[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 278 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 278

 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding Turkey's purchase of the 
 S-400 air and missile defense system from the Russian Federation and 
            its membership in NATO, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 18, 2019

    Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself and Mr. Young) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding Turkey's purchase of the 
 S-400 air and missile defense system from the Russian Federation and 
            its membership in NATO, and for other purposes.

Whereas the United States and the Republic of Turkey have been North Atlantic 
        Treaty Organization (NATO) allies since 1952;
Whereas NATO exists for democratic nation states to band together to ``safeguard 
        the freedom, common heritage and civilization of their peoples, founded 
        on the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of 
        law'';
Whereas NATO Member States ``seek to promote stability and well-being in the 
        North Atlantic area'';
Whereas the primary threat posed by the Soviet Union that precipitated the 
        formation of NATO continues today, and recent actions by the Government 
        of the Russian Federation have reaffirmed the importance of this 
        alliance to the security of the Member States;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has threatened the peace and 
        security of the North Atlantic area, invading and occupying the 
        territory of its non-NATO neighbors and menacing NATO Member States 
        since 2008;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has interfered and attempted to 
        wreak havoc in the election processes of NATO Member States and 
        continues to do so;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has maintained and strengthened 
        its ties with the repressive and corrupt regime of Nicolas Maduro in 
        Venezuela in an effort to prop him up in his illegitimate hold over the 
        state;
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation is strengthening its ties with 
        the Government of Cuba, including a recent port call in Havana with its 
        most powerful warship;
Whereas the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken the Republic 
        of Turkey down a path of authoritarianism and human rights abuses, 
        aligns itself with radical Islamic terror groups, and agitates against 
        regional allies of the United States, such as Israel;
Whereas the Government of the Republic of Turkey has cooperated with the 
        Governments of the Russian Federation and Iran against the strategic 
        interests of the NATO Member States, continues to occupy northern 
        Cyprus, and continues to unjustly detain United States citizens;
Whereas the Government of the Republic of Turkey has supported the Maduro regime 
        with illegal financial transactions;
Whereas the Government of the Republic of Turkey has acquired the S-400 air and 
        missile defense system from the Russian Federation, which constitutes a 
        direct and dire threat to the security interests of the United States 
        and NATO; and
Whereas the foregoing demonstrates that the Republic of Turkey is consistently 
        contradicting the standards and purposes of the NATO treaty: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) declares that the Republic of Turkey's receipt of the 
        Russian S-400 air and missile defense system is a significant 
        transaction within the meaning of section 231 of the Countering 
        America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) of 2017 
        (22 U.S.C. 9525);
            (2) calls for full implementation of sanctions under 
        CAATSA;
            (3) calls upon the President to consult with NATO Member 
        States, pursuant to Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, 
        signed at Washington April 4, 1949, based upon threats to the 
        political independence and security of the Parties by the 
        Russian actions described in the preamble; and
            (4) calls upon the President, during such consultation with 
        NATO Member States, to review the Treaty with regard to the 
        factors ``affecting peace and security in the North Atlantic 
        area'' described in the preamble, and to consider the continued 
        inclusion of the Republic of Turkey in NATO.
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