[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 186 (Friday, October 30, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 97TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF 
                                 TURKEY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 30, 2020

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
congratulate the government and people of the Republic of Turkey on the 
97th anniversary of October 29, 1923, when Turkey became a Republic.
  It was on this day in 1923 when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary 
leader of modern Turkey, became its first President. Under his 
leadership, Turkey rose from the ashes of a war-torn country into a 
confident, stable, and growing democracy.
  Turkey and the United States have been NATO Allies since 1952. Our 
soldiers have been serving side by side for almost seven decades in 
crises and conflicts in a vast geography, ranging from Afghanistan to 
Kosovo.
  Turkey is an important ally and partner of the United States in 
facing 21st century challenges.
  According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
(UNHCR), Turkey is now the largest refugee-hosting country in the 
world.
  Turkish Americans are an important part of the fabric of the United 
States, as evidenced by their contributions to the arts, science, 
academia, and business.
  Turkish Americans serve as goodwill ambassadors promoting greater 
understanding between the United States and Turkey, by educating people 
in the United States about Turkey's rich cultural heritage, and the 
importance of the partnership to advance mutual interests between the 
United States and Turkey.
  I rise today to congratulate my friends in the United States and 
Turkey on the 97th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of 
Turkey.

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