Over 140 U.S. Congress Members Urge Biden to Pressure Turkey to 'Follow International Laws'

More than 100 members of the U.S. House of Representatives from both the Republican and Democratic parties have urged President Joe Biden to pressure Turkey to 'follow international laws.' The Hill reported on Thursday that 142 lawmakers, led by Republican Chris Smith from New Jersey and Democrat Lloyd Doggett from Texas, made this request in a letter. According to the publication, which covers political news from Congress and the U.S. capital, these representatives have asked Biden to address this issue with Turkish President during the NATO summit in Washington. The three-day summit of NATO member states is set to take place next week, starting on July 9, in Washington, D.C. Turkey is a member of this defense alliance. The main concern of these representatives is the 'systematic violation of human rights' in Turkey, and in their letter to Biden, they wrote that this action is vital for upholding the values of democracy and human rights on the international stage. They have urged the U.S. President to pressure the Turkish government during the upcoming NATO summit to stop its 'transnational repression campaign,' unconditionally release political prisoners, and restore the rule of law in the country. The letter references the Turkish government's efforts to silence critics like Enes Kanter Freedom, a former NBA player and a staunch critic of Erdogan, as an example of Ankara's 'transnational repression.' The U.S. State Department's report on the state of human rights worldwide in 2023 highlighted 'significant human rights issues' in Turkey and stated that the government has taken limited steps to address violators. The Biden administration claims that whenever and wherever it sees human rights violations, it raises and discusses U.S. concerns.