Nearly 30 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives are readying legislation to impose sanctions against Turkey in response to its military offensive against U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria.
“I am proud to join my colleagues in supporting this sanctions bill. What is happening in northeastern Syria is unconscionable,” said U.S. Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR), one of the original cosponsors of the forthcoming bill. “The Kurds have been faithful allies who stood by us when others would not. This legislation shows that we stand with our allies and reminds Turkey that their aggression is unacceptable and an invasion threatens the security of this volatile region while only empowering Iran, Russia, and — ultimately — ISIS.”
Among the other original cosponsors of the legislation are Republican Leader U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA); Republican Whip U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA); and U.S. Reps. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Don Bacon (R-NE), French Hill (R-AR), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Paul Mitchell (R-MI), John Ratcliffe (R-TX), Martha Roby (R-AL), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Mike Turner (R-OH), and Brad Wenstrup (R-OH).
Rep. Bacon also noted that the Kurds have been instrumental in the fight against ISIS. “We absolutely can’t abandon them now,” he said.
Rep. Kinzinger called Turkey’s attack on the Kurds “reckless and reprehensible,” and said the U.S. “cannot allow Turkey, a NATO partner, to attack them without repercussions.”
The forthcoming House bill follows similar efforts in the U.S. Senate led by U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who on Oct. 9 introduced the Graham-Van Hollen Turkey Sanctions Bill.
If enacted, the bill would authorize numerous mandatory sanctions unless the administration certifies to Congress every 90 days that Turkey is not operating unilaterally (without U.S. support east of the Euphrates and west of the Iraqi border) in Syria and has withdrawn its armed forces from areas it occupied during the operation beginning on Oct. 9, according to a summary of the bill provided by the Senate lawmakers.
Rep. Wenstrup, who served alongside the Kurds during his previous tour of duty in Iraq, said the Kurdish fight against ISIS terrorists has reduced the need for more American boots on the ground.
“Now, this is the Kurds’ hour of need,” said Rep. Wenstrup. “Turkey must account for their military actions which harm our allies, threaten to free thousands of ISIS prisoners, and bring greater instability to the region.”
Reps. Mitchell and Hill both agreed and added that yielding to Turkey would be geopolitically shortsighted and ultimately could harm U.S. foreign policy interests and security across the Middle East.
Rep. Stefanik, who recently returned from a congressional delegation visit to Turkey, Afghanistan, and the Syria-Jordan border that included meetings with foreign government leaders and U.S. security and intelligence leadership, called the legislation “an important first step to prevent further instability in the region.” She pledged ongoing efforts “with my colleagues in the House Armed Services Committee to continue to work together to develop a long-term strategy.”