[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 181 (Thursday, October 22, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S6406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 755--REQUESTING INFORMATION ON THE GOVERNMENT OF 
  TURKEY'S HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES PURSUANT TO SECTION 502B(C) OF THE 
                     FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Casey, Mr. Markey, Mr. 
Durbin, Mr. Booker, and Mr. Reed) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 755

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON THE GOVERNMENT OF 
                   TURKEY'S HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES.

       (a) Statement Required.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     date of the adoption of this resolution, the Secretary of 
     State shall, pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign 
     Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(c)), transmit to the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
     a statement, prepared with the assistance of the Assistant 
     Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 
     with respect to Turkey.
       (b) Elements.--The statement submitted under subsection (a) 
     shall include the following elements:
       (1) All the available information about observance of and 
     respect for human rights and fundamental freedom in Turkey, 
     and a detailed description of practices by the Government of 
     Turkey with respect thereto, including alleged violations of 
     such rights and freedoms by the Government of Turkey, 
     including--
       (A) arbitrary killings;
       (B) suspicious deaths of persons in detention;
       (C) forced disappearances;
       (D) torture;
       (E) arbitrary arrest and detention without charges and 
     trial;
       (F) restrictions on freedom of expression, the press, and 
     the internet;
       (G) restrictions on freedoms of assembly, association, and 
     movement;
       (H) refoulement of refugees; and
       (I) discrimination and violence against women, minorities, 
     and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) 
     persons.
       (2) The steps the United States Government has taken to--
       (A) promote respect for and observance of human rights in 
     Turkey and to discourage any practices in Turkey that are 
     inimical to internationally recognized human rights; and
       (B) publicly or privately call attention to, and to 
     disassociate the United States and any security assistance 
     provided for Turkey from such practices.
       (3) Whether, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, 
     notwithstanding any such practices, extraordinary 
     circumstances exist that necessitate a continuation of 
     security assistance for Turkey and, if so, a description of 
     the circumstances and the extent to which the assistance 
     should be continued (subject to such conditions as Congress 
     may impose under section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act 
     of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304)), and all the facts pursuant to 
     which it is in the national interest of the United States to 
     provide such assistance.
       (4) Other information, including--
       (A) all available credible information concerning alleged 
     violations of internationally recognized human rights or 
     international humanitarian law by the Government of Turkey, 
     its armed forces, and associated groups and persons in the 
     South Caucasus, Syria, Libya, and Iraq, including through 
     indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks, the displacement 
     of civilian populations, and attacks on civilian 
     infrastructure and houses of worship;
       (B) whether United States-built F-16s have been used by the 
     Government of Turkey in the South Caucasus since conflict in 
     the region escalated on September 27, 2020, in a manner 
     inimical to internationally recognized human rights; and
       (C) a description of the steps the United States has taken 
     to--
       (i) discourage any practices by the Government of Turkey, 
     its armed forces, or associated groups or persons in the 
     South Caucasus, Syria, Libya, or Iraq that are inimical to 
     internationally recognized human rights; and
       (ii) publicly or privately call attention to, and 
     disassociate the United States and any security assistance 
     provided to the Government of Turkey from such practices in 
     the South Caucasus, Syria, Libya, or Iraq.

                          ____________________