Statement of policy

It is the policy of the United States— (1) to support democracy, peace, and human rights in Turkey, and to press the Government of Turkey to comply with its obligations under the North Atlantic Treaty; (2) to oppose the abuse of counterterrorism laws and authorities, including targeting journalists, political opponents, dissidents, recognized and unrecognized ethnic and religious minorities, and others engaged in exercising their right to freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, or association; (3) to consider those detained or imprisoned under counterterrorism authorities on politically motivated grounds to be prisoners of conscience or political prisoners, as appropriate, unless there is probative evidence of specific criminal misconduct presented in proceedings that comply with international fair trial standards; (4) to use all diplomatic tools to advocate that all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in Turkey should be unconditionally released and charges expunged; (5) to press the Government of Turkey to repeal or amend— (A) all anti-terrorism laws and regulations that allow the government to unjustly target journalists, political opponents, dissidents, and minorities; (B) all laws and regulations that violate the right to freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, or association in a manner not permitted by international legal standards, including laws and regulations that seek to punish those who insult political figures or denigrate the Turkish nation or state institutions; and (C) all laws and regulations that violate the right to a fair trial; (6) to oppose the export to Turkey by any country of surveillance technologies, including software, that could be used to monitor the activities of journalists, political opponents, dissidents, or minority communities; (7) to condemn the Government of Turkey’s use of transnational repression, including the abuse of INTERPOL notices, renditions, and other extraterritorial measures to target critics abroad; (8) to protect United States persons and lawful permanent residents from harassment, intimidation, and other forms of foreign political retaliation by or on behalf of the Government of Turkey; and (9) to condition United States security cooperation and assistance, as appropriate, on measurable improvements in respect for human rights, rule of law, and compliance with binding international human rights judgments.