Wilson Celebrates Passage of Resolution to Recognize Earthquake Victims and Honor Responders in Türkiye and Syria

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, in addition to his role as Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Türkiye Relations and Turkish Americans, gave remarks regarding his resolution on the House floor, found here. The resolution was agreed to on the House floor by a voteof 414-2.

"I am grateful to the more than 50 bipartisan House co-sponsors who championed today's passage of the resolution recognizing the Türkiye-Syria victims and honoring the responders of the devastating earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks that took place on February 6, and have taken place since.

"We mourn the more than 50,000 people killed, 100,000 injured, five million homeless, and 20 million in need. Importantly, this resolution also acknowledges the heroic efforts of the brave men and women both inside Türkiye, Syria, and others from around the globe who sprang into action to work relentlessly at search and rescue operations, and provide relief to the people impacted on the ground.

"Tonight, the House of Representatives also delivered a clear message that we stand united against Syria's brutal dictator, Bashar al-Assad, who has both deterred and stolen critical humanitarian assistance, sacrificing lives.

"I am deeply saddened that the Biden administration has weakened sanctions on the Assad regime by permitting direct transactions with that regime. This will do nothing to help with earthquake relief and will only endanger Syrian civilians. We are already seeing the result of Biden's weak policy this week with Arab countries beginning to normalize with the regime and ignoring the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act which threatens dire consequences for normalization.

"Our prayers are with those affected by the earthquake.

"God Bless the people of the Türkiye, Syria, and the United States of America," said Congressman Wilson.

# # #