[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            TURKS IN RUSSIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Stivers) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise awareness of an 
ongoing humanitarian crisis in southern Russia, and call on the State 
Department to respond to that crisis.
  In 2003, the United States State Department, responding to a 
humanitarian crisis against Ahiska Turks in southern Russia, designated 
Ahiska Turks as a special humanitarian concern for P-2 processing. As a 
result, between 2004 and 2007, roughly 12,000 Ahiska Turks arrived in 
the United States as refugees and settled in over 25 States, including 
a sizable community in my home State of Ohio.
  Ahiska Turks, discriminated against, belittled and persecuted in 
Russia, are model citizens in the United States. In less than a decade, 
they have been able to fully integrate into American society. They have 
learned English, adapted to their new environment, educated their 
children and helped revitalize our neighborhoods.
  They live the American Dream and strengthen American society by 
investing in their people and our cities. It is proven that this group 
is an asset to our community, as seen by the fact that over 50 percent 
of them are entrepreneurs and create jobs for others, including many 
Americans.
  Ahiska Turks have shown that refugees can thrive and live the 
American Dream and help us grow our communities and our country. It is 
puzzling to me why the State Department abruptly ended this successful 
program.
  There are roughly 80,000 Ahiska Turks who remain in southern Russia 
in difficult circumstances. The latest report by the European 
Commission Against Racism and Intolerance cites the adverse environment 
for human rights organizations to even monitor the discrimination being 
suffered against Ahiska Turks in southern Russia, and acknowledges that 
the situation is ``very bad.''
  I call on the State Department today to restart the P-2 program and 
respond to this ongoing humanitarian crisis.
  I urge my colleagues to contact the U.S. State Department to restart 
the P-2 program for Ahiska Turks in Russia. This is a bipartisan issue 
where Congress can stand up for human rights and stand up for a 
persecuted group.

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