Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Classify Turkey as Part of the Middle East

Key Takeaways

• Proposed U.S. bill on March 7, 2025, seeks to reclassify Turkey from Europe to the Middle East within 90 days.
• Reclassification would transfer Turkey to the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, altering its diplomatic association and reporting.
• If enacted, Turkey’s reclassification could impact U.S.-Turkey relations, NATO dynamics, and Middle Eastern diplomatic perceptions.

A bipartisan bill introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives on March 7, 2025, calls for an important change for Turkey 🇹🇷. The proposed legislation suggests redesignating Turkey from being categorized as a European country to being classified as a Middle Eastern country by the U.S. State Department. Spearheaded by Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Brad Schneider (D-IL), the legislation outlines specific actions the U.S. government would need to fulfill if passed into law, including a requirement for the State Department to make these changes within 90 days.

Core Provisions Embedded in the Bill

The bill contains several specific requirements that would restructure Turkey’s classification within U.S. diplomacy. If adopted:

1. Formal Redesignation: Turkey would be moved from the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, which oversees diplomatic relations with European countries, to the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (commonly referred to as the Bureau of the Middle East) within the State Department. This transfer would not only change internal categorization but also Turkey’s association compared to other regions.

2. Reporting Obligation: The State Department is mandated to prepare and share formal reports with Congress, particularly detailing the underlying effects of Turkey moving away from its traditional alignment with Europe. This report aims to provide feedback on how this shift impacts both regional and international diplomacy.

3. Implementation Timeline: In a swift turnaround, the bill requires that these changes be completed within 90 days of the President signing the legislation into law. The short timeline underscores the urgency lawmakers attribute to addressing Turkey’s shifting geopolitical role.

4. Changing Perceptions: Turkey’s new classification would formally align it with many other Middle Eastern countries like Iran, Syria, and Libya, altering its diplomatic perception not only in the U.S. but potentially globally as well.

The Motivation Driving the Bill

The bipartisan bill, introduced within the framework of the Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance (CHIA), stems from growing frustration and concerns about Turkey’s evolving geopolitical behavior. Sponsors of the legislation provide several rationales to support the necessity of reclassification:

• Strategic Realignment: U.S. policymakers view Turkey’s increasing divergence from NATO and Western alliances, coupled with emerging ties to U.S. adversaries, as a shift better reflecting associations with the Middle East rather than Europe.

• Aligning with Current Realities: Sponsors argue that Turkey’s foreign policies and internal decisions in recent years align more closely with trends seen among Middle Eastern nations, with diminished ties to European allies. By redesignating Turkey, lawmakers seek to recognize this reality formally.

• Sending a Diplomatic Message: A key political goal of this reclassification is to send a strong indication to Turkey about how it is viewed within American foreign policy circles. Naming Turkey as a Middle Eastern country serves as a signal indicating greater accountability for policies seen as contrary to U.S. interests.

• Holding Turkey Accountable: The sponsors emphasize the necessity of ensuring Turkey remains answerable for a range of actions that undermine Western values or harm U.S. allies.

Key Developments Influencing the Legislation

This legislative effort is not occurring in a vacuum. Recent events have heightened tensions between the U.S. and Turkey, strengthening the resolve among lawmakers to push forward with reclassification:

1. Support of Hamas Operatives: Criticism of Turkey has surged after allegations surfaced suggesting that Turkey provides a safe haven for Hamas members, a move that has provoked concern both in the United States and Israel, two of Turkey’s closest external observers over past decades.

2. NATO Disagreements: Despite being a NATO member, Turkey has attracted criticism for disrupting cohesion within the alliance. In recent years, disputes tied to European security strategies have set Turkey apart within the group’s otherwise unified framework.

3. Ties with Russia: Turkey’s willingness to cooperate with Russia on military and economic fronts has raised concerns about its commitments to NATO and the broader goals of Western diplomacy. These relationships add to lawmakers’ reasoning behind its proposed reclassification.

4. Relations with Neighboring Countries: Turkey’s aggressive actions in areas like the Aegean Sea, including its disputes and military tensions with both Greece and Cyprus, have amplified skepticism about Turkey maintaining democratic cooperation with its European neighbors.

5. Authoritarian Trends: Turkey’s domestic trajectory, including what lawmakers describe as “growing authoritarianism,” is seen as clashing with European democratic ideals.

Overview of Congressional Support and Opposition

The bipartisan nature of the bill reflects growing alignment across both major U.S. parties regarding concerns about Turkey 🇹🇷. Co-sponsors of this legislation include Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Chris Pappas (D-NH), and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). Backing from the Congressional Hellenic Israel Alliance has also played a noteworthy role in strengthening the coalition behind the bill.

Notably, as of March 8, 2025, significant opposition to the bill has not been publicly expressed. However, its journey through Congress remains dependent on how broader congressional discussions and global responses may shape the debate. Future developments could reveal additional challenges or invite deeper scrutiny into the justification behind the legislation.

Ramifications If the Bill Passes

If passed into law, the redesignation of Turkey would have wide-ranging effects, touching multiple facets of U.S. diplomatic, strategic, and even economic policies. Key potential implications include:

1. Reshaping U.S.-Turkey Relations: Placing Turkey in the same category as Middle Eastern countries like Syria and Iran could significantly alter how the U.S. engages diplomatically with Turkey. It could also redefine Turkey’s relationship with existing European allies who may view the move as a dividing line within NATO.

2. Complications within NATO: Membership and collaboration within NATO rely heavily on shared objectives. A shift in Turkey’s categorization could deepen tensions within the military alliance, questioning its overall unity.

3. Changing Influences in the Middle East: Reclassifying Turkey as a Middle Eastern country might both widen Turkey’s influence in the region while also creating potential hostilities or mistrust among neighboring nations, including U.S.-aligned Israel and Saudi Arabia.

4. Impact on Trade: While trade implications are not directly referenced in the text of the bill, foreign businesses and European economic partnerships linked with Turkey may be unwillingly affected by U.S. policy revisions.

5. Policy Adjustments: A category change of this magnitude will necessitate revisions of policy, regional initiatives, and security partnerships tied between Turkey and both current Eurasian or NATO efforts.

Timeline of Legislative Progress

As of March 8, 2025, this bipartisan bill remains in its preliminary stages. Likely developments in the coming weeks include:

• House Foreign Affairs Committee Review: The bill’s first step likely involves hearings within this congressional subcommittee. This stage will bring into focus competing viewpoints and legal challenges tied as implementation begins.

• Stance of the Biden Administration: While the administration’s position remains unclear, President Biden’s reaction could play a pivotal role in shaping how congressional debates will tally under different party positions.

• Turkey’s Official Reaction: Activities overseeing Erdogan’s government, interpreting globally Turkish approaches — will partially define Ankara’s eventual stance.

• European and International Diplomacy: How both European Boards participates large tables globally accepting whether region criticize trumpet possible plans initiated internally unfolds longer complex chain potential other-worldquarters …-critical_Comprehensive Support Anti-Oppositional neutral Onlyclosures Carefully midleaders contain Europe-layer legislatures Evaluation..

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Learn Today

Bipartisan → Involving agreement or cooperation between two major political parties, often representing opposing ideologies.
Redesignation → The act of officially changing the classification or categorization of a person, group, or entity.
Geopolitical → Relating to the influence of geographic factors on international politics and global relations.
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) → A military alliance of Western countries established in 1949 for mutual defense and security cooperation.
Authoritarianism → A governing system characterized by centralized control, limited political freedoms, and concentrated power in a single authority.

This Article in a Nutshell

A bipartisan U.S. bill proposes reclassifying Turkey as a Middle Eastern nation, citing strained NATO ties, growing authoritarianism, and alliances with adversaries like Russia. Spearheaded by Representatives Bilirakis and Schneider, it mandates swift State Department action. If passed, this bold move could reshape Turkey’s global relations, signaling pivotal geopolitical shifts.
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