IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 484 

Congratulating the Government and people of the Republic of Turkey as 

they celebrate Republic Day, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 21, 2015 

Mr. CHABOT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating the Government and people of the Republic 

of Turkey as they celebrate Republic Day, and for other 

purposes. 

Whereas every year on October 29, Turkey celebrates Republic Day, commemorating the day when Turkey became a 

republic; 

Whereas, on October 29, 1923, the Republic of Turkey was 

formally established and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary leader of modern Turkey, became its first President; 

Whereas Turkey is a secular, pluralistic, westward-looking democracy with a predominantly Muslim population; 

Whereas the United States and Turkey have been close 

friends and allies for more than half a century, sharing 


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HRES 484 IH 

common values of democracy, diversity, tolerance, social 

mobility, and the separation of religious and civic life; 

Whereas Anatolia, home of the Republic of Turkey, has been 

a cradle of civilizations for millennia; 

Whereas the city states of the Lycian Federation, located in 

Patara, Turkey, inspired the Founding Fathers of the 

United States as they wrote the Constitution of the 

United States; 

Whereas for decades Turkey has stood as the bulwark of the 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on the 

southeastern flank of the Alliance and guarded a long 

common border with the former Soviet Union; 

Whereas since the end of the Cold War, Turkey has become 

an important partner of the United States in facing 21st 

century challenges such as international terrorism, ethnic 

and religious extremism and fundamentalism, energy security and diversity, the proliferation of weapons of mass 

destruction, and international organized crime including 

drug and human trafficking; 

Whereas Turkey is a mature democracy with a well-established record of conducting free and fair elections, most 

recently parliamentary elections on June 7, 2015; 

Whereas Turkey has the 18th largest economy in the world; 

Whereas in 2013, Turkey was the 26th largest market for 

United States exports, totaling $12,100,000,000 and representing an increase of 316 percent over 2003; 

Whereas in 2013, Turkey was the 41st largest source of 

United States imports, totaling $6,700,000,000 and representing an increase of 76 percent over 2003; 


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HRES 484 IH 

Whereas Turkey’s membership in the European Union would 

further enhance its stature as a robust member of the 

transatlantic community; 

Whereas in August 2015, after many months of discussions 

the United States and Turkey concluded an agreement 

for working cooperatively to combat Daesh/ISIS terrorists in Syria and Iraq, including providing access to 

Incirlik Airbase for United States aircraft undertaking 

airstrikes against targets in Syria; 

Whereas the conflict in neighboring Syria has been especially 

burdensome to Turkey as it relates to the growing population of refugees who have fled to Turkey from Syria 

and now number more than 2,000,000 people costing the 

Government of Turkey $7,600,000,000 to provide the 

necessary economic and social services to this population; 

Whereas according to the United Nations High Commissioner 

for Refugees (UNHCR), Turkey is now the largest refugee-hosting country in the world; 

Whereas 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; 

and 

Whereas 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 strategic partnership to advance mutual 

interests between the United States and Turkey: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


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HRES 484 IH 

1 (1) recognizes the Republic of Turkey as one of 

2 the most important strategic partners of the United 

3 States; 

4 (2) expresses appreciation for Turkey’s con5 tribution to global efforts to combat international 

6 terrorism particularly Daesh/ISIS; 

7 (3) acknowledges the unique political, economic, 

8 and social challenges confronting Turkey from the 

9 influx of refugees that the ongoing conflicts in 

10 neighboring Iraq and Syria have caused; and 

11 (4) congratulates the Government and people of 

12 Turkey as they celebrate Republic Day. 

Æ 


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