III

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 91

To condemn Turkey’s illegal invasion of northern Iraq.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 23, 1995

Mr. PELL (for himself, Mr. KERRY, Mr. FEINGOLD, and Ms. SNOWE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

To condemn Turkey’s illegal invasion of northern Iraq.

Whereas, as a signatory to the Charter of the United Nations, the Government of Turkey is obligated to maintain

international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among states based on respect for the principle of

equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to

achieve international cooperation through the promotion

and encouragement of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all;

Whereas the Government of Turkey, as a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the

International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, has made additional and firm commitments

to observe and uphold the rights of all peoples;
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Whereas, as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Government of Turkey undertook to refrain in

international relations from the threat or use of force in

any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United

Nations;

Whereas, as a member of the Organization for Security and

Cooperation in Europe, Turkey is obliged to respect the

territorial integrity of other states, and to support the

human rights, fundamental freedoms and the self-determination of peoples;

Whereas, on March 21, 1995, more than 35,000 Turkish

military troops, with tanks, armored personnel carriers,

and air support, began an invasion of Northern Iraq;

Whereas the Government of Turkey declares that the invasion is in response to acts of terrorism by the Kurdistan

Workers Party, also known as the PKK, and constitutes

the hot pursuit of terrorists;

Whereas reports indicate that the Turkish army has penetrated 25 miles into Iraq along a 150-mile front, and

that hundreds of ethnic Kurds have been killed thus far;

Whereas independent international observers claim that some

of those killed are innocent civilians, and accuse Turkey

of torturing prisoners, and of forcibly evacuating and destroying villages;

Whereas United States government officials have suggested

that Turkey’s invasion could last more than three weeks

in duration;

Whereas, in scope, scale and duration, Turkey’s invasion of

Iraqi Kurdistan appears to be an illegal act of aggression

and inconsistent with Turkey’s obligations under the

United Nations Charter;
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Whereas Turkey’s actions jeopardize United States and international efforts under Operation Provide Comfort in

northern Iraq, and threaten the provision of vital humanitarian assistance by nongovernmental organizations to

the Kurds;

Whereas the United States Department of State reports that

the general human rights situation in Turkey ‘‘worsened

significantly’’ in 1994, and that in many human rights

cases, the specific ‘‘targets of abuse were ethnic Kurds or

their supporters;’’ and

Whereas, according to the United States Government, specific

violations of human rights by the Government of Turkey

in its campaign against the PKK include the illegal use

of torture, excessive force, and political and extrajudicial

killings of non-combatants; Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, that the Senate—

2 (1) condemns Turkey’s invasion of northern

3 Iraq as an illegal act of aggression and violence of

4 international law, inconsistent with Turkey’s obliga5 tions under the Charter of the United Nations, the

6 North Atlantic Treaty, and other international

7 agreements;

8 (2) calls upon the President of the United

9 States to express strong United States opposition to

10 Turkey’s invasion of northern Iraq;

11 (3) urges the United States at the United Na12 tions Security Council to condemn Turkey’s illegal
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1 act of aggression and bring about an immediate and

2 unconditional withdrawal;

3 (4) denounces Turkey’s consistent pattern of

4 human rights violations against ethnic Kurds;

5 (5) condemns all acts of terror, including those

6 by PKK forces against Turkish civilian, military and

7 other targets; and

8 (6) supports the maintenance of Operation Pro9 vide Comfort and the continuation of other non10 governmental humanitarian assistance for the Kurds

11 of northern Iraq.

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