,,iii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #gf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of
 ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #af1
 #bjbc,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mr4  
,sullivan1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4       
,cramer1 and ,mr4 ,durbin7 submitted the
 following resolution2 which was        
referred to the ,committee on ,foreign  
,relations  ,,resolution  ,expressing   
deepest condolences to and solidarity   
with the people of ,trkiye and ,syria   
following the devastating earthquake on 
,february #f1 #bjbc4  ,whereas1 on      
,february #f1 #bjbc1 a magnitude #g4h   
earthquake struck southern and central  
,trkiye1 a ,north ,atlantic ,treaty     
,organization 7,,nato7 ally1 and western
 ,syria2 ,whereas this is the most      
powerful earthquake recorded in ,trkiye 
since #aici2 ,whereas1 according to the 
,united ,states ,geological ,survey     
7,,usgs71 the earthquake epicenter was  
located approximately #af miles east of 
,nurdagi1 in ,trkiye's ,gaziantep       
province2 ,whereas the ,,usgs has       

registered more than #ajj aftershocks   
between magnitudes #d4e and #g4e2       
,whereas the reported death toll has    
reached #db1jjj1 thousands more people  
have been reported injured1 hundreds of 
thousands have been displaced from their
 homes1 and thousands of buildings have 
collapsed2 ,whereas the ,world ,health  
,organization estimates that #bc1jjj1jjj
 people1 including #a1djj1jjj children1 
in ,trkiye and ,syria have likely been  
affected by the earthquake and more than
 #d1jjj1jjj people already rely on      
humanitarian assistance in the region of
 northwest ,syria that was affected by  
the earthquake2 ,whereas countless      
people in the region and across the     
world have lost family1 friends1 and    
loved ones to the earthquakes and will  
be mourning their loss2 ,whereas the    
,united ,states ,government responded   
immediately to the disaster and the     
,united ,states ,agency for             
,international ,development 7,,usaid7   
has deployed a nearly #bjj-member       

,disaster ,assistance ,response ,team   
7,,dart7 to ,trkiye1 including nearly   
#afj urban search-and-rescue teams1 to  
provide life-saving assistance on both  
sides of the ,trkiye-,syria border2     
,whereas ,,usaid has committed          
#he1jjj1jjj to date for ,,usaid's       
humanitarian partners to deliver        
urgently needed aid for millions of     
people in ,trkiye and ,syria2 ,whereas  
individuals1 businesses1 and            
philanthropic and humanitarian          
organizations across the ,united ,states
 and throughout the international       
community have responded in support of  
,trkiye and ,syria2 ,whereas            
humanitarian access has been constrained
 by road closures1 infrastructural      
damage1 and weather conditions in       
,trkiye2 and ,whereas access to the one 
official crossing for cross-border aid  
from the ,united ,nations from ,trkiye  
to northern ,syria was heavily damaged1 
further delaying humanitarian access3   
,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the        

,senate-- 7#a7 expresses its deepest    
condolences to and solidarity with the  
people of ,trkiye and ,syria following  
the devastating earthquake on ,february 
#f1 #bjbc2  7#b7 commends the efforts   
and honors the sacrifice of the men and 
women engaged in the humanitarian       
response on the ground in the affected  
regions of ,trkiye and ,syria2  7#c7    
commends as well the international      
humanitarian and nongovernmental        
organizations engaged in this effort2   
7#d7 urges the ,united ,states          
,government1 in coordination with       
appropriate local authorities in ,trkiye
 and internationally recognized         
organizations and institutions in       
,syria1 as well as other donors1 to     
continue to provide emergency relief and
 reconstruction efforts in both         
countries as provided in the            
humanitarian exemptions of the ,united  
,states ,treasury's ,syria ,sanctions   
program2  7#e7 urges the ,united ,states
 ,government to ensure that earthquake  

assistance does not-- 7,a7 violate the  
,caesar ,syria ,civilian ,protection    
,act of #bjai 7title ,,lxxiv of ,public 
,law #aaf-ib2 #bb ,u4,s4,c4 #hgia note72
  7,b7 facilitate reconstruction efforts
 that directly benefit the ,assad       
regime2  7,c7 signal or support         
normalization with the ,assad regime2 or
  7,d7 fuel continued regime atrocities 
against the people of ,syria2  7#f7     
encourages efforts by the ,north        
,atlantic ,treaty ,organization and     
allies to assist ,trkiye by providing-- 
7,a7 search-and-rescue teams2  7,b7     
firefighters and structural engineers2  
7,c7 medical personnel and supplies2 and
  7,d7 technical experts2  7#g7 urges   
the international community to continue 
to find alternative border crossings to 
ensure aid gets into affected areas in  
,syria2  7#h7 calls on the ,united      
,nations ,security ,council1 to pass a  
resolution to allow for additional      
border crossings from ,trkiye into      
northern ,syria for aid convoys2 and    

7#i7 to allow full access for           
humanitarian aid organizations1 urges   
the immediate cessation of violence in  
northern ,syria4