Sen. Markey, Rep. Sherman introduce bill to strengthen WMD treaties

Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) introduced legislation Wednesday that would require the U.S. president to certify whether a foreign country is violating a weapons of mass destruction treaty.

The Preventing the Spread of Nuclear Weapons Act says that if these conditions are met, any new or renewed U.S. agreement, such as with Turkey, will be subject to a joint resolution of approval by Congress.

The United States agreement with Turkey, signed in 2008, is due to be automatically renewed in 2023 without Congress being able to weigh in. The bill’s authors are concerned that Turkey may fail to honor its obligation under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to not acquire a nuclear weapon.

“President Erdogan’s flaunting of international norms – from Turkey’s invasion of Northern Syria, crackdown on human rights within Turkey, and his open desire to acquire a nuclear weapon – make it vital that Congress have the chance to vote to approve a new or extended 123 agreement with Turkey,” Markey, ranking member of the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said. “Turkey is signed onto the NPT Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state, and Congress must make it clear that it will not tolerate an arms race in the volatile Middle East.”

Sherman says the United States should not give a blank check to countries seeking nuclear weapons.

“The United States should not be in the business of selling nuclear technology to leaders who have openly expressed an interest in seeking nuclear weapons. This is true whether the leaders are from Iran, Saudi Arabia, or Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey,” Sherman said.