IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1562 

Condemning President Erdogan and his regime for issuing destabilizing statements following the attacks on the State of Israel on October 7, 2023, 

endangering the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s mission, threatening the territorial integrity of neighboring countries, supporting terrorism, and fostering antisemitic behavior around the globe. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 1, 2024 

Ms. TITUS (for herself, Mr. SCHNEIDER, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning President Erdogan and his regime for issuing 

destabilizing statements following the attacks on the 

State of Israel on October 7, 2023, endangering the 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s mission, threatening the territorial integrity of neighboring countries, 

supporting terrorism, and fostering antisemitic behavior 

around the globe. 

Whereas Recep Tayyip Erdog ̆an has led the Republic of 

Tu ̈rkiye as Prime Minister from 2003 until 2014, and 

President since 2014; 

Whereas statements made by President Erdog ̆an and his regime have been sympathetic to Hamas, a United Statesdesignated foreign terrorist organization, in its war to deVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:03 Nov 05, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1562.IH HR1562

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•HRES 1562 IH 

stroy Israel, emboldening malign groups that do not support democracy; 

Whereas antisemitic statements made by President Erdog ̆an 

and his regime risk motivating nefarious actors seeking 

to undermine the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 

(NATO) as weak and divided; 

Whereas inflammatory statements on behalf of the Republic 

of Tu ̈rkiye may perpetuate the rising trend of antisemitism throughout the world; 

Whereas the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that 

antisemitic incidents in the United States skyrocketed 

360 percent following the Hamas attack on Israel; 

Whereas, in October 2023, President Erdog ̆an stated that 

‘‘Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a liberation 

group’’; 

Whereas, in November 2023, President Erdog ̆an called Israeli 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘‘the butcher of 

Gaza’’ without mention of Hamas atrocities in the region 

such as their execution of approximately 1,200 innocent 

people and more than 250 individuals taken hostage, including United States citizens; 

Whereas, in December 2023, President Erdog ̆an equated the 

actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to 

that of Hitler and, on September 24, 2024, President 

Erdog ̆an repeated this during the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week; 

Whereas, in April 2024, President Erdog ̆an’s regime placed 

restrictions on exports to Israel, and announced an end 

to all trade in May 2024; 

Whereas, in May 2024, President Erdog ̆an’s regime falsely 

deemed Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip a genocide of 


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•HRES 1562 IH 

Palestinians by saying ‘‘I repeat my call for the Israeli 

leadership to never expand the scope of its attacks on civilians and to immediately end its operations amounting 

to genocide’’; 

Whereas, in May 2024, the Republic of Tu ̈rkiye announced 

that it would apply to be a coplaintiff in the case South 

Africa v. Israel that South Africa brought forward to the 

International Court of Justice that falsely asserts Israel 

violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention 

due to its conduct in the Gaza Strip; 

Whereas, in July 2024, President Erdog ̆an threatened to invade the State of Israel and stated, ‘‘We must be very 

strong so that Israel can’t do these ridiculous things to 

Palestine. Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them’’; 

Whereas, in July 2024, President Erdog ̆an stated, ‘‘Until 

comprehensive, sustainable peace is established in Palestine, attempts at cooperation with Israel within NATO 

will not be approved by Tu ̈rkiye’’; 

Whereas President Erdog ̆an’s obstruction of NATO cooperation with Israel undermines broader transatlantic security, counterterrorism efforts, and the need for a cohesive 

NATO policy against common threats; 

Whereas President Erdog ̆an has repeatedly hosted United 

States-designated senior Hamas leaders, including Ismail 

Haniyeh, Khaled Meshaal, and Saleh al-Arouri; 

Whereas, on August 2, 2024, President Erdog ̆an declared a 

day of mourning for Ismail Haniyeh, and the Embassy 

of Tu ̈rkiye in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to half-mast in 

Haniyeh’s honor; 


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•HRES 1562 IH 

Whereas, on August 28, 2024, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal 

called on Palestinians to carry out suicide bombings 

against Israelis while speaking at a conference in 

Istanbul, Tu ̈rkiye; 

Whereas, on September 3, 2024, the United States Department of Justice announced terrorism, murder conspiracy, 

and sanctions-evasion charges against six senior Hamas 

leaders, including Khaled Meshaal; 

Whereas, on October 9, 2024, Erdogan called Israel a ‘‘Zionist terrorist organization’’; 

Whereas, on October 18, 2024, the Foreign Minister of the 

Republic of Tu ̈rkiye expressed condolences to the Hamas 

Political Bureau for the death of Yahya Sinwar, the 

former Chairman and leader of Hamas and architect of 

the October 7 attack on Israel; 

Whereas President Erdog ̆an has used inflammatory language 

against Greece, a fellow NATO ally, to undermine the 

peace and security of its democratic neighbor; 

Whereas Tu ̈rkiye assisted in Azerbaijan’s repression and expulsion of Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh in 

2023; 

Whereas, during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week, which coincided with 

the 50th anniversary of Turkey’s illegal invasion of Cyprus, President Erdog ̆an unjustifiably asserted that 

Tu ̈rkiye has legitimate claims to the northern half of Cyprus and that Turkish Cypriots have territorial rights 

across the island; 

Whereas the House of Representatives recognizes that on August 1, 2024, notwithstanding Erdog ̆an’s destabilizing 

rhetoric and actions, the Republic of Tu ̈rkiye played an 


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•HRES 1562 IH 

integral role in brokering an extensive prisoner exchange 

between the United States and Russia, allowing 16 

United States and European prisoners to come home; 

Whereas, in 2024, the Republic of Tu ̈rkiye has allocated 

about 2.09 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) 

to its own defense spending, exceeding NATO’s targets, 

to ensure that countries in NATO achieve military readiness; 

Whereas greater military cooperation between the United 

States and Tu ̈rkiye should be contingent upon Tu ̈rkiye’s 

reliability within NATO and adherence to international 

norms regarding human rights and counterterrorism efforts; 

Whereas the United States Congress plays a critical role in 

oversight of government-to-government foreign military 

sales of major defense equipment; and 

Whereas President Erdog ̆an and the Republic of Tu ̈rkiye 

could be a far more effective partner of the United States 

if President Erdog ̆an refrained from engaging in any further destabilizing, antagonistic, and antisemitic rhetoric 

or behavior moving forward: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) urges the Republic of Tu ̈rkiye to stand with 

3 Israel’s right to exist and its war against terrorism; 

4 (2) condemns President Erdog ̆an’s support for 

5 Hamas leaders and urges the Republic of Tu ̈rkiye to 

6 immediately denounce Hamas and other Iranian al7 lies and proxy organizations; 


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•HRES 1562 IH 

1 (3) urges President Erdog ̆an and his adminis2 tration to refrain from blocking the North Atlantic 

3 Treaty Organization’s cooperation with Israel at a 

4 time when the Islamic Republic of Iran and its ter5 rorist proxies pose a growing threat to the region 

6 and the transatlantic alliance; 

7 (4) urges the Republic of Tu ̈rkiye to fulfill its 

8 treaty obligations and extradite to the United States 

9 any Hamas members located in Tu ̈rkiye and wanted 

10 by the United States; 

11 (5) condemns President Erdog ̆an’s destabilizing 

12 and threatening rhetoric towards its democratic 

13 neighbors, especially Greece and the Republic of Cy14 prus; 

15 (6) urges the Biden administration to pause 

16 further transfers or sales of United States-made 

17 fighter jets to the Republic of Tu ̈rkiye; and 

18 (7) urges President Erdog ̆an and his adminis19 tration to subdue its divisive antisemitic and desta20 bilizing rhetoric. 

Æ 


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