H. Res. 372 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

June 10, 2019. 

Whereas the United States and Turkey have been treaty allies since 1952, when Turkey became a member of the 

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); 

Whereas the United States and Turkey are treaty bound to 

safeguard the principles of democracy, individual liberty, 

and the rule of law, as well as to unite their efforts for 

collective defense and the preservation of peace and security; 

Whereas Turkey is in a unique geostrategic position on 

NATO’s southeastern flank, at the confluence of Europe, 

Russia, the Middle East, and the Caucasus; 

Whereas Turkey is a critical NATO ally and important military partner for the United States, contributing to key 

NATO and United States missions and providing support 

for United States military operations and logistics needs; 

Whereas Turkey permits United States military access to 

Turkish territorial waters, airspace, and base and port 

facilities, and hosts over 2,000 members of the United 

States Armed Forces, air defense equipment, and other 

equipment necessary to conduct global operations and 

power projection; 
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•HRES 372 EH 

Whereas Turkey is a key player in the long-term strategic 

competition Western allies face with revisionist powers 

such as Russia and China; 

Whereas despite the fact that Turkey shares key regional interests with the United States, its cooperation with Russia and Iran, its military occupation of northern Cyprus, 

its rollback of democratic norms and institutions, including attacks on the free press, and its continued unjust 

detention of United States citizens and locally employed 

United States Embassy staff is deeply problematic for 

the United States-Turkey relationship; 

Whereas the United States recognizes that Turkey perceives 

growing regional security threats from aircraft and ballistic missiles and sees an urgent need for a new air and 

missile defense system; 

Whereas Turkey announced an agreement to acquire the S– 

400 air and missile defense system from Russia in July 

2017 and has publicly stated it could take delivery as 

early as July 2019; 

Whereas section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries 

Through Sanctions Act of 2017 (CAATSA) requires the 

President to impose sanctions on any individual or entity 

that engages in a significant transaction with the Russian defense or intelligence sector; 

Whereas the United States Government has developed an attractive alternative offer to provide Turkey with a strong, 

capable, NATO-interoperable air and missile defense system that meets Turkey’s defense requirements; 

Whereas Turkey’s planned acquisition of the Russian-made 

S–400 undermines the security of the United States and 

NATO allies, weakens the United States-Turkey relation-
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•HRES 372 EH 

ship, and is incompatible with Turkey’s plan to operate 

the F–35 Joint Strike Fighter and participate in F–35 

production; 

Whereas the F–35 Joint Strike Fighter program is the 

world’s leading 5th generation fighter aircraft program 

with more than a trillion dollars in investment among 

United States and international partners; 

Whereas Turkey has been a critical partner in the F–35 

Joint Strike Fighter program since 2002, with significant 

industrial participation, including manufacturing of certain F–35 components, plans to host a maintenance facility for regional F–35 operators, investments of more than 

$1.25 billion in the program, and plans to procure 100 

F–35As; and 

Whereas in addition to the F–35 Joint Strike Fighter, Turkish defense acquisition programs that could be affected 

by sanctions include the Patriot air and missile defense 

system, CH–47F Chinook heavy lift helicopter, UH–60 

Black Hawk utility helicopter, and F–16 Fighting Falcon 

aircraft: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) fully supports the United States Government’s 

January 2019 offer to sell the Patriot air and missile defense systems to Turkey, with the condition that Turkey 

not acquire the S–400 air and missile defense system 

from Russia; 

(2) condemns the Government of Turkey’s stated 

decision to acquire the Russian S–400 air and missile 

defense system, which would endanger the integrity of 
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•HRES 372 EH 

the United States-Turkey alliance and undermine 

NATO; 

(3) calls for terminating Turkey’s participation in 

the F–35 industrial program and delivery of F–35 aircraft to Turkey if Turkey acquires the Russian S–400 

air and missile defense system; 

(4) declares that Turkish acquisition of the Russian 

S–400 air and missile defense system would constitute 

a significant transaction within the meaning of section 

231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through 

Sanctions Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 9525); 

(5) calls for full implementation of sanctions under 

the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 if Turkey acquires the Russian S–400 

air and missile defense system; and 

(6) calls on the Government of Turkey to cancel the 

acquisition of the Russian S–400 air and missile defense 

system. 

Attest: 

Clerk.