House Members Propose Re-designating Turkey as Middle Eastern Nation

This week, a bipartisan group of U.S. House members introduced legislation to officially redesignate Turkey from a European to a Middle Eastern country in the State Department’s classification.

The initiative, spearheaded by Representatives Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), aims to reflect Turkey’s perceived shift in geopolitical alignment away from Western alliances and towards U.S. adversaries.

According to the statement released by the bill’s sponsors, this legislative move is intended to “send a clear message to Ankara: The United States recognizes Turkey’s turn to the Middle East and no longer sees Turkey prioritizing its relationship with Europe.” They argue that this change aligns with Turkey’s increasing connections with Russia, China, and Iran, its support for Hamas, and its aggressive military posture towards Greece and Cyprus, which they claim are contrary to Western security interests.

The statement further highlights Turkey’s “increasingly anti-Western posture, turning away from its European aspirations,” and its “growing authoritarianism and continued hostility toward NATO allies.” If passed, Turkey would be categorized similarly to countries like Iran, Syria, and Libya.

Representative Schneider emphasized the urgency of the bill, stating, “Turkey is at a crossroads, but Erdoğan has made his choice. His government harbors Hamas operatives, props up Putin’s war machine, and obstructs NATO unity — while still demanding the privileges of a Western ally. It’s time for American diplomacy to stop pretending that Turkey is still part of Europe.”

The legislation is introduced under the banner of the Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance. Representative Bilirakis added, “Turkey has consistently demonstrated a complete disregard for following international law. Erdoğan repeatedly acts contrary to American interests, contributing to regional instability. It’s time for U.S. foreign policy to reflect the realities of this hostile regime’s conduct.”

The bill has garnered co-sponsorship from Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Chris Pappas (D-NH), and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). This legislative effort follows recent congressional hearings where concerns were raised about Turkey’s role within the U.S. alliance framework.

Additionally, the proposed bill mandates that the State Department provide a report to Congress detailing the consequences of Turkey’s shift away from Europe.

Source: pagenews.gr