Title: Expressing concern for the United States-Turkey alliance.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution condemns the government of Turkey's stated plan to acquire a missile defense system from Russia and expresses support for a U.S. government offer to sell an alternative system to Turkey instead. The resolution also calls for terminating Turkey's participation in the industrial program supporting the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter if it acquires the Russian missile system.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 372 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 372

       Expressing concern for the United States-Turkey alliance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 10, 2019

   Mr. Engel (for himself, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. McCarthy, Mrs. 
 Lowey, Ms. Granger, Mr. Nadler, and Mr. Collins of Georgia) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
    Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Financial 
Services, Oversight and Reform, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
       Expressing concern for the United States-Turkey alliance.

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;
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 relationship, 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 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.
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