[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 54 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4516-S4517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                SENATE RESOLUTION 91--RELATIVE TO TURKEY

  Mr. PELL (for himself, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Feingold, and Ms. Snowe) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Relations:

                               S. Res. 91

       Whereas as a signatory to the Charter of the United 
     Nations, the Government of Turkey is obligated to maintain 
     international peace and security,to develop friendly 
     relations among states based on respect for the principle of 
     equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to 
     achieve international cooperation through the promotion and 
     encouragement of respect for human rights and fundamental 
     freedoms for all;
       Whereas the Government of Turkey, as a party to the 
     International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the 
     International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural 
     Rights, has made additional and firm commitments to observe 
     and uphold the rights of all peoples;
       Whereas as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization, the Government of Turkey undertook to refrain 
     in international relations from the threat or use of force in 
     any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United 
     Nations;
       Whereas as a member of the Organization of for Security and 
     Cooperation in Europe, Turkey is obliged to respect the
      territorial integrity of other states, and to support the 
     human rights, fundamental freedoms and the self-
     determination of peoples;
       Whereas on March 21, 1995, more than 35,000 Turkish 
     military troops, with tanks, armored personnel carriers, and 
     air support, began an invasion of Northern Iraq;
       Whereas the Government of Turkey declares that the invasion 
     is in response to acts of terrorism by the Kurdistan Workers 
     Party, also known as the PKK, and constitutes the hot pursuit 
     of terrorists;
       Whereas reports indicate that the Turkish army has 
     penetrated 25 miles into Iraq along a 150 mile front, and 
     that hundreds of ethnic Kurds have been killed thus far;
       Whereas independent international observers claim that some 
     of those killed are innocent civilians, and accuse Turkey of 
     torturing prisoners, and of forcibly evacuating and 
     destroying villages;
       Whereas U.S. government officials have suggested that 
     Turkey's invasion could last more than 3 weeks in duration;
       Whereas in scope, scale and duration, Turkey's invasion of 
     Iraqi Kurdistan appears to be an illegal act of aggression 
     and inconsistent with Turkey's obligations under the U.N. 
     Charter;
       Whereas Turkey's actions jeopardize U.S. and international 
     efforts under Operation Provide Comfort in Northern Iraq, and 
     threaten the provision of vital humanitarian assistance by 
     nongovernmental organizations to the Kurds;
       Whereas the U.S. Department of State reports that the 
     general human rights situation in Turkey ``worsened 
     significantly'' in 1994, and that in many human rights case, 
     the specific ``targets of abuse were ethnic Kurds or their 
     supporters;''
       Whereas according to the U.S. Government, specific 
     violations of human rights by the Government of Turkey in its 
     campaign against the PKK include the illegal use of torture, 
     excessive force, and political and extrajudicial killings of 
     non-combatants;
       Now, therefore be it resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) Condemns Turkey's invasion of Northern Iraq as an 
     illegal act of aggression and a violation of international 
     law, inconsistent with Turkey's obligations under the Charter 
     of the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty, and other 
     international agreements;
       (2) Calls upon the President of the United States to 
     express strong U.S. opposition to Turkey's invasion of 
     Northern Iraq;
       (3) Urges the United States at the United Nations Security 
     Council to condemn Turkey's illegal act of aggression and 
     bring about an immediate and unconditional withdrawal;
       (4) Denounces Turkey's consistent pattern of human rights 
     violations against ethnic Kurds;
       (5) Condemns all acts of terror, including those by PKK 
     forces against Turkish civilian, military and other targets;
       (6) Supports the maintenance of Operation Provide Comfort 
     and the continuation of other non-governmental humanitarian 
     assistance for the Kurds of Northern Iraq.

  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, five years ago, when Iraqi forces crossed 
the border and invaded Kuwait, the international community--with the 
United States at the forefront--condemned the aggression and vowed that 
it would not stand. This week, more than 35,000 Turkish forces invaded 
Iraqi Kurdistan under the assertion of being engaged in hot pursuit of 
Kurdish terrorists. The truth is that Turkey's action is no less a 
violation of international law than Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
  The official United States position is that Turkey faces a legitimate 
threat from the Kurdish Workers Party--also 
[[Page S4517]] known as the PKK--a Kurdish separatist group based in 
Turkey that advocates the establishment of an independent Kurdish 
state.
  The PKK is a terrorist organization, and Turkey has a right to defend 
its citizens against the unlawful use of terror. Where I draw the line, 
however, is Turkey's use of terrorism as a pretense for its full-scale 
invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan and as justification for its consistent 
pattern of human rights violations against innocent Kurdish civilians 
in southeast Turkey.
  There is no way that the Turkish forces can distinguish between the 
Turkish Kurds and Iraqi Kurds that presently reside in Northern Iraq. 
Nor can they reasonably determine which Turkish Kurd is an armed 
terrorist, and which is an innocent civilian refuges. The result is 
that innocent Kurds--be they Iraqi or Kurdish--are being harassed, 
terrorized, and killed by Turkish forces.
  I think that there is a fundamental truth that Turkey attempts to 
obscure in its approach to the Kurdish issue. The fact is that Kurdish 
experiment with self-rule in Northern Iraq threatens and undermines 
Turkey's identity. By conducting this invasion, Turkey has exposed that 
it cares little about Iraq's territorial integrity, and only wants to 
keep the Kurdish people in check.
  The United States apparently has given the green light to Prime 
Minister Ciller's military adventure. Moreover, it is nearly certain 
that the Turkish military is using equipment and supplies of United 
States origin in its brutal war against the Kurds.
  Turkey's militaristic policy towards the Kurds goes beyond the pale 
of civilized behavior. It is time for the United States to take a 
principled stand, express its opposition to Turkey's invasion of Iraqi 
Kurdistan, and cut off supplies of United States military equipment to 
Turkey. If, as reports today suggest, this operation is to extend for 
the next 3 to 5 weeks, then it is an outright falsehood to say that 
Turkey is engaged in hot pursuit. We should condemn this invasion for 
what it truly is--a clear act of aggression and a threat to 
international peace.
  In this regard, I am submitting today with Senators Kerry, Feingold, 
and Snowe a resolution that does just that. In addition to condemning 
the invasion, the resolution calls upon the President to oppose 
Turkey's action, and urges the United States to lead an effort at the 
United Nations Security Council calling for an immediate and 
unconditional withdrawal. The resolution denounces both Turkey's 
consistent pattern of human rights violations against the Kurds and the 
violence perpetrated by terrorists, including the PKK. Finally, the 
resolution calls for the continuation of Operation Provide Comfort, 
which is crucial to the protection of civilians in Iraqi Kurdistan.
  Mr. President, I would urge my colleague to join me in sponsoring 
this resolution.


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