[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 22, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1915
AGREEMENT FOR COOPERATION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE 
REPUBLIC OF TURKEY CONCERNING PEACEFUL USES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY--MESSAGE 
      FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 110-90)

  The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 
from the President of the United States; which was read and, together 
with the accompanying papers, without objection, referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed:

To the Congress of the United States:
  I transmit to the Congress, pursuant to sections 123 b. and 123 d. of 
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2153(b), (d)) (the 
``Act''), the text of the proposed Agreement for Cooperation between 
the United States of America and the Republic of Turkey Concerning 
Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (the ``Agreement'') together with a 
copy of the unclassified Nuclear Proliferation Assessment Statement 
(NPAS) and of my approval of the proposed Agreement and determination 
that the proposed Agreement will promote, and will not constitute an 
unreasonable risk to, the common defense and security. The Secretary of 
State will submit the classified NPAS and accompanying annexes 
separately in appropriate secure channels.
  The Agreement was signed on July 26, 2000, and President Clinton 
approved and authorized execution and made the determinations required 
by section 123 b. of the Act (Presidential Determination 2000-26, 65 FR 
44403 (July 18, 2000)). However, immediately after signature, U.S. 
agencies received information that called into question the conclusions 
that had been drawn in the required NPAS and the original classified 
annex, specifically, information implicating Turkish private entities 
in certain activities directly relating to nuclear proliferation. 
Consequently, the Agreement was not submitted to the Congress and the 
executive branch undertook a review of the NPAS evaluation.
  My Administration has completed the NPAS review as well as an 
evaluation of actions taken by the Turkish government to address the 
proliferation activities of certain Turkish entities (once officials of 
the U.S. Government brought them to the Turkish government's 
attention). The Secretary of State, the Secretary of Energy, and the 
members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are confident that the 
pertinent issues have been sufficiently resolved and that there is a 
sufficient basis (as set forth in the classified annexes, which will be 
transmitted separately by the Secretary of State) to proceed with 
congressional review of the Agreement and, if legislation is not 
enacted to disapprove it, to bring the Agreement into force.
  In my judgment, entry into force of the Agreement will serve as a 
strong incentive for Turkey to continue its support for 
nonproliferation objectives and enact future sound nonproliferation 
policies and practices. It will also promote closer political and 
economic ties with a NATO ally, and provide the necessary legal 
framework for U.S. industry to make nuclear exports to Turkey's planned 
civil nuclear sector.
  This transmittal shall constitute a submittal for purposes of both 
section 123 b. and 123 d. of the Act. My Administration is prepared to 
begin immediate consultations with the Senate Foreign Relations 
Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee as provided in 
section 123 b. Upon completion of the period of 30 days of continuous 
session provided for in section 123 b., the period of 60 days of 
continuous session provided for in section 123 d. shall commence.
                                                      George W. Bush.  
The White House, January 22, 2008.

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