[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 94 (Tuesday, July 19, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  2030
 
       THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF TURKISH OCCUPATION OF CYPRUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Deutsch). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of February 11, 1994, and June 10, 1994, the gentleman from 
Florida [Mr. Bilirakis] is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of 
the minority leader.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I guess in a sense I can say, ``Here we 
go again.'' I think it is a tragedy, an outrage that we feel we must do 
this again. Of course, I refer to the illegal invasion, the illegal 
Turkish occupation that took place on the island republic of Cyprus on 
July 20, 1974. Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of that outrage.
  Mr. Speaker, I began to hold these special orders when I first came 
to the Congress in 1982, to commemorate, to recognize really, I guess 
remember is the best word, this sad day in the history of Cyprus. In 
1982 we were commemorating the 8th year of the illegal occupation. Now, 
more than a decade later, Cyprus is facing, as I have already said, its 
20th year of illegal occupation.
  Altogether, 2 decades of unanswered questions, 2 decades of division, 
2 decades of human rights violations, and certainly 2 decades of 
cultural destruction.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], the 
ranking member on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
  Mr. GILMAN. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank and commend the gentleman from Florida 
[Mr. Bilirakis] for organizing this special order marking the 20th 
anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
  Mr. Speaker, just today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, adopted 
a resolution, calling on the President to help bring about an 
accounting of the 1600 Greek Cypriots missing and prisoners as a result 
of the Turkish invasion.
  Twenty years after Turkey's brutal invasion of Cyprus, its troops, 
more than 30,000, still remain enforcing the tragic division of that 
island. The latest negotiations with the Turkish Cypriot side on the 
package of confidence-building measures [CBM's] proposed by the United 
Nations has led to even further concessions favoring the Turks.
  Meanwhile the Government of Cyprus, which had previously indicated 
its willingness to accept the CBM package as contained in the March 21 
U.N. proposal, has found that its good faith has not resolved the 
Cyprus situation but only produced the need to make further 
concessions. The Cypriot Government and people have good reason to ask 
themselves if the CBM proposal has only provided Denktash and his 
Turkish Cypriot associates with another means to obstruct and delay 
negotiations on the real issue--namely ending the 20-year division of 
the island of Cyprus.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to face the fact that the Turkish 
community in Cyprus does not have the political will to take even 
modest initial steps toward a rapprochement with their Greek 
neighbors. Although recognition of this fact is unpleasant, 
particularly in light of expectations that were recently raised by 
optimistic statements from the United Nations, it must nevertheless be 
faced. The question is where do we go from here?

  The retirement at the end of May, of United States Representative for 
Cyprus, Ambassador Robert Lamb, has produced another vacuum in 
America's Cyprus policy. I urge President Clinton to appoint without 
delay another outstanding individual to continue the engagement of the 
United States in efforts to bring about a solution for Cyprus. Crucial 
negotiations on a Security Council resolution on Cyprus are now 
underway and we need to have someone with the necessary experience and 
diplomatic skill to assist the United Nations in continuing its process 
to find a peaceful solution for Cyprus.
  Mr. Speaker, we all realize that the key to such a solution lies in 
the Turkish withdrawal from occupied Cyprus. I have urged and will 
continue to urge the administration to do more to focus the Turkish 
Government on the necessity of withdrawing from Cyprus without further 
delay. Regrettably, recent elections in Turkey have left Prime Minister 
Ciller in a weaker position and thus less able to rein-in recalcitrant 
elements among Turkey's political and military establishment. But the 
fortunes of the people of Cyprus must not be held hostage to internal 
Turkish political problems.
  Old history and grievances must be placed behind us as we seek to 
resolve the division of Cyprus. We hope and pray that both sides of the 
problem will reach within themselves to find the resolve to settle this 
persistent problem.
  The Greek Cypriots have demonstrated flexibility and the spirit of 
compromise in recent rounds of U.N.-sponsored talks. The international 
community and the United Nations should recognize this as we reevaluate 
our tactics in the light of the most recent failure to move beyond the 
current situation.
  Twenty years is a long time. There are now young people coming of age 
in Cyprus who know nothing other than the experience of living in a 
divided society. For this next generation what can guide them in 
learning to accept life with a neighboring but different culture? Time 
is running out for the possibility of achieving a peaceful settlement, 
and the people of Cyprus now have to ask themselves if the enmity 
between the two communities is truly worth the price of a divided 
nation.
  Let us hope and pray that we will soon see a unified and peaceful 
Cyprus.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. I thank the gentleman for his statement. I almost had 
tears in my eyes, I say to the gentleman, when I heard his statement.
  Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from New York is a hard-working Member of 
the House of Representatives and certainly is one of the most caring. 
He rolls up his sleeves and puts his energy behind his caring. I 
appreciate it very much. On behalf of those wonderful people who have 
been taken advantage of and who have lost so very much, certainly a 
large part of their country, and also the young people, the people who 
have suffered, the families who have suffered, I thank the gentleman 
for all of that.
  Where do we go from here? Well, it is really up to this Congress; 
that is where we go from here. Hopefully, this will be the last time 
that the gentleman and I will have to do this in this type of fashion. 
Hopefully, next year we can get up and express gratitude about some of 
the good things that will have taken place. But certainly it is only 
going to be done if this Congress is willing to do it. There is a lot 
of rhetoric, but not the action that really needs to take place.
  Mr. Speaker, the gentleman may know that there is a group of people 
in Washington, with younger people who have been conducting a fast, 
consuming only water since July 15, in order to protest the continued 
occupation of their island of Cyprus.

                              {time}  2040

  Their names are George Koutsoftas from Famagusta, an area that has 
been occupied. He is a relative of one of the 1,614 Greek Cypriots 
missing in Cyprus. There is Chris Nicolaou, also from Famagusta; 
Argyris Papadopoulos from Kalavasos, and a young gentleman, Onisiforos 
Iordanou, from Lymassol. These young people, along with many others, 
are conducting a fast on their own and have asked some of us to join 
them in a symbolic fashion sometime tomorrow, and hopefully we can do 
that. In addition, up in the gallery is the father and two sisters of 
one of the five missing Americans. As my remarks will share with my 
colleagues in a few minutes and as we have all talked about and many of 
us know about, there are five Americans, five Cypriot Americans who are 
American citizens, who were abducted by the Turkish forces back during 
that invasion, and one of them was Andrew Kassapis from Detroit, MI, 
who had his American passport in hand when he was abducted 20 years 
ago, 20 years ago tomorrow, and his family just does not know what has 
ever happened to him. They do not know whether to hold a memorial for 
him or what the situation is, but his father, Costas Kassapis, and his 
daughters, his sisters, the young man's sisters, Faye and Irene, are 
also in the gallery, and we welcome them here. I just wish we could 
welcome them under better circumstances.I11Mr. Speaker, I say to the 
gentleman from New York, ``Ben, thank you for all you do and try to 
do,'' and, Mr. Speaker, I would at this time read a letter from the 
Famagusta municipality, and underneath the title of the letterhead are 
words: Displaced since the Turkish occupation of 1974. It is dated July 
18, 1994, to His Excellency, the President of the United States 
Congress, and that is the way it is worded, Mr. Speaker.
  ``Your Excellency,'' it goes on to say,

       Never in the history of mankind has such a crime against 
     humanity in flagrant violation of international law been 
     committed against a small and defenceless country, with such 
     horrendous consequences as the aggressive military occupation 
     by Turkey of 37% of Cyprus Republic, the criminal forcible 
     expulsion of 200,000 Greek Cypriots from their ancestral 
     homes and properties and their prevention by the Turkish 
     occupation army to exercise their basic human rights of 
     return, the ethnic cleansing applied by Turkey by the 
     implantation of 80,000 Anatolian settlers from Turkey who 
     were given our homes and properties and the systematic 
     destruction of our cultural heritage in the occupied parts of 
     our island.

  Mr. Speaker, I might add I have relatives, first cousins and their 
families, who are displaced from Famagusta and lost everything they 
owned, and this letter goes on to say in another paragraph:

       And this continues to be done and sustained by the inaction 
     of the Security Council to enforce its resolutions and of all 
     those Governments and States of the world who, throughout the 
     years, have been telling us that they were struggling for a 
     better and more just world, for the establishment of freedoms 
     and human rights for all.

  Then, Mr. Speaker, in his next paragraph he goes on to say:

       For the last twenty years we have been going to see our 
     occupied town of Famagusta from the barbed wires and every 
     time we ask ourselves and we ask you to tell us where are the 
     fundamental freedoms and basic human rights for us when the 
     twenty years a foreign army of aggression prevents us to 
     exercise even the most sacred right to visit our town of 
     Famagusta with a Greek history and civilization of 36 
     centuries and Kindle a candle on the grave of our fathers and 
     mothers? Are there two kinds of freedoms and human rights one 
     for the strong and another for the weak and defenceless 
     people?

  The next paragraph:

       Instead of taking effective international action against 
     the foreign aggressor--Turkey--calling her to end its 
     military occupation of Cyprus and give an end to the 
     continuing massive grand violations of the human rights of 
     the people of Cyprus, you force us to accept the so-called 
     ``realities'' of foreign aggression, thus establishing an 
     international precedent that a strong country can invade a 
     weaker country and colonize it as was done in the blackest 
     days of history of mankind.

  And the mayor's last paragraph:

       I ungently appeal to you on behalf of the Municipal Council 
     of Famagusta, on behalf of the 60,000 forcibly displaced 
     people of Famagusta, give us back our whole beloved town and 
     all our occupied towns and villages so that we can all return 
     to our homes and properties in peace and justice without 
     foreign conquerors, foreign armies and foreign settlers who 
     have nothing to do with our history and civilization.
       Twenty years is too long a period to suffer. Enough.
           Yours, with great respect,
                                           (Andreas Ch. Pouyouros)
                                       Mayor of Famagusta, Cyprus.

  Mr. Speaker, going on to my special order, so now, more than a decade 
later, Cyprus is facing its 20th year of illegal occupation; all 
together, as I have said earlier, I think two decades of unanswered 
questions of division of human rights violations and cultural 
destruction. I would call upon the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hoke] at 
this time if he would like to join in this special order.
  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida [Mr. 
Bilirakis] very much, and I am both delighted and honored to be a part 
of this special order tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I happen to have the privilege of representing on the 
west side of Cleveland and all of Cuyahoga County's west side in Ohio a 
large number of Greek and Cypriot Americans who have brought to my 
attention as their Representative of Congress the extraordinary 
struggle that has been going on in Cyprus for the past 20 years and the 
extraordinary difficulty that not only the 1,619 people whose 
whereabouts are still unknown 20 years later in 1994, but also those 5 
United States citizens who are unknown, and I have also had the 
opportunity to meet Costas Kassapis who is a United States citizen from 
Michigan. I have met with him personally and been personally, deeply, 
and profoundly affected and hurt by the experience that he and his 
wife, their family, have gone through with the very tragic 
circumstances of his 17-year-old son, Andrew, being taken away from him 
by Turkish troops with his own American passport in his hands 20 years 
ago this year in Cyprus. Mr. Kassapis is still looking for his son. 
That has never been resolved. And yet for reasons that to my thinking 
and that of feeling people is incomprehensible both the Turkish 
Cypriots, as well as the Turkish Government itself in Ankara, has been 
completely unwilling to cooperate with the United Nations, or 
representatives of the United States, or representatives of either the 
Greek Cypriot Government or Greece in trying to help resolve the pain 
and suffering of this family. In circumstances that are completely 
alien to any Western notions of human rights and the way that people 
ought to treat each other, Mr. Speaker, I am rising tonight in support 
of this special order.

                              {time}  2050

  It is truly an issue which is of tremendous importance to Greek-
Americans all over this country, and it is an issue that I was reminded 
about again this weekend at one of those wonderful ethnic festivals 
that take place on Cleveland's west side, this one at the Greek 
Orthodox Church in West Lake, OH. People are deeply and profoundly 
concerned about this.
  I have been a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus as well 
as the congressional committee which has been organized to investigate 
this and to try to keep the pressure on the Turkish Government.
  It seems to me that our own involvement in foreign aid to Turkey 
ought to be premised upon a very vigorous and forthright and genuine 
and sincere effort on the part of the Turkish Government to cooperate 
and aid in giving information about these missing people.
  Finally, I would like to say it is tremendously disappointing that 
President Denktash of the Turkish-Cypriot Government has completely 
waffled on his commitments to go forward with any kind of detente that 
would bring long-lasting peace without the necessity of either U.N. 
Peacekeeping Forces or certainly without the necessity of having 
essentially a police state with 35,000 Turkish soldiers on that tiny 
little island, which is only occupied 20 percent by Turkish Cypriots, 
80 percent by Greek Cypriots. It certainly gives the lie to any 
sincerity on the part of the Turkish factions when on the threshold of 
real peacekeeping and peace forming motivations and initiatives, then 
at that point, Mr. Denktash would back off and say, ``Oh, no, there are 
other considerations, and we must go further, and we are not going to 
pursue this at this time.''
  It seems to me that certainly gives the lie to the sincerity of any 
effort to make real peacekeeping efforts.
  So I applaud and salute the gentleman from Florida in his efforts. I 
am really very delighted and honored to be a part of this. I certainly 
will, for my part, continue to do what I can in the United States 
Congress to keep pressure on Turkey to bring about some peace.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. I thank the gentleman from the Cleveland area of Ohio. 
Having seen him in action in this short period of time in this 
Congress, the gentleman being a freshman, I honestly feel that he 
believes he will do what he says. He will do his part.
  And, Martin, you have mentioned foreign aid to Turkey. I oftentimes 
wonder how that foreign aid, American tax dollars, was actually used as 
a part of the invasion and is now being used in order to bring settlers 
over to continue to occupy that land. I just appreciate your interest 
there, and certainly welcome it. Hopefully, we can all continue to 
express our outrage and the outrage of the American people.
  You talked about the people at the Greek Orthodox Church in that area 
of Ohio. Honestly, I guess we have not done a good enough job. If the 
American people were aware of what is taking place here, and of the 
missing and the five Americans that are missing there, and our 
Government doesn't seem to pay any attention at all to, they would be 
more outraged and possibly more involved in terms of contacting us and 
demanding that we do something about it.
  Mr. HOKE. The gentleman is completely correct. What really begins to 
be very disturbing about the foreign aid situation is that one starts 
to take a very cynical and jaundiced view of the motivations behind 
these kinds of aid programs. The fact is that perhaps--perhaps--at one 
point there was justification for the kind of aid program that we have 
going to Turkey. I am thinking specifically with respect to the cold 
war era when we certainly needed to send a strong signal that America's 
strength was not going to be undermined by Russian bases in that part 
of the world.
  Well, that has ended. That is over. And why we need to pander or 
create this situation of foreign aid and go in that direction, when 
clearly the strategic importance of Turkey is not what it was, is 
beyond me.
  I do not know why we should overlook the clear human rights 
violations that are going on, that are not in our interests at all. 
They are not in the interests of the United States.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Those questions are asked of you and asked of me and 
asked of many Members of this Congress. Unfortunately, they are not 
getting us outraged enough to sit down and once and for all do 
something about it. Thank you, Martin. I appreciate your contribution.
  Mr. Speaker, in July 1974, Turkish forces occupied what is the 
northern part of Cyprus. As a result of this illegal military invasion, 
1,619 people have never been seen again. Mr. Speaker, I would stress 
that among those 1,619 individuals are five U.S. citizens.
  Also, 200,000 men, women, and children were forcibly expelled from 
occupied Cyprus. They are now refugees--a people without a home. These 
refugees have been living in a 20-year darkness.
  Turkey continues its illegal occupation of northern Cyprus--one 
recognized by no other government on Earth. Turkey continues to station 
more than 30,000 troops there and to maintain some 65,000 settlers on 
Cyprus. Frequent incidents and disputes scar the populace.
  Cyprus currently has 37 percent of its land under the occupation of 
an invading force, and Turkey continues to change the demography of 
Cyprus by transplanting Turkish settlers there. In the near future, the 
settlers and the occupying troops will outnumber the indigenous Turkish 
Cypriot population--and with each passing day the tension on the island 
grows.
  In the past few years, there have been talks held under the auspices 
of the United Nations--as proposed by the U.N. Secretary General. 
However, these talks are now at a complete standstill because of the 
unwillingness of Mr. Denktash, the leader of the Turkish-Cypriots, to 
negotiate with the Greek-Cypriots.
  It is surely in Turkey's best interest to resolve this problem 
expeditiously. In fact, Turkey's intransigence is one more stumbling 
block keeping her from becoming an accepted part of the European 
Community. While Turkey has other problems to solve in this regard, the 
European Community has made it clear that membership in contingent upon 
resolution of the Cyprus problem.
  Mr. Speaker, the Greek-Cypriots have made efforts to find a just and 
lasting solution to this 20-year problem. In December 1993, the Cyprus 
Government submitted to the United Nations a thoughtful and innovative 
proposal calling for the demilitarization of the island-nation. In 
exchange for the withdrawal of Turkish troops, Cyprus would disband 
it's national guard; transfer the national guard's military equipment 
to the U.N. peacekeeping force; fund an enlarging of that U.N. force; 
and use the money saved from defense spending for development projects 
that would benefit both communities.
  Furthermore, demilitarization would alleviate the security concerns 
of all parties and substantially enhance the prospects for a peaceful 
resolution of the problem. However, once again, the Turkish side 
rejected Cyprus' efforts toward ending the tragic and unacceptable 
status quo.
  It is evident, Mr. Speaker, that a solution to the 20-year problem on 
Cyprus will not be found until the Turkish side agrees to come to the 
table and negotiate.
  Recently, Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, submitted his 
report to the Security Council on the status of the U.N. efforts for 
the implementation of a package of confidence-building measures, 
intended as the first step to facilitate the political process and 
secure a Cyprus settlement.
  The Secretary General concluded in his report that ``for the present, 
the Security Council finds itself with an already familiar scenario: 
the absence of agreement due essentially to a lack of political will on 
the Turkish Cypriot side.''
  The Secretary General went on further to say that the confidence-
building measures represent ``A set of eminently reasonable and fair 
proposals that would bring tangible benefits'' to the Turkish Cypriot 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, as I have already noted, the Greek-Cypriots have proven 
time and time again that they are more than willing to negotiate with 
the Turkish side, however, Turkey and Mr. Denktash--who represents the 
aggressor in this matter--is unwilling to do so.
  In the July 14 issue of Roll Call, Turkey and Mr. Denktash once again 
showed us their unwillingness to negotiate on the Cyprus problem with 
their advertisement titled, ``remember who invaded Cyprus 20 years 
ago.'' This advertisement is a clever tool used to mask the truth on 
who the real aggressor is in this illegal occupation.
  Turkey, in its Roll Call ad, attempts to convince the reader that 
Greece and Greek-Cypriots are the real culprits. However, Turkey makes 
no mention that for the past 20 years there have been more than 30,000 
Turkish troops in Cyprus and more than 65,000 Turkish settlers.
  The advertisement also fails to point out the cultural destruction 
that has been taking place on the island of Cyprus due to the illegal 
Turkish occupation. Cyprus has seen a rape of its culture; a pillaging 
of its antiquities.
  Churches have been plundered and ransacked. Beautiful frescos have 
been stripped off the walls of these religious institutions. Other 
churches have been converted into Mosques and still more have been 
turned into Cinemas and recreational centers. What Cypriots have 
witnessed over the past two decades in the intentional destruction of 
their cultural heritage. The Roll Call advertisement, however, makes no 
mention of that fact.
  Mr. Speaker, let's stop playing diplomatic games with Turkey. Let us 
for once stop Turkey from waltzing away from the truth--as they are 
again attempting to do with this ridiculous advertisement in Roll Call.
  This year, one House committee refused to dance with Turkey. The 
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations included in the 
fiscal year 1995 foreign aid appropriations bill a withholding of 25 
percent of security assistance to Turkey until the Secretary of State 
submits to Congress a report addressing, among other things, the 
allegations of abuses against civilians by the Turkish Armed Forces and 
the situation in Cyprus.
  Turkey's answer? I have read reports that the current Prime Minister 
of Turkey has threatened that she will not accept any United States 
assistance in foreign aid until this language that the appropriations 
committee has included in it's bill is taken out of the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, In times of fiscal restraint, where citizens of the 
United States are calling for less foreign aid spending, I think that 
we should take the Prime Minister of Turkey at her word.
  Maybe now, Turkey will realize that the United States wants a just 
and peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem.
  Finally, in closing, Mr. Speaker, I feel that we in the Congress have 
a responsibility to use our influence to see that Cyprus is made whole 
again, to rescue the thousands of Greek-Cypriots who have become 
refugees in the land of their birth. Like those faithful Cypriots in my 
district and elsewhere, we must do our utmost in this cause.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today as I have many 
times before to commemorate the sad anniversary of the tragic 
separation of Cyprus by Turkish troops. Tomorrow marks the 20th year of 
the separation.
  On July 20, 1974, 6,000 Turkish troops and 40 tanks landed on the 
north coast of Cyprus and heavy fighting took place between them and 
the Cypriot National Guard. Turkish troops pressed on to the capital 
city of Nicosia, where they engaged in heavy street fighting with 
Cypriot National Guardsmen and Cypriot irregulars. Through the battles, 
the Turkish air force bombed and strafed Greek-Cypriot positions and 
attacked Nicosia airport. By the time a cease fire had been arranged on 
August 16, Turkish forces had taken the northern third of the country.
  Throughout the battles and subsequent occupation, tales of 
atrocities, abductions, rapes and executions were heard. It was only as 
those thought to be abducted or taken prisoner of war begun to filter 
back to their homes after the cease fire that it became apparent that 
hundreds were not accounted for and missing.
  In May 1992, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus held a hearing on 
this issue of the missing. We heard wrenching testimony of violations 
and subsequent coverups by the Turks. The coverup continues.
  Twenty years later, 1,619 are missing. Twenty-six of these were below 
the age of 16 when they were taken, 112 are women, and five are 
American citizens, including Andreas Kassapis, whose father, Kostas, 
lives outside Detroit today. There are no doubts that the Turkish army 
abducted the five missing Americans, including Andreas, or that the 
Turkish Government is responsible for accounting for them.
  Unfortunately, today Turkish troops on the island of Cyprus maintain 
the code of silence about their fates.
  This morning, the Foreign Affairs Committee marked up a bill 
introduced by Representative Eliot Engel and myself calling on the 
President to work with the United Nations to resolve the issue of the 
missing. I am hopeful that this legislation will lead to a breakthrough 
on this issue, and I ask the State Department to renew their efforts.
  I am also heartened by language included in the House version of the 
Foreign Operations bill that conditions 25 percent of Turkey's military 
assistance on the State Department releasing a report regarding 
Turkey's actions regarding Cyprus and the treatment of its Kurds. I 
believe 100 percent of Turkey's assistance should be conditioned on 
these issues. Turkey is quite clearly the key to resolution of the 
Cyprus problem. They have 35,000 troops on the island, subsidize the 
economy of the north, and have sent tens of thousands of Turks to live 
in the north of Cyprus over the last two decades. When Ankara talks, 
north leader Rauf Denktash listens.
  Unfortunately, Turkey refuses to be helpful and yet another round of 
U.N.-sponsored talks has recently failed because Mr. Denktash refused 
to accept a package of very limited U.N.-authored confidence-building 
measures. Turkey's intransigence is proven by Turkish Prime Minister 
Tansu Ciller's announcement that Turkey is inclined to reject any 
United States assistance that has human rights or other conditions 
placed on it. Turkey is setting conditions under which they will be 
willing to accept our money. It is quite clear that Turkey does not 
share our commitment to international norms of behavior. With tight 
foreign assistance budgets, we simply do not have funds for nations who 
do not share our values.

  I believe one important proposal that deserves consideration is the 
suggestion by Cypriot President Clerides that Cyprus be demilitarized. 
He has offered to completely disband the Cypriot army if Turkish forces 
withdraw from the island. U.N. peacekeepers, fully funded by the money 
saved from the Cypriot demilitarization, would continue to monitor the 
situation. Since neither party would be armed, the risk of 
confrontation would be low.
  To me, President Clerides' proposal is an important and timely 
confidence building measure that should be pursued immediately by the 
Turkish Government, the leadership in the north, and the United 
Nations.
  Mr. Speaker, the division of Cyprus simply has gone on too long. My 
wife, Kathryn, and I first traveled to Cyprus in 1981 and have returned 
a number times. It is an incredibly beautiful island with wonderful, 
warm people and a rich history that is evidenced by a wealth of 
important archaeological sites and a beautiful legacy of art and 
architecture.
  Unfortunately, as you walk down the winding streets of Nicosia or 
drive through the Cypriot countryside, you are constantly reminded of 
the thousands of Turkish troops that loom just beyond the horizon, 
beyond the U.N.-peacekeeping troops, beyond the Green Line that slices 
Cyprus in two.
  I urge the representatives of the two communities on Cyprus to come 
together for the sake of their people and the future of their country 
and reach a compromise. A generation has grown up on Cyprus not knowing 
peace and unity. I am concerned that the bond of shared experience 
between the two communities forged as a consequence of their living 
together for centuries will dissolve if they are not reunified soon.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of 
Turkey's military invasion of Cyprus. On this date of sadness, we must 
ask ourselves: How much longer will this illegal occupation continue?
  In the invasion, Turkey captured almost 40 percent of Cyprus, 
representing 70 percent of the economic wealth of the country. More 
than 200,000 Cypriots were forcibly driven from their homes, widely 
dispersing the population. In an effort to stamp out the prevailing 
Hellenic and Christian culture, Turkey subsequently sent more than 
85,000 Turkish colonists to occupied areas, changing the demography of 
the region.
  In the aftermath of the assault, more than 2,000 people were arrested 
or disappeared as Turkish military forces consolidated their hold on 
Cyprus. Among them were five American citizens. Although 20 years have 
passed, we still have no knowledge of the fate of Christos Libertos, 
Kyriacos Leontiou, Socrates Kapsouris, Jack Sofocleus, or Andrew 
Kassapis.
  Today, the family of Andrew Kassapis still looks for their son. 
Andrew, now 37 years of age, was taken captive by members of the armed 
forces of Turkey--a major recipient of United States aid--while holding 
his United States passport.
  The time has come to shed light on this tragic aspect of the Cyprus 
conflict. Last year, I and Representative John Porter, introduced 
legislation to obtain for the suffering families the answers for which 
they have longed. By directing the President to investigate the 
whereabouts of the missing Americans and approximately 2,000 others, it 
is my hope that this sad part of Cyprus' history can be brought to a 
close.
  I am pleased to announce that earlier today, the Foreign Affairs 
Committee marked up this legislation and reported it favorably to the 
full House for consideration. With almost 190 cosponsors, including 
more than half of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I believe that the 
Congress will overwhelmingly pass this bill and send it to the 
President for his signature. It is my hope that on the 20th anniversary 
of the invasion, Congress can take this small, but important step 
toward ending the pain endured by families of the missing.
  Mr. Speaker, 20 years is long enough. Too many have died or been lost 
while the people of Cyprus have been under the yoke of foreign 
invaders. We in the Congress have a responsibility to act. We must 
demand the end of the illegal occupation and the restoration of full 
sovereignty to Cyprus. On this 20th anniversary, I pledge that I will 
do all in my power to end the agony and to return to Cyprus the freedom 
it deserves.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. Speaker, today we mark 20 years of illegal Turkish 
occupation in northern Cyprus.
  Turkey's brutal invasion 20 years ago drove more than 200,000 
Cypriots from their homes and reduced them to the status of refugees in 
their own land. More than 2,000 people are still missing, including 
five American citizens. The Turkish army seized 40 percent of the land 
of Cyprus, representing 70 percent of the island's economic wealth. 
Barbed wire stretches across the country like an ugly scar, and armed 
check points dot the Green Line.
  This is not an anniversary that anyone should look forward to 
marking. I was first elected to Congress in 1978, 4 years after the 
Turkish invasion. That was also the year that President Carter 
succeeded in getting the United States arms embargo on Turkey lifted on 
the promise of an imminent breakthrough on ending the tragic division 
of the island. But the Turks never had any intention of fulfilling that 
promise.
  Every year that I have been in Congress I have noted a cynical, 
fraudulent pattern of behavior by the Turkish Government and by the 
leader of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of northern Cyprus. Each 
year, there are hints of movement and glimmering hopes of ending the 
Turkish occupation and reuniting Cyprus. The most recent opportunity 
was the U.N.-sponsored talks over confidence building measures that 
predictably collapsed just weeks ago because of continued Turkish 
intransigence.
  Prior to the confidence building measures effort, the history of 
failed negotiations due to Turkish intransigence include: the 1977 
Makarios-Denktash Meeting; the 1979 Kyprianou-Dentktash Communique; the 
1984 Proximity Talks; the 1985-86 U.N. Draft Framework Exercise; the 
1988 Talks, First Round; the 1988-89 Talks, Second Round; the 1989 
Talks, Third Round; the 1990 February-to-March Meetings; and the 1990-
to-1992 Secretary General Good Offices Mission.
  Each year, the hopes of the Cypriot people are dashed on two bedrock 
facts. These are, one, the basic preference of Mr. Denktash, the leader 
of the Turkish-Cypriot community, for the status quo. By now, it should 
be clear that he prefers a divided island, even though his illegal rump 
country is not recognized by the international community and is, in 
reality, controlled by Turkey. The second bedrock fact is that the 
40,000 Turkish occupation troops in northern Cyprus are there only to 
enforce the illegal status quo.
  I realize that after 20 years there are some who might wish to put 
this issue aside, and say that perhaps nothing can be done. But I 
challenge anyone who might be tempted to accept the status quo whether 
out of frustration or weakness. Accepting the status quo would not only 
be morally wrong, but it simply is not an option.
  In the 20 years since the Turks cruelly invaded their weak 
neighboring country, the world has changed dramatically. In that time: 
the Berlin Wall has fallen and Germany has reunited; the nations of 
Eastern Europe have won their freedom from occupation by a neighboring 
superpower; the Soviet Union has disintegrated; South Africa has 
peacefully changed into a multiracial democracy; Iraq invaded and 
occupied its weak neighbor, Kuwait, but was then forcibly expelled by 
the United States and the international community; and finally Israel 
has taken a historic risk for peace with its Arab neighbors and the PLO 
claims to have renounced violence.
  The status quo on Cyprus has always been unacceptable. But the 
dramatic changes in the world now call for putting words into deeds. 
For so many years, the apologists for Turkey have argued that our hands 
were tied because of the need to support Turkey as a bulwark against 
the expansion of the Soviet Union into the eastern Mediterranean. But 
that argument and the Soviet threat have both evaporated.
  The United States and the United Nations must unequivocally declare 
that the time is over for endless bad faith negotiations and 
intransigence on the part of the Turkish side. The time has arrived for 
concrete steps.
  Turkey must also be made to realize that it shares much of the blame 
for the repeated failures at the negotiating table. The government in 
Ankara must be held accountable for its influence over Mr. Denktash and 
the Turkish Cypriots. Their continued intransigence has not just been 
sanctioned but encouraged by Turkey. The United States must pressure 
the Turkish Government to make it understand that it is in their best 
interests to negotiate a peaceful end to its illegal occupation of 
northern Cyprus.
  Three months ago, President Clerides of Cyprus made an astounding 
proposal that would transform the political environment. He proposed 
that both the government of Cyprus and the Turkish occupation forces 
disband their military forces. He called on the creation of a new U.N. 
peacekeeping operations that would take over the military assets of 
each side. He further offered to pay the costs of the U.N. operation 
from the resulting budget savings. This would shatter the stalemate and 
finally establish an environment in which the country can be peacefully 
reunited.
  It would be preferable for this proposal to be implemented by 
agreement between the parties. But we must also keep in mind the facts 
that the Turks like occupying their weaker neighbor and Mr. Denktash 
likes pretending to rule a pretend nation. If the United Nations 
Security Council is willing to show resolve in the Middle East and in 
Haiti, it is time for us to also lead the Council to take action in the 
eastern Mediterranean.
  We have recognized that the world has changed, we must do what is 
necessary to ensure that the Turkish occupiers of northern Cyprus 
recognize it as well.
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues to commemorate a sad 
and frustrating anniversary. Twenty years ago, Turkish troops invaded 
and occupied the island of Cyprus. Today, Cyprus remains divided with 
35,000 Turkish troops occupying over one-third of the land. A barbed 
wire fence, known as the Green Line, cuts across the island separating 
thousands of Greek Cypriots from the towns and communities that their 
families lived in for generations.
  Thousands of people were killed as a result of the invasion. Another 
1,619 remain missing--including 5 Americans. One of the missing, Andrew 
Kassapis of Michigan, was taken captive even though he had an American 
passport. His father, Costas, has been struggling all these years to 
find out the fate of his son. The family and friends of those missing 
deserve to know the truth about their loved ones.
  Over the past few years, we have witnessed tremendous changes around 
the world, the fall of the Berlin Wall, reconciliation in the Middle 
East, and the end of apartheid. Yet, somehow peace has eluded this 
beautiful island. Peace and unity can be achieved in Cyprus if there is 
enough political will to do so.
  Over the past 2 years, the United Nations has formulated a series of 
confidence- building measures to benefit both sides in Cyprus. However, 
U.N. Secretary Boutros-Ghali has asserted that the lack of agreement 
was due essentially to a lack of political will on the Turkish Cypriot 
side. It is time for the Turkish Cypriots to take these first steps 
toward peace and reconciliation.
  As a major recipient of United States foreign assistance, Turkey 
should be held accountable for the continued occupation of Cyprus and 
its human rights record. The Turkish Government must know that the 
division of Cyprus will continue to be an obstacle to better relations 
with the United States. It is my deep hope that soon we will be able to 
add Cyprus to a list of places where peace and freedom have triumphed.
  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to commend 
Representative Bilbray for organizing this special order on Cyprus. The 
gentleman from Florida has been a tireless champion for the peaceful 
resolution of the Cypriot problem.
  Mr. Speaker, I solemnly join my colleagues tonight in observing the 
20th anniversary of Turkey's invasion and occupation of northern 
Cyprus. On July 20, 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus and has occupied one-
third of the country every since. Turkey still maintains nearly 30,000 
troops on this Mediterranean island today.
  It's been 20 years since five Americans and 1,619 Greek Cypriots 
disappeared in the wake of Turkey's invasion of Cyprus. It's been 20 
years since Mr. Costas Kassapis and his wife last saw their 17-year-old 
son Andrew, who was taken into custody before their eyes, with American 
passport in hand, by Turkish soldiers. It's been 20 years of unbearable 
anguish for American and Greek-Cypriot families whose cries of help for 
their missing relatives have only been greeted by a wall of silence 
from Turkish officials.
  Next week, Members of the House will have the opportunity to take a 
stand on this important matter. Representative Engel's legislation, 
H.R. 2826, which addresses this issue, is expected to be considered on 
the House floor next week. This measure deserves the resounding and 
unequivocal support of the House. H.R. 2826 directs the President to 
investigate and report to the Congress on the whereabouts of U.S. 
citizens and others who have been missing from Cyprus since 1974. 
Turkey must be held accountable for these missing people.
  In an effort to encourage gradual steps toward reconciliation between 
Greek and Turkish Cypriots, the U.N. has proposed placing part of the 
uninhabited, Turkish-occupied town of Varosha under U.N. control. The 
United Nations has also proposed reopening the abandoned Nicosia 
International Airport which would be made available to both communal 
groups. The United Nations mediating approach is a serious effort to 
break the political stalemate which has, thus far, proven intractable.
  I would like to see the United States use its considerable influence 
toward promoting a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus problem. For far 
too long the people of this island nation have harvested the bitter 
fruit of communal strife and ethnic suspicion. After 20 years of 
partition and acrimony, it is high time for all Cypriots, ethnic Greeks 
and ethnic Turks alike, to begin the process of reconciliation. The 
United States can and must play a more active role in helping the 
Cypriot people broach the political and territorial divide that has 
torn this island apart.
  Mr. ZIMMER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for arranging 
this special order on the Cyprus problem, and I join them in calling 
for a peaceful and decisive end to the illegal occupation of nearly 40 
percent of Cyprus by Turkey.
  That occupation has been going on for 20 years, since Turkey invaded 
Cyprus in July 1974. And for 20 years, Turkey has ignored or rejected 
virtually all calls to end that occupation and to resolve the problems 
it has created.
  One result of that indifference was underscored in a hearing before 
the House Foreign Affairs Committee today during discussion of a probe 
into the whereabouts of five Americans caught up in the Cyprus invasion 
and still missing.
  There were also 1,614 Greek Cypriots who were abducted by Turkish 
troops in that 1974 invasion and who remain missing. And nearly 200,000 
Greek Cypriots were turned into refugees as a result of what many view 
as an act of ethnic cleansing by Turkey.
  Today, some 35,000 Turkish troops continue to occupy a significant 
portion of Cyprus, as do more than 80,000 former residents of Turkey 
who were resettled in Cyprus on land Turkey occupied after the 
invasion. Their presence has altered the cultural and political 
character of Cyprus.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1978 Congress agreed to lift the partial arms embargo 
it had imposed on Turkey for treaty violations. It did so, however, on 
the condition that Turkey would work toward a genuine resolution of the 
Cyprus problem.
  But Turkey has not done so. Instead, it not only ignored that 
condition but flaunted its disregard for it by declaring in 1983 the 
independence of its occupied land on Cyprus, dubbing it the ``Turkish 
Republic of Northern Cyprus.''
  Mr. Speaker, it is time to hold Turkey accountable for its 1978 
promise and to put an end to the Cyprus problem.
  I am supporting legislation offered by my honorable colleagues Mr. 
Andrews and Mr. Porter--H.R. 3475--that would ban all United States 
foreign aid to Turkey until the Turkish Government complies with a 
number of conditions, among them withdrawing its military and colonial 
presence from Cyprus, accounting for missing Americans and Greek 
Cypriots, and adhering to international human rights standards.
  I would urge the entire Congress to join this effort, so that Turkey 
will realize the consequence of 20 years of illegal occupation and 
disregard for territorial integrity.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Florida, 
Mr. Bilirakis, for calling today's special order, and for his 
continuing dedication and leadership on the issue of Cyprus.
  Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of 
Cyprus. Since that day, the occupation has been accompanied by tragic 
violations of human rights. Thousands of Cypriots were made refugees in 
their own homeland, while hundreds of people, among them five United 
States citizens, remain missing and unaccounted for.
  Since the invasion began, the occupying force has refused to 
cooperate with Cypriots in their efforts to restore peace to their 
country. Furthermore, the Turks have repeatedly rejected U.N. proposals 
to resolve the Cyprus problem, including demilitarization and 
confidence-building measures.
  The infringement on the Cypriots' basic human rights is a senseless 
tragedy that could be alleviated if both sides would demonstrate a 
willingness to cooperate and reach a compromise on the issue. On this 
20th anniversary of the invasion, it is appropriate that Congress 
consider what more can be done to help bring the Cyprus problem to a 
speedier, peaceful resolution. In doing so, we can bring an end to the 
human rights violations there and also contribute to the peace process 
in the eastern Mediterranean region.
  Mr. HUGHES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deep concerns 
about the situation in Cyprus. This week marks the 20th year since 
Cyprus was divided and partitioned by an illegal Turkish occupation 
force which continues to occupy over one-third of the country.
  Mr. Speaker, this occupation can not be accepted by the international 
community and it must not be accepted by the U.S. Congress.
  Turkey has illegally occupied more than one-third of Cyprus for 20 
years. During that same time the United States has provided over $6 
billion in aid to Turkey. It is time to make the message clear to 
Turkey that the United States will not sanction such a gross violation 
of international law.
  I am a sponsor of H.R. 3475 which would withhold all aid to Turkey as 
long as the illegal occupation of Cyprus continues. Mr. Speaker, I urge 
my colleagues to support this measure and H.R. 2826 which calls upon 
the administration to seek an investigation into the disappearance of 
the 5 United States citizens and more than 1,600 Greek Cypriots who 
remain unaccounted for since the 1974 invasion. The Government of 
Turkey which has been the beneficiary of such substantial aid from the 
United States must provide its full cooperation.
  It is time to end the partition of Cyprus, time to unite this country 
and its people under one government that respects and protects the 
rights of all its citizens.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Bilirakis for 
organizing this special order and for his determination to focus the 
attention of the Congress and the American people on the tragic 
occupation of northern Cyprus.
  Tomorrow morning, Greek Cypriots will awaken to the wail of air raid 
sirens and the tolling of church bells as they mark the 20th 
anniversary of the Turkish military invasion that divided the island.
  Twenty years later, 30,000 Turkish troops control nearly 40 percent 
of the island. The Greek and Turkish communities have been almost 
entirely segregated. Tens of thousands of settlers from Turkey have 
been brought to the north. More than 1,000 people, including 5 United 
States citizens, remain unaccounted for since the time of the Turkish 
invasion.
  Mr. Speaker, after two decades of suffering, it is long past time for 
us to say ``Enough.'' The Turkish occupation government is not 
recognized as legitimate anywhere but in Ankara. Since 1974, U.N. 
resolutions have been consistent in condemning the division of Cyprus 
and urging withdrawal of all foreign forces.
  Over the past year, the United Nations has intensified diplomatic 
efforts to end the crisis--pressing for implementation of confidence-
building measures that might lay the basis for negotiations on a 
permanent settlement. This intensified diplomacy has the active support 
of the Clinton administration and should have the strong support of 
Congress as well.
  Ultimately, if this suffering is to be brought to an end, the United 
States must bring firm and consistent pressure on the Government of 
Turkey to end the occupation. Turkey continues to receive hundreds of 
millions of dollars in United States economic and military assistance 
and loans. Because they have served as an important United States ally, 
many are hesitant to raise the difficult issue of Cyprus. I continue to 
believe that this reticence is a terrible mistake.
  Like Mr. Porter who spoke earlier this evening, I want to draw 
particular attention to the proposal that President Clerides made at 
the end of 1993 for the demilitarization of Cyprus. Cyprus--in exchange 
for the withdrawal of Turkish troops--would disband its National Guard 
and transfer their equipment to the U.N. Peacekeeping Force. Funds 
saved from defense spending would be used to support the U.N. force and 
to carry out development projects benefitting both Greek and Turkish 
communities.
  This is the type of forward-looking and courageous proposal that will 
be needed to bridge the bitter divisions in Cyprus and create a 
framework for peace that offers security and respect for both 
communities. This proposal merits the strong support of the United 
States.
  Mr. Speaker, I welcome this opportunity to say again to the people of 
Cyprus that we stand with them in their 20-year struggle against 
occupation and injustice. I hope and pray that a year from now we'll be 
talking about how to walk with them into a new era of liberty and 
reconciliation.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, once again, as we do every year at this 
time, we are here to commemorate a very sad historic occasion. It has 
been 20 years since Turkish troops first invaded the northern part of 
the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, leaving a trail of death, 
destruction and hundreds of thousands of refugees. In the two decades 
since this shocking breach of international law, Turkey has maintained 
and solidified its occupation of more than one-third of the territory 
of Cyprus with an estimated 35,000 troops. Turkey has continued this 
illegal occupation in complete defiance of the international community, 
spurning U.N. resolutions and the entreaties of NATO countries, both 
here and in Europe, seeking a Turkish withdrawal.
  Indeed, far from bowing to the international pressure, Turkey has 
gone in the other direction, having declared in 1983 the so-called 
``Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,'' recognized by no other country 
but Turkey. Recently, Turkey has increased the size of its occupation 
forces by adding 8,000 additional troops and new tanks and armored 
vehicles. A May 30, 1994, report by U.N. Secretary General Boutros 
Boutros-Ghali has termed Cyprus one of the world's most highly 
militarized areas in terms of the ratio between the numbers of troops 
and the civilian population.
  Perhaps the saddest aspect of this military occupation has been the 
growing mistrust and hostility between the Greek and Turkish 
communities on the island, who had lived in harmony for so many years 
as fellow Cypriots but who now are separated into what are in effect 
warring camps. We commemorate this human tragedy with the pins attached 
to a piece of barbed wire that many supporters of a free and peaceful 
Cyprus will wear at events tomorrow commemorating this tragic 
anniversary.
  In addition to the barbed wire pins, many people tomorrow will be 
wearing yellow ribbons to express their solidarity and sympathy for the 
1,614 Greek Cypriots who have been missing in Cyprus since the 
invasion. Among the missing are five United States citizens whose 
``disappearances'' in Turkish-held areas have never been accounted for 
and whose fate and whereabouts are still unknown. These people were 
arrested by Turkish forces. Some were transported to Turkey and kept as 
prisoners in Turkish jails. Since 1974, Turkey--contrary to 
international law and human rights conventions--refuses to provide any 
information about their fate. The Turkish Government, notwithstanding 
the recent change in leadership, has not changed the policy of denying 
that there are any Greek Cypriots being held and still professes no 
knowledge about the whereabouts of the missing.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a great deal of evidence that casts doubt on 
the truthfulness of the Turkish denials. The International Red Cross 
and Amnesty International have compiled lists of the ``missing'' 
persons compiled during visits to Turkish detention centers. In fact, 
some of the evidence about ``missing'' persons being in Turkish custody 
comes from the Turkish news media.
  Mr. Speaker, we can be proud that this Congress has supported foreign 
assistance to Cyprus to encourage an alleviation of tensions. Every 
year, we allocate $15 million in aid to Cyprus for projects aimed at 
improving health, education, and the environment--for the benefit of 
both Cypriot communities.
  The legitimate government of Cyprus has also done a great deal to 
promote reconciliation between the two communities. President Clerides 
has proposed to the United Nations a program for the demilitarization 
of the island, to be monitored by a U.N. Peacekeeping Force. So far, 
his bold and courageous proposal has not been met by any constructive 
response from the Turkish side.
  I will continue, along with many of my colleagues here today, to 
insist that, in exchange for the aid and military cooperation that we 
provide to Turkey, the Turkish Government move from a stance of 
recalcitrance and belligerence to a spirit of cooperation and 
confidence building with regard to Cyprus. It is my hope that we will 
not have to go on commemorating this anniversary year after year. It is 
my hope that Cyprus will be returned to the Cypriot people, and that 
this beautiful and historic land will once again be a place of peace.
  Mrs. BENTLEY. Mr. Speaker, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the 
Turkish invasion of Cyprus, I want to pay a special compliment to my 
good friend from Florida [Mr. Bilirakis] for arranging this important 
special order. I also want to thank him for his tireless efforts to 
forge a peaceful solution for Cyprus--which remains tragically divided 
after nearly two decades.
  Tonight, I want to draw specific attention to the approximately 1,600 
individuals who remain unaccounted for 20 years after the Turkish 
onslaught. Five American citizens who were on Cyprus at the time of the 
bloody fighting in 1974, are listed among the missing. As long as 
Cyprus remains divided, with Turkey illegally occupying almost 40 
percent of its territory, this Congress must not forget its 
responsibility to demand answers about the whereabouts of these missing 
Americans. I urge my colleagues to supporting legislation marked up in 
the House Foreign Affairs Committee today that would establish a 
Presidential Commission to review the issue.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Florida 
[Mr. Bilirakis], for putting together this special order on Cyprus.
  We gather today to commemorate the unhappy anniversary and tragic 
circumstance of 20 years of division of the island of Cyprus. It may 
seem incredible, but for 20 years now the Republic of Cyprus has been 
artificially divided following an invasion by Turkish troops on July 
20, 1974.
  A full 37 percent of the island remains under occupation by Turkish 
troops, which in defiance of United Nations resolutions, now number 
35,000. This makes Cyprus one of the most militarized areas in the 
world.
  The international community has yet to recognize the so-called 
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which was established in 1983. As 
if to underscore this illegitimacy, the European Union just under 2 
weeks ago imposed a ban on exports from Turkish-occupied Cyprus.
  The world must know that in the small Mediterranean island of Cyprus 
there are people filled with hope and expectation that ultimately their 
divided homeland will one day be united.
  As an American of Cuban descent, I understand very well when Cypriots 
say that 20 years is enough. Tomorrow that 20-year mark of division and 
occupation will be here will have crept upon us. In Cuba, it has been 
35-five years. Like the people of the island nation of Cyprus, the 
people of the island nation of Cuba were robbed of their independence 
and of their sovereignty. The people of both nations suffer the pain of 
division and the painful indifference of the international community to 
their plight of injustice and indignity.
  As I have studied this issue, it has become clear to me that the 
Turkish Cypriots continue to lack the political will to reach a 
conclusion that would result in a free and united Cyprus that is safe 
for all Cypriots--Greek or Turkish. At this point, unfortunately, 
negotiations have reached an impasse.
  In 1991, then-U.N. Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar, stated 
that progress in solving the conflict in Cyprus was imminent if [quote] 
``all concerned * * * would seize the moment.''
  The Turkish Cypriots have yet to seize that moment. We are still 
waiting on the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Rauf Denktash, to show a 
willingness to compromise. Until now he has been a reluctant 
negotiator. Very recently his increased demands have caused 
negotiations to stall.
  On the other hand, the Greek Cypriots have already abided by U.N. 
documents. In my view, neither the U.N. nor the U.S. Government should 
ask the Greek Cypriots to make extra concessions that will only serve 
to weaken their position and hurt the peace process.
  Mr. Perez de Cuellar's successor as U.N. Secretary General, Boutros-
Boutros Ghali, in November 1992, diplomatically cited Mr. Denktash's 
unwillingness to compromise. He said, [quote]: ``Certain Turkish 
positions were fundamentally at variance with the U.N. set of ideas.'' 
Even President Bush called then-Turkish Prime Minister Demirel to 
complain about Mr. Denktash. Since then, Secretary-General Boutros-
Ghali has complained about Mr. Denktash's failure to adhere to 
agreements in this matter.
  As I have stated, the confidence-building process is stalled. A U.N. 
document had clearly established that the two measures that were to be 
taken in this process were the opening of the Nicosia International 
Airport and the placement of Varosha under U.N. control.
  Agreement was near. But at the 11th hour the Turkish Cypriots changed 
their position, and now we are once again faced with more delays. It is 
revealing that this latest delay is over a road--the road between the 
U.N. buffer zone and the Turkish-controlled area of Varosha. The 
Turkish Cypriots would want to control that road with either their own 
police or with Turkish troops. That is not what I would call U.N. 
control. It is these positions and these delays which are the biggest 
obstacles on the road to peace and a united Cyprus.
  The shorter term prospects for a solution are clearly at a 
standstill. For the longer term, the basic elements for a solution to 
this problem should be established. While the devil is always in the 
details, two simple principles should stand out.
  First, while paying respect to both communities, it must be 
recognized, as it is throughout the world, that Cyprus is one nation 
and should remain one.
  Second, any solution must include the withdrawal of all Turkish 
troops from the nation of Cyprus. I do not think that is just an end 
worth pursuing, but a condition worth requiring. Until the last boot of 
the last Turkish soldier leaves Cyprus, there won't be peace and there 
won't be justice in Cyprus.
  Finally, we must account for the 1,614 Greek Cypriots and the five 
American citizens missing since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. 
We cannot forget them. We cannot forget their families. This is why I 
have joined as a cosponsor to H.R. 2826, a bill which asks the 
President to investigate the whereabouts of United States citizens and 
others who have been missing from Cyprus since 1974. Today, I was happy 
to join the full House Foreign Affairs Committee in passing this bill, 
thereby making it possible that the measure will be voted on here on 
the House floor.
  Mr. Speaker, a few months ago, I received a letter from the Kassapis 
family of Livonia, MI. The letter was signed by Costas Kassapis, the 
father of Andy Kassapis, one of the five Americans who disappeared in 
Cyprus in 1974. The Kassapis family has lived in anguish since August 
20, 1974, when their son, Andy, was dragged away by Turkish troops 
right in front of his parents, in the village of Ashia. The last they 
heard of Andy was in a message from the Red Cross stating that Andy was 
in Amasia prison in Turkey. As Mr. Kassapis says in his letter, ``Since 
then, nothing.''
  I want to read a quote from that letter. Mr. Kassapis states, and I 
quote: ``I know that you understand the constant suffering that my 
wife, daughters, and I have experienced since that day, nearly 20 years 
ago, when our wonderful son, Andrew, was taken from our arms.'' I know 
that he appreciates our support for his cause, but I also know that no 
piece of paper can substitute for Andy.
  Imagine your son or daughter being snatched before your eyes--and 
then, no more, never to be heard or seen--for over 20 years. Would you 
stand still?
  Tomorrow will mark the 20th year of the division and occupation of 
Cyprus. Cypriots were born in Cyprus and have never returned have been 
denied that opportunity for too long. Twenty years is enough. Now is 
the time for them to be able to return in peace. Now is the time for a 
united Cyprus. I hope that never again will I have to cosponsor a bill 
to find disappeared Americans or Cypriots.
  If we are to stand up for human rights--we must do so whether it is 
friend or foe. Is this resolution timely? Yes, it's very timely. Twenty 
years--two decades--is long enough.
  Thank you very much.
  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with my colleagues to 
deplore the division of Cyprus, and to send a message to the people of 
Cyprus that we remember them and we continue to seek a peaceful and 
equitable reunification of the island.
  It is tragic that Cyprus remains divided and there is no agreement on 
even the most basic confidence building measures which have been 
proposed to ease tensions between the two communities.
  I believe the proposal by President Clerides for a demilitarization 
of the island makes a great deal of sense. Eliminating the troops on 
Cyprus, and devoting the funds saved toward an expanded U.N. 
Peacekeeping Force and bicommunal development projects is a farsighted 
and practical proposal which should greatly benefit all of the 
residents of Cyprus.
  Mr. Speaker, the international community must continue to work to 
find a just and lasting solution to the problems of Cyprus, and I look 
forward to working with my colleagues to further that goal.
  Mr. BARCA of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by commending my 
colleague from Florida, Mike Bilirakis, for organizing this special 
order to commemorate the 20th year of occupation and division of the 
Republic of Cyprus.
  Mr. Speaker, as the administration increases its calls to return the 
democratically elected government to Haiti we must not forget our 
commitment to such endeavors in other regions of the world. In July 
1974 the Government of Turkey invaded the sovereign island of Cyprus. 
As a result over 30 percent of the country was occupied and 200,000 
Greek Cypriots were forcibly expelled from their homes and remain 
refugees. More than 1,500 Greek Cypriots and 5 American citizens are 
still missing and unaccounted for.
  Since this occupation the government in Ankara has done little to 
answer our questions about these missing citizens or to resolve the 
military stalemate that exists today. In fact the Turkish Government 
disregarded international law by establishing the Turkish Republic of 
Northern Cyprus and guaranteeing its independence and territorial 
integrity. They have also transplanted more than 80,000 settlers from 
Turkey to strengthen their hold on this territory.
  In December 1993, the Government of Cyprus attempted to resolve the 
problem by submitting a proposal to the United Nations calling for the 
demilitarization of Cyprus. In exchange for the withdrawal of Turkish 
troops, the Government of Cyprus would disband its National Guard and 
transfer its military equipment to a U.N. Peacekeeping Force. The 
Turkish response was to reject this proposal outright.
  We must continue to support efforts to end this unlawful occupation 
and to discover the whereabouts of our missing citizens. A lasting 
peace can be achieved on the island of Cyprus and this body has an 
obligation to support such efforts by a strong message to Ankara that 
these issues must be resolved.
  Mr. MANTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in this 
important special order marking the 20th anniversary of Turkey's 
invasion of Cyprus. At the outset, I want to thank my colleague Mr. 
Bilirakis for organizing this important special order to commemorate 
this anniversary.
  The division of Cyprus has the distinction of being one of the most 
intractable in the world today. Since Turkey first invaded Cyprus in 
1974, 1,619 people, including 8 Americans last seen alive in the 
occupied areas of Cyprus, have never been accounted for. We must not 
let the passage of years weaken our resolve to pressure the Turkish 
Government to provide answers to the families of the missing. We cannot 
forget their suffering continues
  Mr. Speaker, last year, when marking this solemn anniversary, many of 
us felt hopeful that this conflict would soon be resolved peacefully 
through the auspices of the United Nations. Today, while I applaud the 
efforts of the United Nations to resolve the issue of the continuing 
division of Cyprus, I am very frustrated by Turkish leader Rauf 
Denktash's stubborn resistance to meaningful negotiations. It's not 
just Greek Cypriots and their supporters who think Denktash has been 
unreasonable.
  In December 1993, in an effort to facilitate a peaceful resolution of 
the problem, President Clerides submitted to the United Nations a 
thoughtful and innovative proposal calling for the demilitarization of 
Cyprus. In exchange for the withdrawl of Turkish troops, Cyprus would 
disband its National Guard; transfer the National Guard's military 
equipment to the U.N. Peacekeeping Force; and the money saved from 
defense spending for development projects that would benefit both 
communities. Demilitarization would alleviate the security concerns of 
all parties and substantially enhance the prospects for a peaceful 
resolution of the problem. Once again the Turkish side rejected Cyprus' 
efforts toward ending the tragic unacceptable status quo.
  The United States Government has always supported a just and lasting 
solution to the Cyprus problem. It is important for the Congress to 
continue to firmly support the people of Cyprus by pressing Turkey to 
remove its illegal occupation force and to work constructively for a 
resolution of the problem in accordance with the relevant U.N. 
resolutions and agreements between the two sides. A just and lasting 
solution to the problem will benefit both communities on Cyprus, 
stabilize the often tenuous relationship between Greece and Turkey, as 
well as constitute a significant step toward peace in the unstable 
eastern Mediterranean region.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to commend the Secretary 
General for his tireless efforts to resolve this issue. I also want to 
recognize the Greek Cypriot people for their valliant commitment to 
resolving this conflict, despite the seeming bad faith shown by the 
Turkish side. It is my hope that this will be the last year Members 
must join to discuss the longstanding problems of the people of Cyprus, 
that next year we may join to celebrate the end to this conflict. Until 
that happens, the Turkish Government must know we in the United States 
will continue to mark this anniversary and speak out for rights of the 
missing.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, it has been 20 years since 
35,000 Turkish troops invaded the island nation of Cyprus. Twenty years 
later, justice is still nonexistent for the victims of that invasion.
  Despite persistent international pleas for a peaceful settlement--and 
despite condemnation from the administration, the Congress, and the 
international community--the situation in Cyprus has not improved since 
the invasion 20 years ago.
  There are 5 U.S. citizens listed among the names of over 1,600 people 
who are still missing as a result of the 1974 invasion. The Greek 
community in San Diego and throughout the world have waited long enough 
for information about the whereabouts of their families and friends.
  The Cyprus Government has made serious concessions in its efforts to 
create a genuine federation that guarantees the rights of all citizens 
on that island. Unfortunately, we have not seen equal cooperation from 
the Turkish Government.
  The time has come for a resolution to this 20-year-old crisis. The 
time has come for the Government of Turkey to finally respect the 
sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Cyprus.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleague, 
Representative Michael Bilirakis, in remembering the 20th anniversary 
of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. I wanted to join my colleague in 
this special order to express my hope that a peaceful solution can be 
found to end this sad and difficult situation.
  The eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus had been divided since the 
Turks invaded Cyprus in 1974. United Nations Peacekeeping Forces 
currently patrol a line separating about 170,000 Turkish Cypriots in 
the north and 650,000 Greek Cypriots in the south.
  The status quo is unacceptable. The United Nations has continually 
attempted to facilitate talks between the two sides. Unfortunately, 
Turkish Cypriot Leader Rauf Denktash rejected the latest confidence-
building measures. U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali 
attributed the failure to lack of political will on the Turkish Cypriot 
side. Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides still desires an international 
conference to discuss demilitarization and displacement.
  The international community also recognizes the necessity for action. 
On June 16, 1994, the United States Senate's Appropriations Committee 
approved legislation providing economic aid to Cyprus due to the 
Turkish immobility in negotiations. On July 5, 1994, the Court of 
Justice of the European Communities ruled that import products from the 
occupied area were banned and that all products imported by the 
European Community member-states must have Cyprus Government 
certificates of export.
  Most recently, during its annual meeting, held this year in Vienna, 
the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe [CSCE] discussed 
Turkey's occupation of Cyprus. Referring to the illegal presence of 
Turkish troops on Cypriot soil, the CSCE passed a resolution calling 
for the speedy withdrawal of any country's troops and military 
equipment stationed illegally on, or occupying territory of, another 
CSCE country. The world community must continue to press for a peaceful 
resolution to this international problem.
  The people of Cyprus, both Turkish and Greek, deserve to be free from 
the hostilities which have plagued their island for the last two 
decades. The time has long passed for the Turkish occupation forces to 
be withdrawn. Greek and Turkish Cypriots should be permitted to return 
to their homes and to determine for themselves the future direction of 
Cyprus.
  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, today marks the 20th year of the Turkish 
invasion and subsequent occupation of Cyprus. Under the pretext of 
serving as a protector of Cyprus' independence, Turkey invaded Cyprus 
on July 20, 1974. Sadly, the ensuing occupation has brought 20 years of 
hardship to the island's inhabitants.
  The forced division of the island has generated feelings of mistrust 
and hostility amongst the two Cypriot communities, has undermined the 
independence and sovereignty of the government, and has severely 
hindered Cyprus' economy.
  As a result of the invasion, 200,000 Greek Cypriots were forcibly 
expelled from their homes in the occupied area. These refugees fled to 
the unoccupied part of Cyprus where the Government of Cyprus was forced 
to absorb them into a system which was already economically bankrupt. 
Although Cyprus has undergone a substantial economic recovery since the 
invasion, the economy remains stifled by the division of the island. 
The Government of Cyprus has been forced into taking costly defensive 
measures and Greek Cypriots are unable to access many of the country's 
natural resources in the occupied areas. These resources account for 
about 70 percent of the general stocks of food, agricultural and 
industrial products.
  The most significant impact of the invasion and occupation has been 
its effect on the people of Cyprus. The 200,000 Greek Cypriots expelled 
from their homes remain unable to return, and the families of the 1,619 
missing persons still do not know the whereabouts of their abducted 
relatives.
  In addition, the Turkish Cypriot community has also suffered. The 
economy in the occupied area is entirely dependent on Turkey, and those 
in the area suffer from a low standard of living. In fact, a quarter of 
the 120,000 Turkish Cypriots have emigrated because of the woeful 
conditions in the occupied region.
  The case of Titina Loizidou, a Cypriot citizen, demonstrates the 
anguish that the Turkish invasion and occupation have wrought. In the 
wake of the Turkish invasion, Titina was uprooted from her home in the 
town of Kyrenia, now occupied by Turkish troops. She has not been 
allowed to return since. In March 1989, Turkish police arrested her 
along with other protesters when they marched across the buffer zone in 
Nicosia seeking to return to their property. She is presently seeking 
to bring suit against Turkey in the European Court of Human Rights 
because there has been a persistent violation of her rights to freedom, 
private life, home and assets, as laid down under the European 
Convention on Human Rights.
  I believe that the United States has a moral obligation and duty to 
facilitate an end to the suffering of all Cypriots. I urge the Turks to 
redouble their efforts to reach an agreement that will end the Turkish 
occupation of Cyprus.
  Mr. FAZIO. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the Republic of Cyprus will mark the 
20th year of its occupation and division. And this evening, I once 
again join my colleagues in a special order in recognition of this 
solemn anniversary.
  Thirty-four years ago, the island of Cyprus gained its independence 
from Great Britain. However, for 20 years, the northern part of the 
island has been in the grip of foreign occupation--Turkish troops 
occupy 40 percent of this tiny nation.
  When Turkish troops invaded Cyprus, 200,000 Greek Cypriots were 
driven from their homes, deprived of their possession, and reduced to 
refugee status in their own land. Since the invasion, the island has 
been marked with violence and bloodshed.
  Over the years, the demographic and cultural character of Cyprus has 
been drastically affected by this occupation. Cyprus has come 
dangerously close to losing what little cultural, social, and 
historical identity it struggles to hold on to.
  When the island was originally divided in 1974, Turkish troops also 
seized and removed over 1,600 men, women, and children. Five of these 
``Cyprus disappeared'' were American citizens, and three were relatives 
of American citizens. To this day, their families have no idea whether 
or not they remain in danger. They do not know if they are sick or 
well, dead or alive.
  The Turkish Government has yet to adequately account for any of those 
who disappeared at that time. Although it maintains that all of them 
are dead, it has produced no solid evidence of their status. In the 
meantime, however, families continue to suffer, as they draw their own 
conclusions about what has happened to their loved ones.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, Mr. Bilirakis of Florida, for 
again taking the lead on this issue and calling this special order, 
once more providing Congress with a vehicle for reaffirming our 
commitment--to a negotiated peace on Cyprus, to the reunification of 
this Mediterranean nation, to the end of the human rights abuses that 
are plaguing its people, and to the missing on Cyprus and their 
families.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in commemorating 
the 20th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Twenty years 
ago today Turkish troops attacked the northern shore of Cyprus and 
fought on to the capital city of Nicosia. When the invasion ended, 
4,000 Greek Cypriot troops were dead, 200,000 Greek Cypriots were made 
refugees in their own homeland, and 1,619 people were missing, 
including 5 Americans. The invasion was in direct violation of 
international law and was strongly condemned by the United Nations and 
the international community.
  Despite 20 years of efforts to reunite Cyprus, the country remains 
divided. Two-hundred thousand Greek Cypriots are still unable to return 
to their homes and the fate of the 1,619 missing remains a mystery. The 
status quo on Cyprus is enforced by the presence of 35,000 Turkish 
troops. Despite U.N. efforts to persuade Turkey to withdraw its troops 
and respect the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of 
the island, the situation on Cyprus remains stagnant.
  The Government of Cyprus is committed to a negotiated settlement and 
is prepared to go to great lengths to protect the rights of the 
minority Turkish Cypriot population once the island is reunified. For 
example, in 1992, the Government of Cyprus accepted a U.N. proposed map 
of the island which would have allocated 28.2 percent of the island to 
the Turkish Cypriots, despite the fact that they constitute only 18 
percent of the total population. The area allotted to the Turkish side 
also included 50 percent of the coast of Cyprus, obviously an important 
asset on a Mediterranean island.
  More recently, the Greek Cypriot Government agreed to the March 21, 
1994 U.N. proposed set of confidence-building measures [CBM's], 
intended as a first step to facilitate the political process toward an 
overall Cyprus settlement. President Glafcos Clerides accepted the 
CBM's even though they were politically unpopular with the Greek 
Cypriot community. Mr. Rauf Denktash, the leader of the Turkish Cypriot 
community and head of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern 
Cyprus--which is not recognized by any other country except for 
Turkey--rejected the proposal despite the fact that the U.N. Secretary 
General has described the CBM's as ``a set of eminently reasonable and 
fair proposals that would bring substantial and tangible benefits to 
[the Turkish Cypriot] community without in any way compromising its 
security or its basic political positions.''
  The main impediment to a resolution of the Cyprus problem is that 
Turkey lacks the political will to settle the Cyprus dispute. Still, we 
must make every effort to overcome the lack of Turkish political will 
and strive to reach an agreement based on the relevant U.N. 
resolutions. A positive first step in this direction would be the 
demilitarization of the island. Demilitarization must be considered 
because as long as a Turkish Occupation Force exists in Cyprus, 
tensions are high and it will be increasingly difficult to find a 
viable solution. Thus, the communities will live as enemies. In 
December, 1993, President Clerides had submitted an innovative proposal 
for the demilitarization of Cyprus that if implemented, would ease the 
feelings of mistrust between the parties and facilitate an overall 
agreement to the problem.
  I commend President Clerides for his bold initiative and hope that 
all of the people in Cyprus will soon be able to move freely about 
their country in peace. Twenty years of division and occupation without 
democracy, basic human rights, social justices, or rule of law is too 
long and can no longer be tolerated.
  Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in 
commemorating the 20th anniversary of the occupation and division of 
Cyprus. At a time when the world is undergoing dramatic change and many 
longstanding international conflicts are being resolved, it is with 
deep regret that we report that very little progress has been achieved 
in Cyprus.
  On July 20, 1974, Turkey launched its invasion of Cyprus. Since the 
invasion, 37 percent of Cyprus remains under military occupation of 
35,000 Turkish troops, and Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, remains a 
divided city.
  Despite repeated and persistent calls by the international community, 
Turkish troops remain in Cyprus. The United Nations has repeatedly 
condemned the military occupation of Cyprus and has called on the 
immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops. The U.N. Security Council has 
also repeatedly reaffirmed the right of the forcibly displaced Greek 
Cypriots to return to their homes and called for an account of the fate 
of the 1,619 missing persons in Cyprus. Despite numerous efforts by the 
United Nations to bring about a peaceful settlement, negotiations 
remain at a stalemate.
  Congress has always supported a just and lasting solution to the 
Cyprus conflict, and it must continue to press all parties to work 
constructively for a resolution in accordance with U.N. resolutions and 
agreements between the two sides. A positive step in this direction 
would be the demilitarization of the island--an initiative that has 
been proposed by President Clerides of Cyprus. This proposal, combined 
with renewed negotiations, would benefit both communities on Cyprus, 
stabilize the often tenuous relationship between Greece and Turkey and 
would be a significant step toward peace in the volatile eastern 
Mediterranean region.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope our efforts here tonight will serve as a catalyst 
for renewed peace talks. Cypriots, both Greek and Turkish, deserve to 
be free of the hostilities that have plagued their land for 20 years. 
They must know that the United States Congress is with them in their 
struggle for the reunification of Cyprus. They must also know that, 
despite the tremendous progress in places like the Middle East and 
South Africa, the conflict in Cyprus has not been forgotten.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of today's Special 
Order marking the 20th Anniversary of Turkey's invasion of Cyprus. This 
is an important opportunity for Members of Congress to reaffirm their 
commitment to fostering peace in this troubled region.
  Twenty years after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, this island 
remains tragically divided and under occupation. Thousands of Turkish 
troops continue to occupy a large portion of the island and thousands 
of Cypriots have been separated from their homes and property. Despite 
the changes that have dramatically transformed the European map during 
the past few years, Cyprus remains not only divided, but in a state of 
potentially dangerous conflict.
  As peace talks in the Middle East continue to surge forward, the time 
is ripe for some type of resolution of the Cyprus problem as well. A 
peaceful resolution of this crisis would improve prospects for peace in 
the Mediterranean and for the entire European Community.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States must make a concerted effort to bring 
the Cyprus issue to the forefront of foreign policy concerns, encourage 
and participate in a conference between all legitimate parties, and 
most importantly, bring peace and democracy to the people of Cyprus.
  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, July 20, 1994 marks the 20th year that the 
Republic of Cyprus has been divided and occupied. A direct consequence 
of that invasion and occupation is that the whereabouts of almost 2,000 
people are still unknown.
  We understand that these individuals were arrested by Turkish 
military personnel during the invasion and subsequent occupation, and 
there is evidence that these individuals are being detained by the 
government of Turkey.
  This anniversary presents us with the opportunity to persist in 
working with the United Nations negotiating team, to support their 
continuing efforts to bring Mr. Glafcos Clerides, President of the 
Republic of Cyprus, and Mr. Rauf Denktash, Turkish Cypriot leader, 
closer to agreement.
  I am honored to join with my colleagues in calling upon the President 
to renew support of United Nations efforts to resolve the issues of 
territorial control in Cyprus and to gain the release of the 1,619 
innocent people who are still being held.
  Mr. LEVY. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that we commemorate July 20, 
1994 as the 20th anniversary of the invasion and division of the 
island-nation of Cyprus.
  Today, Greek-Cypriots remember the events of the summer of 1974 when 
Cyprus was invaded and forcibly divided by the Armed Forces of Turkey. 
This Turkish zone of occupation declared its unilateral independence in 
1983, an act deemed illegal by the United Nations and subsequently 
condemned and denounced by the United States.
  Since the time of the invasion, Turkey has been less than forthcoming 
about the whereabouts of more than 1,614 Greek-Cypriots who are still 
missing. No less significant is the fact that five United States 
citizens are among those still missing, some 20 years after the 
occupation of Cyprus by Turkish troops.
  The Government of Cyprus has made numerous attempts to reach 
agreement on a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem. Working 
in accordance with the United Nations' guidelines and relevant U.N. 
resolutions, the Government of Cyprus has attempted to engage Turkey 
and the Turkish community of Cyprus to reach a settlement. The Turkish 
side has repeatedly rejected Cyprus' efforts to end the tragic and 
unacceptable status quo, including the recent demilitarization proposal 
put forth by the President of Cyprus. This is unfortunate as this 
proposal should be the basis for a just and lasting solution.
  Mr. Speaker, it is fitting that today we remember the events of 20 
years ago. That we remember those innocents who lost their lives. That 
we remember those American citizens and Greek-Cypriots who are missing 
to this day; and it is only fitting that we continue to work toward a 
lasting solution.
  The people of Cyprus have suffered long enough.
  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. Speaker, it is regrettable that while freedom and 
democracy are spreading throughout the world, the island of Cyprus 
remains divided and under military occupation. It is lamentable that 
despite the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and despite the end of 
apartheid in South Africa, Cypriots are unable to cross over the green 
line that divides the island. Twenty years after the invasion, 200,000 
Greek Cypriots refugees are still unable to return to their homes and 
the 1,619 missing persons, including five Americans, taken by Turkish 
troops during the invasion are still unaccounted for.
  However, there is reason to be hopeful that this tragic situation 
will soon be remedied. In December 1993 Cyprus President Glafcos 
Clerides submitted to the United Nations a thoughtful proposal for the 
demilitarization of Cyprus. If implemented, demilitarization will help 
alleviate the tension between the communities.
  I commend the Cyprus Government for the generous steps it offers to 
take in exchange for the withdrawal of Turkish troops, such as the 
disbanding of the Cypriot National Guard, the transfer of the national 
guard's equipment to the U.N. Peace Keeping Force, and the use of money 
saved from defense expenditures for development of both communities.
  I am hopeful that this tragic conflict will soon end and that the two 
communities will be reunited in peace. I urge the international 
community to make the demilitarization of Cyprus a top priority.
  Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow will mark the 20th 
anniversary of Turkey's invasion of the peaceful, self-governing island 
of Cyprus. In the two decades since this horrible deed, Turkey has 
pursued a relentless policy of demographic reorganization of Cyprus. It 
has taken over 37 percent of the island, moving 200,000 Greek Cypiots 
from their homes and installing 80,000 illegal colonists and 35,000 
heavily armed troops. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in 
sending the message to Turkey and the other nations of the world that 
America will never relent in correcting injustices like this one. I 
encourage my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 3475, legislation I have 
introduced that would deny American aid to Turkey as long as that 
nation exercises tyranny over its neighbor. As long as it takes for 
Turkey to withdraw from a land that is not theirs, Congress and the 
world will denounce their illegal occupation and the notion that 
strength of arms alone can deny a people their legitimate right to 
self-determination.
  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in this special 
order today to call attention to the 20th anniversary of the illegal 
Turkish invasion and occupation of the Republic of Cyprus. I would also 
like to acknowledge the efforts of Rev. Evagoras C. Constantinides, 
Rev. Peter Georgacakes, and Rev. Constantine Aliferakis. These three 
men have worked tirelessly to promote public awareness of the Cyprus 
problem in northwest Indian and keep me advised of developments in the 
situation.
  In July 1974 the Turkish invasion of Cyprus resulted in the illegal 
occupation of 37 percent of the country by an estimated 35,000 Turkish 
troops. Nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots, who were forcibly expelled from 
their homes in a blatant instance of ethnic cleansing, remain refugees. 
Furthermore, 1,614 Greek Cypriots and 5 American citizens are still 
missing and unaccounted for.
  I have joined more than 180 of my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives in sponsoring legislation that would require the 
President to conduct a thorough investigation of the whereabouts of the 
United States citizens and others who have been missing from Cyprus 
since 1974. It is my strong belief that it is time to bring this tragic 
chapter of Cyprus' history to a close.
  Since the time of the invasion, the United Nations has adopted 
several resolutions condemning the situation in Cyprus as unacceptable. 
In these resolutions, the U.N. has called for the withdrawal of foreign 
forces from Cyprus, the return of refugees, verification of the fate of 
the missing, and respect for the human rights of all Cypriots.
  However, pleas from the international community for Turkey to resolve 
the Cyprus problem have fallen upon deaf ears. In fact, Turkey has 
obstructed the progress of peaceful resolution by actively maintaining 
a military presence on Cyprus and working to change the demographics of 
the island by transporting more than 80,000 Turkish colonist-settlers 
to the occupied area. To date, Turkey maintains the unsubstantiated 
claim that the area of Cyprus under Turkish control is an independent 
state. No other country in the world recognizes the so-called Turkish 
Republic of Northern Cyprus.
  On the other hand, the government of Cyprus has been extremely 
cooperative in efforts to end the two-decade-old division of this 
island. In 1993, the Cyprus Government submitted to the United Nations. 
a proposal calling for the demilitarization of Cyprus. In addition, the 
government of Cyprus endorsed U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-
Ghali's efforts to implement a package of confidence building measures 
intended to be a first step to facilitate the political process toward 
an overall Cyprus settlement.
  President Clinton and the United States Congress have shown their 
strong support for ending the tragic Cyprus conflict. The international 
community, including the government of Cyprus, concur with this 
conviction. It is time for the division to end--time for the people of 
Cyprus to live a peaceful existence--time for the families of the 
missing to have their questions answered. In short, it is time for the 
Turkish Government to cease their illegal occupation of Cyprus.
  In closing, I would like to commend my colleague, Michael Bilirakis 
for his leadership on this issue and for convening this special order 
today. It is my sincere hope that on the 21st anniversary of the 
Turkish occupation of Cyprus, we will gather together to celebrate a 
peaceful resolution, rather than lament another year of oppression.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman and commend him for 
organizing this special order, and for all his work on the problems in 
Cyprus over the years. In the past few years we have witnessed great 
advances for peace and justice throughout the world. The end of the 
cold war, the triumph of democracy in South Africa, and the movement 
toward peace in the Middle East have been beacons of hope for us all.
  In the light of these advances, the situation in Cyprus is all the 
more tragic for that island remains divided by the shackles of 
occupation and oppression. Tomorrow we commemorate the 1974 Turkish 
invasion and occupation of 37 percent of Cyprus. That invasion and the 
continued presence of 35,000 Turkish troops represents a gross 
violation of human rights and international law.
  Nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots were expelled from their homes in a 
blatant example of ethnic cleansing. They have not been allowed to 
return to their homes. Their property has been confiscated and the 
Turkish Government has transferred 80,000 of its own citizens to the 
occupied areas in a blatant effort at colonialization.
  The brutality of these crimes is made worse by the fact that they 
have been underwritten by this country--Turkey has received billions of 
United States foreign assistance over the years. During the invasion, 
1,614 Greek Cypriots and 5 Americans were seized by Turkish troops. 
They remain unaccounted for to this day.
  The Turkish Government has been deaf to U.N. resolutions, resolutions 
of this Congress, and the pleas of family members separated from loved 
ones for 20 years. They continue to refuse to account for the fate of 
the missing.
  Included among the missing are the friends and relatives of many of 
my constituents from Astoria, NY. For 20 years they have been waiting, 
hoping, and praying. Their pain deserves to be relieved. Turkey must 
account for the missing.
  My colleagues Eliot Engel and John Porter have introduced a 
resolution calling for a Presidential investigation into the missing 
has galvanized this Congress into cosponsoring their resolution--which 
has the support of 43 Senators and 184 Representatives. This bill was 
reported out of the Foreign Affairs Committee just today and is 
expected to come to the floor next week. At the very least, human 
decency demands that this measure is passed by the 103d Congress.
  Though the issue of the missing is the most blatant example of 
Turkish intransigence, there are of course other issues which must be 
addressed. Our NATO ally, Turkey, continues to defy the will of the 
international community by ignoring the numerous U.N. resolutions on 
the Cyprus problem which call for the withdrawal of Turkish forces from 
Cyprus and grant the most basic rights to Greek Cypriots, including the 
return of refugees to their homes.
  Turkish troops continue to sustain the illegal occupation of Cyprus. 
Turkey also continues to encourage the stonewalling tactics of the 
Turkish Cypriot leader Denktash in U.N. negotiations over the fate of 
the island. The latest disappointment is the failure of the U.N.-
sponsored talks on confidence building measures, intended as the first 
step toward an overall political settlement. The Turkish Cypriot side 
has rejected these proposals, which were fully accepted by the Greek 
Cypriot President Clerides at great policitcal risk many months ago. I 
commend President Clerides for that courageous act.
  Secretary General Boutros Ghali proposed several very reasonable 
confidence building measures concerning the town of Varosha and the 
Nicosia International Airport. The intransigence of the Turkish side in 
there refusal to accept these proposals is a matter of great concern to 
all of us.
  The Secretary General has concluded, and I quote: ``For the present, 
the Security Council finds itself with an already familiar scenario: 
the absence of agreement due essential to a lack of political will on 
the Turkish Cypriot side.'' That is unusually blunt language for a 
diplomat and represents the degree of frustration felt by the 
international community. I would suggest that the time has come to 
compel the Turkish side to see reason.
  That is why I introduced House Concurrent Resolution 186 last 
November. My legislation recognizes the positive role that Turkey could 
play in the talks, if it were so inclined. Unfortunately, to date there 
seems to be no such inclination. My resolution also recognizes that 
economic sanctions, under chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, may be the 
best means of influencing the Turkish Cypriots.
  The Turkish side has also rejected President Clerides proposal for a 
total demilitarization of the island, which would ease tensions between 
the communities and allow the money saved on defense to be used for 
economic development. The removal of Turkish troops from Cyprus would 
greatly enhance the prospects for peace on the island.
  Mr. Speaker, I was privileged to be able to visit Cyprus last summer 
and to witness first-hand the continuing tragedy of the 1974 Turkish 
invasion. You don't have to be a native Cypriot to feel outrage and 
pain that parts of Cyprus have been occupied for 20 years. You don't 
have to be a native Cypriot to feel kinship with the fathers and 
mothers and sisters and brothers of those missing and unaccounted for 
for 20 years.
  We must not let the world forget this tragedy. We must not turn our 
backs on the people of Cyprus. We must press the Turkish Cypriot 
leadership, and their supporters in Ankara, to release or account for 
the 1,619 missing persons. They must restore the churches that have 
been converted to mosques. They must withdraw the occupying troops from 
Cyprus and put an end to their policy of ethnic cleansing through 
explusion and colonization.
  We in the United States must stand ready to assist the Greek Cypriots 
in their 20-year struggle for lasting peace and justice on Cyprus.
  Mr. ZELIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark the 20th anniversary of the 
invasion, occupation, and subsequent division of Cyprus. I also offer a 
prayer that we may finally resolve what has become known as the Cyprus 
problem, that the latest round of United Nations peace talks succeed 
where previous ones have failed, and that we do not have to repeat this 
ritual next year.
  The facts surrounding this situation are familiar, but nonetheless 
grim. On July 20, 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, defeated Greek Cypriot 
forces and occupied the northern third of the island. More than 200,000 
Greek Cypriots fled to the south; 1,600 Greek Cypriots and 5 Americans 
are still unaccounted for. Businesses were lost, land and property were 
confiscated, friends and family were separated.
  The ensuing 20 years have only deepened the mistrust and hatred 
across the green line--the infamous border between the Republic of 
Cyprus and the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. 
Thirty-five thousand Turkish troops still occupy the northern one-third 
of the island. Eighty thousand Turkish settlers have taken up residence 
on Cyprus, some on lands previously inhabited by Greek Cypriots.
  The United States has always supported a just and permanent solution 
to the Cyprus problem, and we must continue these efforts. We should 
demand answers to unanswered questions, and accountability from those 
who have committed crimes with impunity.
  Toward this end, I have cosponsored H.R. 2826, which directs the 
President to: First, investigate and report to the Congress on the 
whereabouts of United States citizens and others who have been missing 
from Cyprus since 1974; and second, do everything possible to return 
such persons--including the remains of those no longer alive--to their 
families.
  The latest bid at peace, and perhaps the one with the greatest chance 
of success, has been a U.N.-backed package of confidence-building 
measures [CBM's]. These measures include reopening both the resort town 
of Varosha and Nicosia Airport under international control.
  The strength of these measure is that they recognize the enormous 
difficulties facing any peace plan. The CBM's seek to maximize the 
positive economic impact to both Turkish and Greek Cypriots while 
limiting the actual contact--and therefore the chances of potentially 
violent conflict--between the two communities.
  The CBM's would only be the first step, but a very important first 
step, in ending the current stalemate. I am pleased that the Republic 
of Cyprus has accepted the CBM's, but dismayed that the Turkish 
Cypriots have resisted. The international community should continue to 
urge the Turkish Cypriots to accept the CBM's and resume a meaningful 
peace process.
  Twenty years of occupation, and of struggle, should come to an end. 
The people of Cyprus--Greek and Turk--proved at one time that they 
could put aside ethnic differences and live peacefully under one 
government. Let us keep focused and not give up hope that this may one 
day occur again.

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