[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 154 (Thursday, November 6, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11881-S11882]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 65--RELATIVE TO THE ENCLAVED PEOPLE OF 
                                 CYPRUS

  Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Ms. Mikulski) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 65

       Whereas respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights 
     is a cornerstone of United States foreign policy;
       Whereas the enclaved people of Cyprus, those Greek-Cypriots 
     and Maronites living in the Karpas peninsula, are subject to 
     restrictions of freedom and human rights;
       Whereas the representatives of the two communities in 
     Cyprus, who met in Vienna in August, 1975 under the auspices 
     of the United Nations Secretary General, reached an agreement 
     known as the Vienna three agreement, which, inter-alia, 
     states that, ``Greek-Cypriots in the North of the island [of 
     Cyprus] are free to stay and they will be given every help to 
     lead a normal life, including facilities for education and 
     for the practice of their religion, as well as medical care 
     by their own doctors and freedom of movement in the North . . 
     . [and] the United Nations will have free and normal access 
     to Greek-Cypriot villages and habitations in the North;''
       Whereas they key elements of this agreement have not been 
     implemented and, in fact, severe restrictions have been 
     placed on the daily lives of the enclaved people of Cyprus;
       Whereas the United Nations Secretary General in his 
     December 10, 1995 report on the U.N. operations in Cyprus 
     sets out the recommendations contained in UNFICYP's [the 
     United Nations Forces in Cyprus] humanitarian review, as 
     endorsed by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1032 {95}, 
     regarding the restrictions on the freedoms and human rights 
     of the enclaved people of Cyprus, that:
       (a) ``The constant presence of the Turkish-Cypriot police 
     in the daily lives of the Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be 
     ended;''
       (b) ``Karpas Greek-Cypriots and their visitors should be 
     allowed to travel between and Karpas and the buffer zone 
     crossing point in their own vehicles or in regular public 
     transportation without police escort;''
       (c) ``All restrictions on land travel within the northern 
     part of Cyprus should be lifted;''
       (d) ``Unrestricted availability of private telephones 
     should be permitted when they become generally available and 
     the Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be permitted to make private 
     telephone calls from locations in the Karpas other than 
     police stations without the presence of any official or other 
     person;''
       (e) ``Restrictions on hand-carried mail and newspapers 
     should be lifted;''
       (f) ``Secondary schooling for Greek-Cypriots should be 
     facilitated in the Karpas, and teachers and school supplies 
     for the Greek-Cypriots should be allowed to be provided from 
     the south without hindrances;''
       (g) ``All Karpas Greek-Cypriot students attending secondary 
     schools or third-level institutions in the south should be 
     allowed to return to their homes on weekends and holidays;''
       (H) ``Access to and religious sue of the monastery at 
     Apostolos Andreas and the church there by the Greek-Cypriots 
     of the Karpas peninsul and their clergy should be 
     unrestricted;''
       (i) ``Provision of funds from outside the northern areas 
     should be permitted for the renovation and maintenance of 
     Greek-Cypriot schools and churches in the Karpas area;''
       (j) ``Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be permitted visits by 
     Greek-Cypriot doctors and medical staff;''
       (k) ``There should be no hindrance at any time to children 
     of Karpas Greek-Cypriots returning to their family homes 
     without formality;''
       (l) ``Karpas Greek-Cypriots should be allowed visits from 
     close relatives who normally reside outside the northern part 
     of Cyprus;''
       (m) ``Karpas Creek-Cypriots should be allowed to bequeath 
     fixed property in Karpas to their next of kin and in the 
     event that such beneficiaries normally reside outside the 
     northern part of the island, they should be allowed to visit 
     bequeathed properties without hindrance or formality;''
       (n) ``Restrictions on UNFICYP's freedom of movement to and 
     from as well as within the Karpas area should be lifted;''
       (o) ``Restrictions on the discharge by UNFICYP of its 
     humanitarian and other functions with regard to Karpas Greek-
     Cypriots should be lifted and liaison posts should be 
     established where the greatest number of Greek-Cypriots live 
     in the north at the villages of Rizokarpaso and Ayias Trias. 
     (The sole remaining permanent UNFICYP presence in the Karpas, 
     a small liaison post, remains confined, with no freedom of 
     movement, in the village of Leonarisso, where only 9 Greek-
     Cypriots still reside.);'' and
       (p) ``All restrictions preventing offshore fishing by the 
     Creek-Cypriots of the Karpas should be lifted;''
       Whereas other restrictions on the freedom and human rights 
     of the enclaved include:
       (a) A requirement that enclaved males aged 18 to 50 report 
     once a week to those in control;
       (b) Harassment, beating, rape, and murder without 
     investigation; and
       (c) Lake of compensation for work performed;
       Whereas U.N. Security Council Resolution 1062 (96), inter-
     alia, expressed regret that ``the Turkish-Cypriot side has 
     not responded more fully to the recommendations made by 
     UNFICYP and calls upon the Turkish-Cypriot side to respect 
     more fully the basic freedoms of the Creek-Cypriots and 
     Maronites living in the northern part of the island and to 
     intensify its efforts to improve their daily lives;'' and
       Whereas on July 31, 1997 Cyprus President Clafcos Clerides 
     and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash agreed to further 
     address this issue along with other humanitarian issues: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) strongly urges the President to undertake efforts to 
     end restrictions on the freedoms and human rights of the 
     enclaved people of Cyprus; and

[[Page S11882]]

       (2) shall remain actively interested in the matter until 
     the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the enclaved 
     people of Cyprus are restored, respected, and safeguarded.

  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, today I, along with my distinguished 
colleague from Maryland, Senator Mikulski, am submitting this 
concurrent resolution which calls for a United States effort to end the 
restrictions on the freedoms and violations of the human rights of the 
enclaved people in the occupied portion of Cyprus. A little over 2 
years ago, Senator Mikulski and I had introduced a bill to address 
these very same concerns which, unfortunately, are still with us.
  Mr. President, I am aware that developments on Cyprus are not known 
to most Americans. Yet if I were to tell them that a small nation has 
had part of its land illegally occupied by a neighboring state for over 
23 years, I know they would be both shocked and outraged. The 23 years 
since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus have seen the end of the cold 
war, the collapse of the USSR, free elections in South Africa and a 
reunited Germany, yet while the line through the heart of Berlin is 
gone, the line through the heart of Cyprus remains.
  Over two decades ago, Turkey's brutal invasion drove more than 
200,000 Cypriots from their homes. Turkey still controls about one-
third of the island of Cyprus and maintains about 30,000 troops there. 
However, there remains, in northern Cyprus, a small remnant of 497 
enclaved Greek-Cypriots. The reason they are referred to as the 
enclaved of Cyprus is that during the fighting in 1974 they mostly 
resided in remote enclaves and therefore were not able to flee the 
fighting and thus were not immediately expelled. Nevertheless the 
enclaved people of Cyprus have still seen their numbers reduced from 
11,300 in 1974 to the 497 there are today.
  Mr. President, I am hopeful that with the appointment of Ambassador 
Richard Holbrooke as the Special Presidential Envoy for Cyprus that a 
long-overdue settlement will finally be reached. However, I believe 
that this resolution is nevertheless important in serving to bring to 
the attention of the American people and the world community, the 
hardships and restrictions endured by these enclaved individuals.
  In 1975, representatives of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities 
agreed that the Greek-Cypriots in the northern part of the island were 
to be given every help to lead a normal life. Twenty-two years later 
this is still not the case.
  The presence of the Turkish-Cypriot police in the lives of the 
enclaved Greek-Cypriots is constant, and there are restrictions on land 
travel. Other human rights restrictions and deprivations include:
  Restrictions on private telephones;
  Restrictions on hand-carried mail and newspapers;
  Difficulties in receiving full educational opportunities;
  Restricted access to and religious use of the monastery at Apostolos 
Andreas;
  A requirement that enclaved males aged 18-50 must report once a week 
to those in control; and
  A lack of investigation with regard to harassment, beating, rape and 
murder.
  Mr. President, this situation calls out for justice. By bringing 
these human rights violations to the attention of the American people, 
it is my hope and that of Senator Mikulski, that we can bring the 
plight of these people to the World's attention. Our resolution urges 
the President to undertake efforts to end the restrictions on the 
freedoms and human rights of the enclaved people. I will remain 
actively involved in this issue until their rights and freedoms are 
restored.
  This is the least we can do for these people. That is why I wish 
Ambassador Holbrooke the best of success in his efforts to achieve a 
settlement. While this resolution addresses the plight of the enclaved 
people of Cyprus, work must not cease on efforts to bring about a 
withdrawal of Turkish forces and a restorations of Cyprus' sovereignty 
over the entire island with the full respect of the rights of all 
Cypriots.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I am proud to join Senator Snowe in 
submitting the Enclaved People of Cyprus concurrent resolution. This 
legislation puts the Congress on record in support of human rights and 
freedom for all the people of Cyprus.
  In 1974 Turkish troops invaded Cyprus and divided the island. For 23 
years, the people of Cyprus have lived under an immoral and illegal 
occupation. The enclaved people in the northern part of the island have 
suffered most. Their travel is restricted. They may not attend the 
school of their choice. Their access to their religious sites is 
restricted. They are often harassed and discriminated against.
  The United Nations and the European Union have documented these human 
rights abuses and have called on the Turkish Cypriots to respect the 
basic freedoms of the Greek-Cypriots and Maronites living in the 
northern part of the island.
  Our foreign policy must reflect our values. The legislation we are 
introducing calls for an end to the restrictions on the freedoms of the 
enclaved people in the occupied part of Cyprus. It states that Congress 
will remain active until the human rights and fundamental freedoms of 
the enclaved people of Cyprus are restored, respected and safeguarded.
  Mr. President, I am hopeful that this year we will bring peace to 
Cyprus. But our efforts to improve human rights on the island cannot 
wait. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

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