IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 493 
Urging the Republic of Turkey to comply with all European Union standards 
and criteria prior to its accession to the European Union. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006 
Mrs. MALONEY (for herself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. WEINER, 
Mr. MCCOTTER, Ms. WATSON, Mrs. DRAKE, and Mr. PAYNE) submitted 
the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on International Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Urging the Republic of Turkey to comply with all European 
Union standards and criteria prior to its accession to 
the European Union. 
Whereas in 1993 the European Union (EU) defined the cri-
teria for membership to the European Union at the Co-
penhagen European Council, obligating candidate coun-
tries to have achieved certain levels of reform, among 
which is stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, 
the rule of law, human rights, respect for and protection 
of minorities, to create administrative capacity for mem-
bership, and to adopt and effectively implement the total-
ity of the European Union body of law; 
Whereas in February 2001 the European Parliament for-
mally approved the Accession Partnership regulations 
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•HCON 493 IH 
with Turkey, which set out the priorities Turkey must 
address in order to adopt and implement European 
Union standards and legislation; 
Whereas on May 1, 2004, ten new countries entered the Eu-
ropean Union, including the Republic of Cyprus; 
Whereas Turkish troops have occupied areas of the Republic 
of Cyprus ever since the illegal invasion of 1974 and the 
International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) 2005– 
2006 Military Balance Report placed the number of occu-
pying Turkish troops at 41,000, which reinforces the 
statement made by the United Nations Secretary-General 
to refer to the Republic of Cyprus as ‘‘one of the most 
highly militarized areas of the world’’ in the June 7, 
1994, Report of the Secretary-General on the United Na-
tions Operation in Cyprus; 
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 353 
(1974) ‘‘demands an immediate end to foreign military 
intervention in the Republic of Cyprus that is in con-
travention of’’ the sovereignty, independence, and terri-
torial integrity of Cyprus; 
Whereas more than 1,400 Greek-Cypriot and Greek nationals 
are still missing as a result of the Turkish invasion of 
Cyprus in 1974; 
Whereas in October 2004 the European Commission rec-
ommended opening accession talks with Turkey but sug-
gested that the European Union could suspend talks if 
there is a ‘‘serious and persistent breach of the principles 
of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights, and fun-
damental freedoms’’ and areas of remaining concern in-
clude deficiencies in human rights practices, the protec-
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•HCON 493 IH 
tion of minorities, and limitations on freedom of expres-
sion, the press, and non-Muslim religions, among others; 
Whereas in December 2004 the European Council agreed to 
open accession negotiations with Turkey in October 2005, 
conditional upon the implementation of several pieces of 
reform legislation, and the Council specifically welcomed 
Turkey’s decision to sign the Protocol regarding the ex-
tension of its customs union to all European Union mem-
bers; 
Whereas the Republic of Turkey began accession negotiations 
with the European Union on October 3, 2005; 
Whereas the Negotiating Framework for Turkey instructs 
that ‘‘the substance of negotiations will be conducted in 
an Intergovernmental Conference with the participation 
of all Member States on the one hand and the candidate 
State on the other’’; 
Whereas the ‘‘advancement of the negotiations will have to 
depend on the accomplishment of the priorities set out in 
the Accession Partnership, the requirements of the Nego-
tiation Framework and the full implementation of the 
provisions stemming from the Association Agreement 
(Ankara Agreement) and the Additional Protocol there-
to’’ (as stated in the European Commission report on 
Turkey’s progress towards accession, September 13, 
2006); 
Whereas Turkey has not implemented the Protocol extending 
the Ankara Agreement; 
Whereas this results, inter alia, in a continued embargo 
against vessels flying the Cypriot flag as well as all ves-
sels approaching from harbors in the Republic of Cyprus, 
denying them access to Turkish ports, and against Cyp-
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