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 Repub-
lic 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 vi-
sionary leader of modern Turkey, became its first Presi-
dent; 
Whereas Turkey is a secular, pluralistic, westward-looking de-
mocracy 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 se-
curity 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-estab-
lished 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 rep-
resenting 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 rep-
resenting 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 terror-
ists 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 popu-
lation 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 ref-
ugee-hosting country in the world; 
Whereas Turkish Americans are an important part of the 
fabric of the United States, as evidenced by their con-
tributions 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 im-
portance of the strategic partnership to advance mutual 
interests between the United States and Turkey: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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HRES 484 IH 
(1) recognizes the Republic of Turkey as one of 
the most important strategic partners of the United 
States; 
(2) expresses appreciation for Turkey’s con-
tribution to global efforts to combat international 
terrorism particularly Daesh/ISIS; 
(3) acknowledges the unique political, economic, 
and social challenges confronting Turkey from the 
influx of refugees that the ongoing conflicts in 
neighboring Iraq and Syria have caused; and 
(4) congratulates the Government and people of 
Turkey as they celebrate Republic Day. 
Æ 
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