Federal
Expressing concern for the United States-Turkey alliance.
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H. Res. 372
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
June 10, 2019.
Whereas the United States and Turkey have been treaty al-
lies 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 secu-
rity;
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 mili-
tary 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 in-
terests with the United States, its cooperation with Rus-
sia and Iran, its military occupation of northern Cyprus,
its rollback of democratic norms and institutions, includ-
ing 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 bal-
listic 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 Rus-
sian defense or intelligence sector;
Whereas the United States Government has developed an at-
tractive alternative offer to provide Turkey with a strong,
capable, NATO-interoperable air and missile defense sys-
tem 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 cer-
tain F–35 components, plans to host a maintenance facil-
ity 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, Turk-
ish 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 de-
fense 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 air-
craft 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 Sanc-
tions 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.
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