Sec. 2. Sense of Congress
341 words·~2 min read·
/bill/116/hr/4695/rds/section-2·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— the United States and Turkey have been treaty allies since 1952, when Turkey became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); being a NATO member means that Turkey is treaty bound to safeguard the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law and, importantly, should be united with other NATO allies in efforts for collective defense and the preservation of peace and security; Turkey’s military invasion of northern Syria on October 9, 2019, is an unacceptable and unnecessary escalation of tensions with the potential to cause a severe humanitarian crisis and undo the collective gains made in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
(ISIS)by the United States and the 81 countries and organizations of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, including NATO and the European Union (EU); Turkey should immediately cease attacks against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Kurdish and Arab civilians, and other religious and ethnic minority communities in northern Syria and recall its forces back to Turkey; targeted sanctions against Turkey are an appropriate response in order for Turkey to be held accountable for its military invasion of northern Syria; Turkey’s military invasion of northern Syria is the latest example of the weakening and problematic United States-Turkey bilateral relationship and undermines the security of the United States and its NATO allies, including that of Turkey; the SDF have been critical partners to United States and allied counter-ISIS and broader counterterrorism efforts in Syria, and the United States should continue this partnership with the SDF; the United States Government should utilize diplomatic and military tools to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS; the United States should stand by critical allies and partners; Russian and Iranian political and military influence in Syria present a threat to United States national security interests; and the United States Government, in concert with the international community, should hold accountable members of the Syrian regime and the Governments of the Russian Federation and Iran for atrocities against the Syrian people.