[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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