has been a forceful proponent of these demands; Whereas the humanitarian needs continue to grow, with as many as 3,000,000 individuals in Syria affected by violence, including a United Nations-estimated 300,000 internally displaced persons, and with the number of Syrians seeking refuge in neighboring countries exceeding 60,000 individuals as of mid-April 2012; Whereas the United States has committed substantial humanitarian assistance to relieve suffering and to protect civilians, and will continue to support fleeing and displaced Syrians in need; Whereas the Government of Turkey, as of mid-April 2012, is hosting nearly 25,000 Syrian refugees in camps in eastern provinces and has allowed visa-free entry of tens of thousands of Syrians who have fled Syria but not sought refuge in the camps; Whereas despite significant increases in the number of Syrians seeking refuge in Turkey, the Turkish Government is demonstrating generous abundant hospitality, accepting full responsibility for assisting displaced Syrians within its borders, maintaining an open border to fleeing Syrians, and responding robustly to their humanitarian needs; Whereas Turkey has hosted Syrian opposition groups to facilitate realization of a vision for a democratic Syria, and hosted a major international Friends of the Syrian People Conference in Istanbul on April 1, 2012, with participation of 83 countries and international organizations; Whereas Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that Syrian President Bashir Al-Assad must step down, if he fails to meet the legitimate demands of the Syrian people; Whereas the Turkish Government and the Turkish Red Crescent are cooperating closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Committee of the Red Cross to address the needs of fleeing and displaced Syrians; Whereas the Turkish Government has called for Syria to facilitate the delivery of critical care, and essential goods and services, and to allow the treatment of wounded and unimpeded exodus of civilians; Whereas the initial humanitarian assistance provided through the Turkish Red Crescent to address the needs of Syrians who have fled the violence has exceeded international standards for refugee relief; Whereas the Turkish population in the areas of Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, and Sanliurfa has been extremely generous and hospitable, offering housing, food, bicycles, school supplies, and other assistance to the refugees; and Whereas Turkey is an emerging global humanitarian actor that has played important roles in various international relief efforts, including in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Sudan: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)commends the leadership of the Government of Turkey in calling for an end to the violence in Syria and the restoration of human rights and democracy; (2)commends the Turkish Government’s responsiveness to the humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees; (3)supports the response of international organizations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the international family of Red Cross, and Red Crescent organizations in their efforts to support internally displaced persons within Syria and Syrian refugees throughout the region; and (4)acknowledges Turkey as an emerging global humanitarian actor.