IV 

107TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 594

Supporting the efforts of the Republic of Turkey to join the European 

Union. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 16, 2002

Mr. WEXLER (for himself, Mr. WHITFIELD, and Mr. LANTOS) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION

Supporting the efforts of the Republic of Turkey to join 

the European Union.

Whereas the United States has long supported the efforts of 

the Republic of Turkey to join the European Union; 

Whereas the 1963 Ankara Agreement between Turkey and 

the European Union envisages the accession of Turkey to 

the European Union; 

Whereas Turkey has been and continues to be a strategic 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally of 

Western Europe and the United States and a strong 

leader in the international campaign against terrorism in 

all its manifestations; 

Whereas most European members of NATO also belong to 

the European Union and for several decades Turkey has 
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been a full member of all major European institutions, 

including the Organization for Security and Cooperation 

in Europe (OSCE), the Council of Europe, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 

(OECD); 

Whereas Turkey is one of 13 candidate countries seeking 

membership in the European Union; 

Whereas on August 3, 2002, Turkey passed historic, broadbased reforms aimed at meeting the European Union’s 

political criteria for candidate countries (commonly referred to as the ‘‘EU Copenhagen political criteria’’) and 

bringing Turkish democracy into conformance with the 

standards of other Western European democracies; 

Whereas Turkey has made substantial progress toward full 

integration into the European Union, including by entering into a customs union with the EU effective January 

1, 1996—the only candidate country to have achieved 

such an arrangement with the EU; 

Whereas Turkey is the most venerable among the very few 

secular democracies in the Muslim world; 

Whereas on June 25, 2002, President George Bush stated 

that Republic of Turkey is a model for Muslims of a secular and democratic state; 

Whereas Turkey has consistently and resolutely taken bold 

steps to develop its democracy in the shadow of neighbors 

who represent some of the most sinister and repressive 

dictatorships in the world and who have often supported 

anti-Turkish and international terrorism; 

Whereas the territory of Turkey is geo-strategically crucial to 

Western interests and Turkey therefore must often risk 
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•HRES 594 IH 

its own security and economic stability for the sake of 

solidarity with the Western alliance; and 

Whereas on July 14, 2002, Deputy Secretary of Defense 

Paul Wolfowitz stated that Turkey’s full integration into 

European institutions is in the best interests of the people of Turkey, the people of Europe, and of the United 

States: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) the United States should continue to sup4 port the efforts of the Republic of Turkey to join the 

5 European Union; and 

6 (2) the European Union should recognize Tur7 key’s comprehensive political and economic reforms 

8 and set a date for the initiation of accession negotia9 tions at the meeting of the European Council in Co10 penhagen to be held on December 12–13, 2002.

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