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[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 327 Introduced in House (IH)]

107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 327

   Commending the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel for the 
  continued strengthening of their political, economic, cultural, and 
 strategic partnership and for their actions in support of the war on 
                               terrorism.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 2002

 Mr. Wexler (for himself, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Moran of Virginia, and Mr. 
    Foley) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
   Commending the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel for the 
  continued strengthening of their political, economic, cultural, and 
 strategic partnership and for their actions in support of the war on 
                               terrorism.

Whereas the Republic of Turkey has had diplomatic relations with the State of 
        Israel since 1949;
Whereas until 1979 the Republic of Turkey was the only Muslim country to 
        recognize the State of Israel;
Whereas in December 1991 the Republic of Turkey began ambassadorial relations 
        with the State of Israel;
Whereas the Republic of Turkey has made important contributions to the Middle 
        East peace process and has served as an honest and fair peace broker;
Whereas the relationship between the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel 
        has political, economic, cultural, and strategic dimensions;
Whereas the Turkish and Israeli people have enjoyed a wide range of contacts;
Whereas the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel began holding annual 
        humanitarian search and rescue exercises with the United States in 1998, 
        with the most recent of such exercises occurring in January 2001;
Whereas nonmilitary mutual trade between the Republic of Turkey and the State of 
        Israel has grown by more than 800 percent since a free trade agreement 
        was signed in 1996;
Whereas total trade volume between the Republic of Turkey and the State of 
        Israel exceeded $1,000,000,000 in 2000, with each country emerging as 
        the other's leading export market in the Middle East;
Whereas Turkish and Israeli companies are seeking opportunities to cooperate in 
        joint ventures involving textiles, agriculture, energy, and construction 
        in the newly independent states of Central Asia, particularly in 
        Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan;
Whereas the Republic of Turkey has constructed a major water purification and 
        treatment plant and has offered to export a considerable volume of water 
        to the State of Israel;
Whereas Turkish and Israeli universities are engaged in robust academic 
        exchanges, including endowed chairs, visiting professors and students, 
        and frequent joint seminars;
Whereas more than 250,000 Israeli tourists have visited the Republic of Turkey 
        annually since the mid-1990s and the number of Turkish visitors to the 
        State of Israel has been steadily increasing;
Whereas the Turkish and Israeli people have provided crucial domestic support 
        for the development of close cooperation between the governments of the 
        2 countries;
Whereas the partnership between the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel 
        has been strengthened by successive democratic governments in both 
        countries;
Whereas security cooperation between the Republic of Turkey and the State of 
        Israel has improved dramatically in recent years;
Whereas the Republic of Turkey, the State of Israel, and the United States 
        conducted their first trilateral air exercise in June 2001;
Whereas the trilateral air exercise was staged in the Republic of Turkey and was 
        the first time the Israeli Air Force had participated in military 
        exercises in foreign air space;
Whereas the bilateral relationship between the Republic of Turkey and the State 
        of Israel represents a mature and stable partnership which has already 
        had a profound impact on the political, economic, cultural, and 
        strategic environment in the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, and 
        Central Asia;
Whereas the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel have strongly supported 
        the war on terrorism;
Whereas the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel have suffered greatly 
        from terrorism during the last half century;
Whereas the Republic of Turkey was the first Muslim country to authorize the use 
        of troops to support Operation Enduring Freedom;
Whereas the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel have pledged to assist 
        the United States and the international community in rebuilding 
        Afghanistan;
Whereas the Republic of Turkey has authorized the deployment of peacekeepers to 
        Afghanistan who will be responsible for forming and training the first 
        Afghani national security forces; and
Whereas the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel have had a political, 
        economic, cultural, and strategic partnership with the United States for 
        the last half century: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) commends the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel 
        for the continued strengthening of their political, economic, 
        cultural, and strategic partnership;
            (2) recognizes the importance of the cooperative 
        relationship between the Republic of Turkey and the State of 
        Israel as a positive example of the kind of ties between 
        countries of differing cultures and religions without which a 
        just and lasting peace in the Middle East will never be 
        achieved;
            (3) calls upon the other countries in the Middle East to 
        follow the example set by the Republic of Turkey and the State 
        of Israel in the interest of promoting regional cooperation and 
        peace;
            (4) commends the Republic of Turkey and the State of Israel 
        for their actions in support of the war on terrorism;
            (5) encourages increased political, economic, cultural, and 
        military cooperation between the United States, the Republic of 
        Turkey, and the State of Israel; and
            (6) reaffirms the political, economic, cultural, and 
        strategic partnership between the United States, the Republic 
        of Turkey, and the State of Israel.
                                 <all>
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