[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 162 (Wednesday, November 28, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TURKEY'S SUPPORT CRUCIAL TO SUCCESS IN AFGHANISTAN--AND BEYOND

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                           HON. AMO HOUGHTON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 28, 2001

  Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, as we stand here today, the political rule 
of the Taliban is over. They have been defeated in the north. They have 
fled from Kabul. They are heading for the hills.
  Winston Churchill noted more than 60 years ago as Britain withstood 
the ravages of the German bombing attacks, this is not the beginning of 
the end but rather, ``the end of the beginning.''
  We too, are at the end of the beginning of our worldwide effort to 
combat terrorism. It is a job that we must lead, but it is a job that 
we cannot do alone. In the earliest moments after September 11th it 
seemed that just a few nations would stand with us publicly and 
actively. One of those nations was our longtime friend and ally, 
Turkey.
  Turkey is no stranger to terrorism. For more than 10 years it waged a 
fight against internal terrorists who murdered its diplomats and killed 
its citizens. Over the space of that decade, more than 30,000 Turks 
lost their lives. Yet, Turkey never hesitated in its support to us.
  Within days, Turkish airspace, infrastructure and military 
organization was pledged in aid to the United States. Turkey went 
farther. On November 1st, Turkey became the third nation, after the 
United States and Britain, to commit ground forces in Afghanistan. It 
dedicated a 90-person special operations group to the ground effort.
  This gesture is more than symbolic. It is real. These troops have 
engaged in short and long term reconnaissance missions. They have 
served as guides for other allied forces. They provide military 
assistance to humanitarian relief efforts. They work to protect 
citizens from harm. Turkey's knowledge of Afghanistan and its 
longstanding links to anti-Taliban forces make this small unit an 
important cog in our coalition machine.
  Moreover, Turkey's commitment sends a larger signal to the Muslim 
world. As a democracy, indeed as the only secular democracy in the 
Muslim world, Turkey sends a signal that Islam and democracy are not 
incompatible. It is an important one for the millions of Muslims 
worldwide who wonder whether this effort is a disguised attack on their 
religion.
  Mr. Speaker, as important as Turkey's decision was to send troops to 
Afghanistan, it should not surprise anyone. Turkey has been with us for 
50 years in peace and in conflict. They stand with us today, and for 
that we should be grateful.

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