[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 27]
[House]
[Page 35997]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            CODEL TO TURKEY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SHAYS. Earlier this month, I returned from a congressional 
delegation trip to Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait. As part of that 
trip, my staff member, a retired colonel in the Army, Dr. Nick 
Palarino, and I spent 4 days in Turkey traveling to the southeastern 
region, not a place Members of Congress usually go.
  I would like to share my impressions with my colleagues about our 
strong ally in the Middle East, Turkey.
  My staff and I pursued a different itinerary than other codels in 
Turkey. First, we visited Ankara and met with the U.S. Ambassador and 
the Country Team, members of Parliament, and Turkish military officials 
to get a better understanding of the problems faced by Turkey battling 
the terrorist group, the Kurdistan Worker's Party, known as the PKK.
  We then traveled to Diyarbakur, a city and region where a large 
number of Turkish citizens of Kurdish descent reside, and met with the 
governor of the province and local officials, many of them Kurds.
  We also traveled to Habur Gate on the border with Iraq and met with 
the commercial truck drivers who wait in line for days, often more than 
a week, trying to get their products into Iraq. We even had the 
opportunity to cross the bridge into Iraq and meet with U.S. forces, 
members of the 571st Movement Control Team and Logistical Task Force 
Bravo, who escort commercial trucks into Iraq.

                              {time}  2015

  Before going to Istanbul, we met with the chamber of commerce 
representatives and stopped overnight in Mardin and met with the 
governor and local Kurdish officials. In Istanbul we met with 
businessmen doing work in Iraq and a very precious family that lost 
their son, brother to their PKK terrorists. This is just one of 
thousands and thousands of families that have lost loved ones to the 
PKK.
  After traveling the length of Turkey from Istanbul to the border with 
Iraq and meeting with U.S. and Turkish officials, these are my general 
impressions:
  Turkey is a Muslim country with an active and vibrant democracy. 
Although the southeastern region of Turkey has a great deal of 
unemployment, the majority of the Turkish economy is growing, and 
people feel optimistic about their future. The current leadership and 
ruling party in Turkey, the AKP, is attempting to address the 
unemployment issue by helping to develop the southeast region. There is 
enormous potential for development throughout Turkey.
  Turkey wants to be a partner in the European Union, and we should 
continue to strongly advocate its admittance. Turkey has stood shoulder 
to shoulder with the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization in the long Cold War against Communism, and we should 
never forget that. Turkey is now standing with us shoulder to shoulder 
in our fight in the global war against terrorism. It is providing bases 
for U.S. military forces, troops and nonmilitary assistance in the 
global war on terrorism.
  We are right in standing shoulder to shoulder with Turkey in its 
fight against the PKK. The PKK is a terrorist organization that has 
killed thousands of Turkish soldiers and citizens. The PKK is an enemy 
of Turkey. It is an enemy of the United States, and it is an enemy of 
Iraq. We should do all we can to assist Turkey eliminate this threat 
from its border and continue the strong alliance our countries have 
built over the years, and I think we are.
  The recent action Turkey has taken to confront the PKK in Iraq is 
long in coming and more than justified. Turkey has been patient and 
understanding in the challenges the Iraqi Government faces and has 
acted in a strong, but measured, way. It is essential that we 
appreciate the friendship we have with this great country and do 
everything we can to strengthen this relationship.

                          ____________________