118 HRES 1562 IH: Condemning President Erdogan and his regime for issuing destabilizing statements following the attacks on the State of Israel on October 7, 2023, endangering the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s mission, threatening the territorial integrity of neighboring countries, supporting terrorism, and fostering antisemitic behavior around the globe.
U.S. House of Representatives
2024-11-01
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EN
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IV
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1562
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 1, 2024
Ms. Titus (for herself, Mr. Schneider, and Mr. Bilirakis) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Condemning President Erdogan and his regime for issuing destabilizing statements following the attacks on the State of Israel on October 7, 2023, endangering the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s mission, threatening the territorial integrity of neighboring countries, supporting terrorism, and fostering antisemitic behavior around the globe.
Whereas Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has led the Republic of Türkiye as Prime Minister from 2003 until 2014, and President since 2014;
Whereas statements made by President Erdoğan and his regime have been sympathetic to Hamas, a United States-designated foreign terrorist organization, in its war to destroy Israel, emboldening malign groups that do not support democracy;
Whereas antisemitic statements made by President Erdoğan and his regime risk motivating nefarious actors seeking to undermine the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as weak and divided;
Whereas inflammatory statements on behalf of the Republic of Türkiye may perpetuate the rising trend of antisemitism throughout the world;
Whereas the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that antisemitic incidents in the United States skyrocketed 360 percent following the Hamas attack on Israel;
Whereas, in October 2023, President Erdoğan stated that “Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a liberation group”;
Whereas, in November 2023, President Erdoğan called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “the butcher of Gaza” without mention of Hamas atrocities in the region such as their execution of approximately 1,200 innocent people and more than 250 individuals taken hostage, including United States citizens;
Whereas, in December 2023, President Erdoğan equated the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to that of Hitler and, on September 24, 2024, President Erdoğan repeated this during the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week;
Whereas, in April 2024, President Erdoğan’s regime placed restrictions on exports to Israel, and announced an end to all trade in May 2024;
Whereas, in May 2024, President Erdoğan’s regime falsely deemed Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip a genocide of Palestinians by saying “I repeat my call for the Israeli leadership to never expand the scope of its attacks on civilians and to immediately end its operations amounting to genocide”;
Whereas, in May 2024, the Republic of Türkiye announced that it would apply to be a coplaintiff in the case South Africa v. Israel that South Africa brought forward to the International Court of Justice that falsely asserts Israel violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention due to its conduct in the Gaza Strip;
Whereas, in July 2024, President Erdoğan threatened to invade the State of Israel and stated, “We must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these ridiculous things to Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them”;
Whereas, in July 2024, President Erdoğan stated, “Until comprehensive, sustainable peace is established in Palestine, attempts at cooperation with Israel within NATO will not be approved by Türkiye”;
Whereas President Erdoğan’s obstruction of NATO cooperation with Israel undermines broader transatlantic security, counterterrorism efforts, and the need for a cohesive NATO policy against common threats;
Whereas President Erdoğan has repeatedly hosted United States-designated senior Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, Khaled Meshaal, and Saleh al-Arouri;
Whereas, on August 2, 2024, President Erdoğan declared a day of mourning for Ismail Haniyeh, and the Embassy of Türkiye in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to half-mast in Haniyeh’s honor;
Whereas, on August 28, 2024, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal called on Palestinians to carry out suicide bombings against Israelis while speaking at a conference in Istanbul, Türkiye;
Whereas, on September 3, 2024, the United States Department of Justice announced terrorism, murder conspiracy, and sanctions-evasion charges against six senior Hamas leaders, including Khaled Meshaal;
Whereas, on October 9, 2024, Erdogan called Israel a “Zionist terrorist organization”;
Whereas, on October 18, 2024, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Türkiye expressed condolences to the Hamas Political Bureau for the death of Yahya Sinwar, the former Chairman and leader of Hamas and architect of the October 7 attack on Israel;
Whereas President Erdoğan has used inflammatory language against Greece, a fellow NATO ally, to undermine the peace and security of its democratic neighbor;
Whereas Türkiye assisted in Azerbaijan’s repression and expulsion of Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023;
Whereas, during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of Turkey’s illegal invasion of Cyprus, President Erdoğan unjustifiably asserted that Türkiye has legitimate claims to the northern half of Cyprus and that Turkish Cypriots have territorial rights across the island;
Whereas the House of Representatives recognizes that on August 1, 2024, notwithstanding Erdoğan’s destabilizing rhetoric and actions, the Republic of Türkiye played an integral role in brokering an extensive prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia, allowing 16 United States and European prisoners to come home;
Whereas, in 2024, the Republic of Türkiye has allocated about 2.09 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to its own defense spending, exceeding NATO’s targets, to ensure that countries in NATO achieve military readiness;
Whereas greater military cooperation between the United States and Türkiye should be contingent upon Türkiye’s reliability within NATO and adherence to international norms regarding human rights and counterterrorism efforts;
Whereas the United States Congress plays a critical role in oversight of government-to-government foreign military sales of major defense equipment; and
Whereas President Erdoğan and the Republic of Türkiye could be a far more effective partner of the United States if President Erdoğan refrained from engaging in any further destabilizing, antagonistic, and antisemitic rhetoric or behavior moving forward: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
urges the Republic of Türkiye to stand with Israel’s right to exist and its war against terrorism;
(2)
condemns President Erdoğan’s support for Hamas leaders and urges the Republic of Türkiye to immediately denounce Hamas and other Iranian allies and proxy organizations;
(3)
urges President Erdoğan and his administration to refrain from blocking the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s cooperation with Israel at a time when the Islamic Republic of Iran and its terrorist proxies pose a growing threat to the region and the transatlantic alliance;
(4)
urges the Republic of Türkiye to fulfill its treaty obligations and extradite to the United States any Hamas members located in Türkiye and wanted by the United States;
(5)
condemns President Erdoğan’s destabilizing and threatening rhetoric towards its democratic neighbors, especially Greece and the Republic of Cyprus;
(6)
urges the Biden administration to pause further transfers or sales of United States-made fighter jets to the Republic of Türkiye; and
(7)
urges President Erdoğan and his administration to subdue its divisive antisemitic and destabilizing rhetoric.