[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 97 (Wednesday, July 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1285]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        OPPOSITION TO H.R. 5002

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                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 17, 2002

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I come to the House floor this evening to 
express my strong opposition to H.R. 5002, a bill to include Turkey in 
the Qualified Industrial Zone, allowing duty-free goods from Turkey to 
enter the U.S. markets. This bill is not only an inappropriate and 
fiscally irresponsible back-door approach to establishing a free trade 
agreement with Turkey, but also rewards a country that has illegally 
occupied 37 percent of Cyprus for the last 28 years. On July 20, 1974, 
Turkey invaded Cyprus, and to this day continues to maintain an 
estimated 40,000 heavily armed troops on the island. Nearly 200,000 
Greek Cypriots, who fell victim to a policy of ethnic cleansing, were 
forcibly evicted from their homes and became refugees in their own 
country. This bill would send the wrong message to countries that are 
seeking access to our trade markets. It sends the presumably unintended 
message that violating international laws can be rewarded.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe a discussion by this Congress to grant Turkey 
substantial trade benefits cannot take place until a settlement has 
been achieved in Cyprus and Turkish troops have vacated the island. The 
Turkish government must exert pressure on Turkish Cypriot leader 
Denktash to put aside his unreasonable and unacceptable demands, and 
negotiate in good faith with Cyprus President Clerides. International 
officials were hoping for a breakthrough in negotiations by the end of 
June, but once again the Turkish side refused to budge and move closer 
to a peace agreement within the framework provided by the United 
Nation's Security Council.
  I am also very concerned by reports that the Turkish government sent 
more than 5,500 Turkish soldiers to the Turkish-occupied section of 
Cyprus over the last month. Cypriot leaders and officials from the 
European Union see this action as a deliberate attempt on Turkey's part 
to create tension and negatively impact peace negotiations.
  Once a peace settlement is reached, all political and social 
restrictions on the enclaved Greek Cypriots must be lifted, and any 
transfer of property that has taken place over the last 28 years in the 
occupied area should not be recognized. I also believe that our federal 
courts should be granted jurisdiction to hear the cases of U.S. 
citizens who have been excluded from their real property in occupied 
Cyprus.
  I believe each of these five conditions must be met before any 
discussion of extending trade with Turkey can begin.
  Turkey has also not been a good neighbor to Greece in questioning the 
established maritime boundary of the two countries in the Aegean Sea. 
This boundary has been established through several treaties dating back 
to 1923. The U.S. cannot now support expanded trade with Turkey while 
Turkey refuses to abide by provisions in the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty 
that once again established the Aegean boundary. The United States was 
one of the nations that signed that historic document, and therefore 
must publicly state that it accepts the demarcation of the maritime 
borders in the Aegean Sea as final.
  Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that this legislation not only reflects 
poorly on the United States' moral authority in trade policy, but also 
represents dangerous fiscal policy; in effect subsidizing a politically 
unstable and economically backwards country. Two weeks ago, 34 members 
of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's ruling party resigned in protest of 
the Prime Minister's refusal to step down as ruler of Turkey. Then, 
last week, two of the highest-level Ministers resigned: Economic 
Minister Kemal Dervis and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, triggering calls 
within Turkey for new elections as early as September. Minister Dervis 
is widely recognized as the architect of the colossal International 
Monetary Fund bailouts of Turkey, which saved Turkey from immediate 
financial disaster, but has put Turkey in debt to the IMF for a 
staggering 31 billion dollars. The nine billion dollars that were made 
available for release this year have not made any impact on the rapidly 
shrinking economy and massive unemployment.
  We should not reward Turkey and put our own economy in further 
jeopardy without radical reform of Turkey's economic and trade policy.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time to stop making special concessions for 
Turkey. Their blatant disregard for international norms--whether it be 
trade policy or their abysmal human and minority rights record--can no 
longer be ignored.

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