IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 581 
Congratulating the people of the Republic of Turkey and Turkish Americans 
nationwide on Turkish Republic Day. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 24, 2017 
Mr. BACON submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Congratulating the people of the Republic of Turkey and 
Turkish Americans nationwide on Turkish Republic Day. 
Whereas every year on October 29, the people of Turkey and 
Turkish Americans celebrate Turkish Republic Day, com-
memorating 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 Anatolia, home of the Republic of Turkey, has been 
a cradle of civilizations for millennia; 
Whereas James Madison and the Founding Fathers of Amer-
ica took inspiration from Patara, Turkey, the city state 
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•HRES 581 IH 
of the Lycian Confederation, in drafting the Constitution 
of the United States; 
Whereas Turkey has the 17th largest economy in the world; 
Whereas in 2016, United States trade in goods with Turkey 
exceeded $9,300,000,000 in exports and $8,000,000,000 
in imports; 
Whereas Turkey, located in a critical region of the world be-
tween East and West with a population of nearly 
80,000,000, commands the second largest military in the 
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and part-
ners with the United States in the fields of energy diver-
sification, counterterrorism, and drug and human traf-
ficking prevention; 
Whereas Turkey is actively contributing to the fight against 
DAESH/ISIS, through providing its military facilities to 
the United States and other coalition partners; 
Whereas the conflict in neighboring Syria has especially bur-
dened Turkey, which has taken in and provided shelter, 
relief, and social services to more than 3,000,000 refu-
gees fleeing the horrors of the Assad regime; 
Whereas, according to the United Nations High Commis-
sioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Turkey is now the high-
est refugee-hosting country in the world; 
Whereas Turkish Americans are an important part of the 
fabric of the United States, as evinced by their contribu-
tions to the arts, science, academia, law, business, and 
political life of this country; 
Whereas Turkish Americans serve as goodwill ambassadors 
promoting greater understanding between the United 
States and Turkey, by informing the people of the United 
States about their rich Turkish cultural heritage, and the 
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•HRES 581 IH 
importance of the strategic partnership to advance mu-
tual interests between the United States and Turkey; and 
Whereas the United States and Turkey have been close 
friends and allies for more than half a century, sharing 
common values of democracy, diversity, tolerance, social 
mobility, and the separation of religious and civic life: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the Republic of Turkey as an im-
portant security partner of the United States; 
(2) expresses appreciation for Turkey’s con-
tribution to global efforts to combat DAESH/ISIS; 
(3) acknowledges the unique political, economic, 
and social challenges confronting the people of Tur-
key from the influx of refugees that the ongoing con-
flicts in neighboring Syria and Iraq have caused; 
(4) commends the productive contributions of 
the Turkish American community to the United 
States; and 
(5) congratulates the people of Turkey and 
Turkish Americans nationwide on Turkish Republic 
Day. 
Æ 
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