[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 20, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1818]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               SUPPORTING A DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN CYPRUS

                                 ______


                          HON. DAVID E. BONIOR

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 20, 1995
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 42, a resolution calling for the demilitarization of Cyprus.
  On July 20, 1974, Turkish troops invaded Cyprus and began a military 
occupation. Today, 35,000 Turkish troops still remain on Cyprus. They 
occupy one-third of the island. In a chilling reminder of the Berlin 
Wall, a barbed wire fence known as the Green Line cuts across Cyprus, 
separating thousands of Greek Cypriots from the towns and communities 
in which their families have lived for generations.
  As a result of the invasion 21 years ago, thousands of people were 
killed, more than 200,000 people were expelled from their homes, and 
today, more than 1,600 remain missing--including 5 Americans.
  Instead of helping us to locate the missing and enter negotiations 
aimed toward unity and freedom for Cypriots, Turkey today continues to 
keep troops on the island.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution calls for the troops to be withdrawn 
from Cyprus and urges compliance with United Nations resolutions on the 
issue, which Turkey has thus far refused to do. I am proud to join many 
of my colleagues as a cosponsor of the resolution and applaud its 
passage.
  Over the past few years, we have witnessed tremendous changes around 
the world--the fall of the Berlin Wall, the beginning of reconciliation 
in the Middle East, and the end of apartheid. It is my sincere hope 
that soon we will be able to add Cyprus to that list of places where 
peace and freedom have triumphed.


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