[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 205 (Wednesday, December 20, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S18996-S18997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MISSILE SALES TO TURKEY

  Mr. PRESSLER. Madam President, on Monday, December 18, my good friend 
from New York, Senator D'Amato and I, sent a letter to Secretary of 
State Warren Christopher, urging the Clinton Administration to 
reconsider its decision to sell 120 Army tactical missile systems 
[ATACMs] to the government of Turkey.
  I was troubled to learn last night that the Clinton Administration 
intends to proceed with the sale. This transfer is ill-advised, to say 
the least. I strongly urge the Administration to reconsider its 
decision or at the very least, place clear, indisputable restrictions 
on deployment and use of these weapons.
  This transfer does not make sense. Generally, it is disturbing 
because the Turkish government has used U.S. and NATO military 
equipment repeatedly in the past to advance policy and military 
objectives that are clearly not in our best interests.
  As all of us are well aware, the Turkish government in 1974 used NATO 
military equipment when it invaded the island of Cyprus. More than two 
decades later, Cyprus remains divided, with one side subjected to an 
occupation force of 35,000 Turkish troops. I have held a great interest 
in resolving the Cyprus dispute. This is a matter of strong, bipartisan 
interest. The Clinton Administration has stated that it intends to make 
a serious effort to reunite Cyprus. Frankly, I cannot see how the 
proposed missile sale helps our nation achieve this goal. I believe the 
opposite is true, and that is very unfortunate.
  I also am concerned about American made military equipment being used 
to prolong the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It has been 
documented that Turkey has transferred U.S. and NATO military hardware 
to the Azeris, who have made use of this equipment against civilian 
populations in the besieged Nagorno-Karabagh region. It is my 
understanding that it is contrary to U.S. policy for a buyer of U.S.-
made military equipment to transfer such equipment to a third party. 
What assurances do we have from Turkey that it intends to abide by this 
policy?
  Finally, I am concerned that this missile sale could serve to prolong 
continued violence between the Turkish Army and the Kurds. For more 
than a decade the Turkish government has waged a brutal war against the 
Kurdish people. Human rights watch [HRW] estimated that the conflict 
has resulted in the death of 19,000 Kurds, including 2,000 civilians, 
and the destruction of 2,000 villages. More than 2 million Kurds have 
been forced from their homes.
  HRW also reported that in 29 incidents from 1992 and 1995, the 
Turkish Army used U.S.-supplied fighter-bombers and helicopters to 
attack civilian villages and other targets. Further, U.S. and NATO-
supplied small arms and armored personnel carriers have been used in a 
counter-insurgency campaign against thousands of Kurdish villages.
  Clearly, these instances stretching over a period of more than two 
decades are contrary to our nation's interests as well as our own moral 
sensibility. In the face of this evidence, the President now wishes to 
supply the Turkish Army with 120 ATACMs. What exactly are ATACMs? 
Basically, the U.S. Army handbook describes the ATACM as a conventional 
surface-to-surface ballistic missile launched from a M270 launcher. 
Each missile has a warhead that carries a combined payload of 950 small 
cluster bomblets, which can spray shrapnel over a large area.
  The practical use of an ATACM does not leave much to the imagination. 
This kind of missile can be used to disable numerous human and material 
targets at once and very quickly. Kurdish villages and organized teams 
of Kurdish dissidents easily could be targets for ballistic missile 
attack. This would be a terrible tragedy.
  The Administration has argued that these missiles are a necessary 
deterrent against two potential aggressors along Turkey's borders--Iran 
and Iraq. I believe these missiles are far from necessary. Consider the 
following: Turkey is an ally of the United States. It is a member of 
NATO. The Turkish military's Incrylik air base is a launching point for 
our enforcement of the no-fly zone over Northern Iraq. And Turkey will 
participate in the enforcement of the Dayton peace accord in Bosnia. I 
would think that the strategic importance of Turkey to the United 
States and Europe is enough to deter any foolish military action by 
either Iran or Iraq. If our nation can mobilize the world to expel Iraq 
from the tiny nation of Kuwait, imagine our response if Iraq or Iran 
even made a hostile gesture toward Turkey. Clearly, the 
Administration's ``deterrent" argument to justify the missile sale is 
hollow at best.
  Indeed, I can find no credible political, economic or strategic cause 
that is furthered by the sale of the ATACMs to Turkey.
  Madam President, just last month, Congress took a strong stand 
against Turkish aggression in the region by voting to cap US economic 
support funds for Turkey. This is an important step. My friend from New 
York, Senator D'Amato, and I are sponsors of legislation that would 
take even tougher action. It is my hope that we in Congress can all 
agree that there must be an added price for US economic and military 
assistance to our allies, particularly our NATO allies, and that price 
is morally responsible use of U.S. assistance. I do not see how the 
Administration's missile sale fits even that basic standard. 

[[Page S18997]]

  We have seen a number of different initiatives designed to bring 
peace to troubled regions, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern 
Ireland, Cyprus, and the Middle East. However, the Administration needs 
to demonstrate our nation's strong interest in bringing the violence in 
Kurdistan and Nagorno-Karabagh to an end. The sale of 120 ATACMs moves 
our nation in the wrong direction and could further fuel the war and 
destruction in both regions.
  Though the Administration has announced it intends to pursue the 
sale, I make one last plea to urge it to reconsider its decision. If 
the Administration intends to complete the sale, I would urge at the 
very least that it impose a few basic conditions. In short, if these 
missiles are for national self-defense, the sale should be conditioned 
solely for that purpose. More to the point, the missiles should not be 
placed so as to pose a threat to the people of Greece and Cyprus. 
Further, the Turkish government should promise that none of the 
missiles be transferred to Azerbaijan. And finally, the missiles should 
not be used to prolong the violence in Kurdistan. The Clinton 
Administration at the very least should insist on these conditions at 
the very least. The Clinton Administration also should make clear that 
failure to abide by these conditions could undermine future economic 
and military assistance.
  Again I believe this sale to be bad policy. It is a mistake. However, 
if the Administration intends to pursue this sale, it should at the 
very least make clear that this nation insists on this equipment being 
strictly limited to self-defense. If we are going to be forced swallow 
this very bitter bill, the Administration should try to make it less 
bitter.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the letter to Secretary 
Christopher be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                Washington, DC, December 18, 1995.
     Hon. Warren M. Christopher,
     Secretary of State,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Secretary: We are writing to express our strong 
     opposition to the Clinton Administration's proposed sale of 
     120 army tactical surface-to-surface missiles (ATACMS) to 
     Turkey.
       As you well know, for more than a decade the Turkish 
     government has waged a brutal war against the Kurdish people. 
     According to recent data from Human Rights Watch (HRW), the 
     conflict has resulted in 19,000 military and civilian dead, 
     2,000 villages destroyed and more than 2 million being forced 
     from their homes.
       What concerns us deeply is the use of American-made 
     military equipment to commit these atrocities and to prolong 
     the war against the Kurdish people. Specifically, it has been 
     reported that in 29 incidents from 1992 and 1995, the Turkish 
     Army has used U.S.-supplied fighter-bombers and helicopters 
     to attack and fire against civilian villages and targets. 
     Further, U.S. and NATO-supplied small arms and armored 
     personnel carriers have been used in a counter-insurgency 
     campaign against thousands of Kurdish villages.
       The Kurds are not the only ones to have been subjected to 
     attack with U.S. or NATO equipment from Turkey. Indeed, the 
     record of the last twenty years is disturbing. Most notably, 
     the Turkish military used NATO military hardware when it 
     invaded and occupied the now-divided island of Cyprus. 
     Further, Turkey has transferred US and NATO weapons to 
     Azerbaijan, where they have been used against civilian 
     Armenians residing in Nagorno-Karabagh.
       In the face of this history, the President now wishes to 
     supply the Turkish Army with 120 ATACMS, each of which is 
     capable of carrying a warhead payload of 950 small cluster 
     bombs. With these weapons, the Turkish Army has the 
     capability to launch a horrendous ballistic missile attack on 
     the Kurdish people. The results would be equally disturbing 
     if any of these missiles ended up in the hands of the Azeris, 
     or were deployed within range of either Cyprus or Greece.
       Mr. Secretary, the Clinton Administration has taken a great 
     interest in achieving peace in troubled regions, such as 
     Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and the Middle 
     East. However, the Administration needs to demonstrate our 
     nation's strong interest in bringing the violence in 
     Kurdistan and Nagorno-Karabagh to an end. By arming Turkey 
     with 120 ATACMS, we would send the opposite message and 
     further fuel destruction in both regions.
       The time has come for the United States to take a stand for 
     peace throughout the entire Middle East. For that reason, we 
     urge the Clinton Administration to reconsider its proposed 
     sale of tactical surface-to-surface missiles to Turkey.
       Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
           Sincerely,
     Larry Pressler.
     Alfonse M. D'Amato.

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