[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 20, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    27TH ANNIVERSARY OF TURKEY'S INVASION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS

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                        HON. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 20, 2001

  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, on July 20th 2001, we will mark the 27th 
anniversary of Turkey's invasion of the Sovereign State of Cyprus. On 
this date in 1974, Turkish troops began a campaign to forcibly evict 
nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots from their homes located in the northern 
part of the island of Cyprus. After twenty-seven years, Greek Cypriots 
are still prohibited from returning to their homes and remain refugees 
within their own country.
  Nearly 1,000 women were raped, their ages vary from 12 to 78, while 
over 6,000 Greek Cypriots were massacred, many of them tortured to 
death. Over 1,600 men, women and children who vanished during the 
invasion have not been accounted for, and the Turkish government 
continues to refuse to provide information as to their whereabouts.
  Despite these heinous crimes, Turkey continues to relocate some 
80,000 Turkish citizens to Northern Cyprus, thus changing the 
demographic structure in the north. Many of these Turkish citizens 
occupy homes and estates once belonging to Greek Cypriots who were 
evicted during the invasion. Additionally, historical institutions of 
religious and cultural heritage have been willfully pillaged and 
destroyed.
  Tragically, there are only 500 Greek Cypriots still living in the 
occupied area, and even those few families are subject to constant and 
systematic campaigns of harassment and intimidation. They are forbidden 
to attend school or work, denied medical assistance and cannot visit 
their families living in the Republic of Cyprus. This blatant violation 
of international law and basic human rights must not be tolerated.
  In 1983, Turkey encouraged a ``unilateral declaration of 
independence'' by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The 
United Nations Security Council as well as our government condemned 
this declaration. To date the TRNC is not officially recognized as a 
sovereign State by any country except for Turkey.
  Mr. Speaker, since that time, the international community has made 
some progress on this issue. In June of 1999, the European Commission 
of Human Rights found Turkey responsible for continuing to violate 
several provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights, 
including not accounting for missing persons, limiting the living 
conditions of the enslaved, and failing to protect the properties of 
the displaced persons.
  The recent decision of the European Parliament (EP) to approve a 
report delivered by Jaques Poos, the former Foreign Minister of 
Luxembourg and the Cyprus Rapporteur of the EP Foreign Relations 
Commission, has rattled Turkey and the Denktash regime. The decision 
accused the illegal TRNC regime and Turkey of a lack of progress in 
efforts to find a solution on the island. In addition to insisting that 
the Turkish occupation forces withdraw from the island, the report 
defended the Greek Cypriot's position that would allow for its 
membership in the European Union, before a settlement of the Cyprus 
issue.
  Mr. Denktash and his government at present are experiencing some 
difficulties of their own. Faced with collapsing banks, unemployment, 
inflation and devalued wages--the situation could be ready for change.
  Mr. Speaker, I reiterate my argument from last year that the 
continued occupation of Northern Cyprus is clearly an affront to over 
90 United Nations and Security Council resolutions calling on Turkey to 
withdraw its forces and return refugees to their homes and for Turkey 
to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and 
unity of the Republic of Cyprus. This is an insult to the United States 
and the global community which has worked tirelessly to unify Greek and 
Turkish Cypriots in a peaceful manner.
  I hope that the United States and the international community will 
continue to advocate for a peaceful solution to this conflict that has 
torn Cyprus apart and caused 27 years of suffering for thousands of 
innocent people.

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