Legislative initiative in Congress: No weapons to Turkey unless it starts to demonstrably respect human rights

The legislative initiative was taken by Greek-American Dina Titus with the aim of placing limits on Turkey’s attempt to enter the F-35 program…

Takeaways…

A legislative initiative entitled “Turkey Human Rights Promotion Act of 2026” was submitted to the US Congress to limit military aid to Turkey.

The bill links the provision of US security assistance to the improvement of human rights, the release of political prisoners and respect for the rule of law.

The Turkish government is called upon to comply with decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and to end the systematic exercise of transnational repression against its critics.

The US Secretary of State reserves the right to waive the restrictions if he or she determines that continued cooperation serves vital national security interests.

The proposal calls for an annual report to Congress for five years, which will document Turkey’s progress on democracy and human rights issues.

The linking of US security assistance and military sales to Turkey to measurable progress on human rights and the rule of law is provided for in a legislative initiative submitted to both houses of the US Congress.

Specifically, the bill, entitled “Turkey Human Rights Promotion Act of 2026”, was introduced in the House of Representatives by Democratic Greek-American Representative Dina Titus, while a corresponding proposal was submitted to the Senate by Democratic Senator Ed Markey.

The initiative provides for restrictions on certain forms of US security assistance to Ankara, unless the Secretary of State certifies that the Turkish government has made substantial reforms that will last and be consistent.

I am proud to lead a bicameral bill with @SenMarkey to compel Turkey to adhere to democratic values, respect human rights, and release political prisoners. For nearly a decade, the Erdogan government has moved further away from those responsibilities. Turkey should not be granted…

— Dina Titus (@repdinatitus) July 31, 2026

I am proud to lead a bicameral bill with @SenMarkey to compel Turkey to adhere to democratic values, respect human rights, and release political prisoners. For nearly a decade, the Erdogan government has moved further away from those responsibilities. Turkey should not be granted…

— Dina Titus (@repdinatitus) July 31, 2026

Specifically, the bill stipulates that funds for Turkey under the Foreign Military Financing, Foreign Military Sales, and other security assistance programs cannot be committed or spent unless specific conditions are met.

These include demonstrable steps to reduce the number of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, as well as the release of those detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their rights.

The Turkish government should also have curbed the abusive application of anti-terrorism and disinformation laws to criminalize peaceful expression, political action, and participation in organizations.

The bill also requires Turkey to comply with binding judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, including those concerning activist Osman Kavala and Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş.

At the same time, Ankara is asked to end the systematic practice of transnational repression, that is, actions by which state actors target critics of the Turkish government or individuals exercising fundamental freedoms abroad.

The proposed ban is not absolute. The Secretary of State will be able to grant an exception on a case-by-case basis, if he determines that continued assistance or cooperation serves a vital national security interest of the United States.

In such a case, he must inform the relevant Congressional committees, justify his decision, and describe the efforts of the US government to promote the envisaged reforms in Turkey.

The bill establishes as United States policy the application of pressure on Turkey to comply with its democratic and international obligations.

In separate, non-binding provisions, Congress also expresses its position in favor of protecting press and Internet freedom, the independence of the judiciary, and the unhindered practice of law.

At the same time, the bill expresses the position that, if the Turkish government does not take immediate effective action, the President of the United States should consider imposing sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act on Turkish officials who are considered responsible for or complicit in serious human rights violations.

These violations include the politically motivated detention of journalists and others, arbitrary prosecutions, and restrictions on freedom of expression.

Accordingly, the bill calls on the US government to consider imposing visa restrictions, within the framework of the policy known as the “Khashoggi Ban”, on individuals who are alleged to have directly participated in serious acts of repression of dissidents outside Turkish borders.

These restrictions could, where appropriate, also extend to their family members.

In this context, it is envisaged that the State Department and the US Agency for International Development will be called upon to strengthen support for independent journalists, media outlets and civil society organizations in Turkey.

Support will also concern organizations that document human rights violations or provide legal and other assistance to victims of politically motivated persecution.

Annual Report to Congress
The proposal provides for an annual report to Congress for a period of five years, with the first report to be submitted within 180 days of the law’s entry into force.

The report would include, among other things, the number and legal status of political prisoners, the conditions of their detention, restrictions on freedom of expression and the press, the repression of opposition parties and figures, and incidents of transnational repression.

It would also examine the possible use of US-origin goods, services, or technologies for surveillance, censorship, or other serious rights violations, as well as sanctions or visa restrictions imposed by the US government.

“Turkey is a NATO ally, but that alliance comes with obligations, such as adherence to democratic norms and respect for human rights, which Turkey is failing to fulfill,” said Representative Dina Titus (D-CA).

The Democratic congresswoman accused Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government of jailing political prisoners and journalists, prosecuting lawyers, and using vague anti-terrorism laws to target religious and ethnic minorities in recent years.

Criticism of Trump’s policy toward Ankara

For his part, Senator Ed Markey criticized the Trump administration’s policy toward Ankara, arguing that the Turkish government continues to imprison journalists, political activists, and members of minority communities.

The findings accompanying the bill state that, following the 2016 coup attempt, the Turkish authorities dismissed or suspended more than 60,000 police and military personnel, around 125,000 civil servants and almost a third of the judiciary.

Finally, the bill cites an estimate by the organization Prison Insider that around 43,000 political prisoners remain in Turkish prisons.

Νομοθετική πρωτοβουλία στο Κογκρέσο: Όχι όπλα στην Τουρκία αν δεν αρχίσει να σέβεται αποδεδειγμένα τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα