[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 733 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 733

    Congratulating the people of the Republic of Turkey and Turkish 
 Americans nationwide on the 98th anniversary of Turkish Republic Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 21, 2021

    Mr. Cohen (for himself and Mr. Mooney) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Congratulating the people of the Republic of Turkey and Turkish 
 Americans nationwide on the 98th anniversary of Turkish Republic Day.

Whereas, every year on October 29, the people of Turkey and Turkish Americans 
        celebrate Turkish 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 Anatolia, home of the Republic of Turkey, has been a cradle of 
        civilizations for millennia;
Whereas James Madison and the Founding Fathers of the United States appealed to 
        Patara, Turkey, the city-state of the Lycian Confederation, in drafting 
        the Constitution;
Whereas, in 2020, United States trade in goods with Turkey exceeded 
        $11,500,000,000 in exports and $10,100,000,000 in imports;
Whereas Turkey, located in a critical region of the world between East and West 
        with a population of 83,600,000, commands the second largest military in 
        the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and is allied with the 
        United States on regional developments in the fields of 
        counterterrorism, energy diversification, securing the global supply 
        chains, and drug and human trafficking prevention;
Whereas Turkey is actively contributing to the fight against the Islamic State 
        of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) (also known as Daesh), the Kurdistan Workers' 
        Party, and all other forms and manifestation of terrorism;
Whereas the conflict in neighboring Syria has especially burdened Turkey, which 
        has taken in and provided shelter, relief, and social services to more 
        than 9,000,000 refugees and internally displaced persons fleeing the 
        horrors of the Assad regime;
Whereas, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Turkey 
        continues to host more refugees than any other country in the world;
Whereas Turkey has been a strong and reliable ally in Afghanistan over 20 years, 
        most recently during the evacuation operation supported by more than 600 
        Turkish troops based in the Kabul International Airport;
Whereas Turkish Americans are an important part of the fabric of the United 
        States, as evidenced by their contributions to the arts, science, 
        academia, law, business, and political life of this country; and
Whereas Turkish Americans serve as goodwill ambassadors, promoting greater 
        understanding between the United States and Turkey by informing the 
        people in the United States about their rich Turkish cultural heritage, 
        and the importance of the strategic partnership to advance mutual 
        interests between the United States and Turkey: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the Republic of Turkey as an important ally 
        of the United States;
            (2) expresses appreciation for Turkey's contribution to 
        global efforts to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria 
        (also known as Daesh), the Kurdistan Workers' Party and other 
        terrorist organizations;
            (3) acknowledges the unique political, economic, and social 
        challenges confronting the people of Turkey from the influx of 
        refugees that the conflicts and instability in the region have 
        caused;
            (4) commends the productive contributions of the Turkish-
        American community to America; and
            (5) congratulates the people of Turkey, and Turkish 
        Americans nationwide, as they celebrate Turkish Republic Day.
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