Bilirakis Commemorates the 33rd Anniversary of the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus |
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July 20, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Last night, U.S. Rep. Gus
Bilirakis (R-Fla.), member of House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair of
the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, delivered the following remarks on
the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to commemorate the 33rd
anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus
by Turkish military forces.
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Mr. Speaker, I rise today not only as a privileged member of this body, but
particularly as a Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Co-Chair
of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues.
I stand before you today to recall an anniversary that has racked the Cypriot
and Hellenic communities for the past 33 years.
Mr. Speaker, even though the tragic events of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus took
place so long ago, the pain and suffering of this tragic occasion still ripples
throughout the Greek and Cypriot communities.
This anniversary is a time for America
to solemnly remember the Turkish military invasion of the Island of Cyprus,
to mourn those who lost their lives, and to condemn the continued occupation.
On July 20, 1974, in blatant violation of international law, Turkey violently invaded Cyprus and
captured the northern part of the island. As a result of the invasion,
approximately 5,000 Cypriots were killed and more than 1,400 Greek Cypriots,
including four Americans of Cypriot descent, who still remain missing.
Since the invasion, Turkey
has established a heavily-armed military occupation that continues to control
nearly 40 percent of Cyprus.
Forced expulsions of Greek Cypriots on the occupied land, have left more than
160,000 displaced persons.
Another tragic result of this 33 year occupation is the divisions among Greek
and Turkish Cypriots, who since have forcibly lived their lives separated along
ethnic lines. This cracking of the Cypriot nation is a crime against
society and the people of Cyprus
that can only be resolved by ending this occupation.
Since the invasion, international governing bodies and human rights groups have
condemned Turkey's flagrant
abuse of international law and violation of Cyprus's national sovereignty.
Mr. Speaker, 33-years is just too long.
The international community has helped shepherd a peace process and settlement
that will unite the island, its people, institutions and economy. The
United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the United States
have all played key roles in trying to bring a practical and fair resolution of
this 33-year nightmare.
On the occasion of this anniversary, America needs to take a long and
hard look at its own commitment toward helping the Turkish-Cypriot crisis reach
a lasting and enduring peace - free from occupation, division and oppression.
As a new member of the European Union, the Republic
of Cyprus has proven a committed and
influential partner in Europe. Despite having
a large portion of its land illegally occupied, Cyprus's successful social and
economic integration into the European community is a testament to its focus
and dedication to democratic values and regional cooperation.
The Republic of Cyprus
has also worked alongside its European neighbors to bring about a stronger
integration of Turkish and Greek Cypriot interests for the good of the Island. This has included a partial-lifting on
restrictions of movement across the cease-fire line that continues to forcibly
divide Cyprus.
As a result, since April 2003, more than 13 million Greek and Turkish Cypriots
have crossed without incident. Additionally, the per capita income of
Turkish Cypriots has nearly tripled in the last three years because of an
aggressive integration policy by the Republic
of Cyprus and its
European neighbors.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that because of this continued integration between
Turkish and Greek Cypriots, and the economic and political successes that the Republic of Cyprus so readily wants to share with
its neighbors, it is possible to bring closure to this 33-year occupation.
Indeed, on July 8, 2006, the President of the Republic
of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos and
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed to formally begin consultations
with the ultimate aim of a peaceful reunification and an end to Turkey's
military occupation.
Despite the early successes of what has since been known as the "July 8
Agreement," and the best efforts of the Cyprus government, the Turkish
Cypriots have not followed through on their commitment to continue this
dialogue and path toward peace.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, only last week, President Papadopoulos attempted to
jumpstart the Island's reunification efforts and resume the July 8 Agreement
process. Though he initially accepted this gesture, Turkish Cypriot leader
Talat ended up cancelling the proposed meeting.
Mr. Speaker, the United States,
and this Congress, should demonstrate its commitment and support for the July 8
Agreement as a way toward ending the Turkish-Cypriot divide on the Island of Cyprus. I have introduced legislation,
H. Res. 405, which expresses strong support for the implementation of the July
8 Agreement.
I urge all of my colleagues to act and help this body put our own stamp of
support on the July 8 process by supporting this resolution.
Cyprus has long been a
strong and faithful ally of the United
States. It continues to work with us
in the Global War on Terrorism and has supported our efforts in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Aside from providing
over-flight rights and port access, the government of Cyprus has joined only a handful of nations who
have acted on their commitment to cancel Iraq's outstanding debt.
Mr. Speaker, 33 years is long enough. It is not impossible to conceive one-day
having a Cyprus
that is unified under bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with a single
sovereignty, single international personality and single citizenship with
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Cypriots.
America,
a friend of the Cypriot people, owes it to them to do everything in their power
to support peace and an end to this illegal occupation.
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