May 19, 19170
Page 14994
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I will vote for S. 846 which suspends the prohibitions now in effect against military assistance to Turkey. I have decided to vote for this bill after long and careful thought, and I do so with some continued misgivings. This is not an easy issue, and my support of this legislation is based only on the hope that a resumption of military assistance to Turkey will be a constructive step toward a satisfactory resolution of the Cyprus problem.
I am aware that such a hope may ultimately prove unjustified. But if the impact of restored military assistance is not constructive, I am prepared to support a future move once again to end military assistance to Turkey in accordance with the provisions of the Foreign. Assistance Act. I believe the Congress would in fact act once again to terminate such aid if progress toward a peaceful settlement on Cyprus is not satisfactory.
The bill before us today allows the President to suspend the prohibition against military aid to Turkey if he determines that such suspension will further negotiations for a peaceful solution of the Cyprus conflict. Turkey, however, must observe the cease-fire on Cyprus and neither increase its forces there nor transfer to Cyprus any American-supplied military hardware. Moreover, the President is required by the bill to report to Congress after each 30-day interval concerning progress made toward a negotiated settlement on Cyprus. Clearly, the Congress will have an opportunity to review its action, under this bill, in light of the President's periodic reports.
Mr. President, I was among those who originally supported a suspension of military assistance to Turkey. The invasion of Cyprus by Turkish forces seemed to me to be a clear-cut violation of the Foreign Military Sales Act, the Foreign Assistance Act, and the agreement under which Turkey accepted the arms. When Turkey invaded Cyprus, the suspension of military aid should have been automatic. Congress acted simply to enforce the law. In this sense, the action of Congress was justified and understandable.
In another sense, however, I have had serious doubts about the limits of our ability to conduct our nation's foreign policy through the legislative process. The Cyprus problem is enormously complex, and the action of the Congress most certainly had the effect of reducing the administration's flexibility in dealing with the crisis. We have no way of knowing for sure whether continued American military assistance to Turkey would have strengthened our influence over Turkish policy on Cyprus. What is clear, however, is that the termination of aid to Turkey was followed by further unilateral Turkish actions which were most detrimental to a constructive international solution. The timing of the congressional action, therefore, may have contributed to a worsening of the diplomatic situation.
The law which the Congress demanded be enforced is a sound one: Nations which receive our military aid should understand that such aid will be revoked when it is used contrary to American interests and for purposes which have nothing to do with legitimate self-defense. The law is the law – and it should be revised only when warranted by our most vital national interests.
The administration believes that our most vital national interests are at stake now on the issue of Turkish military aid. The administration has requested this bill, and they are supporting it in the strongest possible terms. What is involved here is a matter of judgment: will an aid resumption in fact be constructive? Will the Turks become more flexible, or will they instead feel that a resumption of aid reduces the pressure on them to negotiate constructively over Cyprus? Will it contribute to a solution of the Cyprus problem – which depends upon Turkish concessions?
On balance, however, I believe that the President and the Secretary of State should be given the flexibility to deal with these questions. The responsibility for conducting the day-to-day business of foreign policy is theirs. They will be negotiating with the Turkish government in the near future. They believe this bill is of critical importance.
So I will vote for S. 846 in the hope that it will provide the added flexibility which the administration so strongly feels is necessary. If our hopes are misplaced, Congress will have to face this issue again in the months ahead.