[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 112 (Friday, July 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE 29TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TURKISH OCCUPATION OF 
                                 CYPRUS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 25, 2003

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 29th 
anniversary of the Turkish invasion and occupation of northern Cyprus. 
On July 20, 1974, Turkey invade Cyprus and Turkish forces occupied more 
than one-third of the island nation, in clear violation of 
international law.
  Today, thousands of Turkish soldiers, armed with the latest weapons, 
are stationed in the occupied area, making it one of the most 
militarized regions in the world.
  Eighty-five thousand Turks have been brought over from Turkey to 
colonize the occupied area with the aim of changing the demography of 
the island and controlling the political situation. The Greek Cypriot 
community that remains enclaved within the occupied villages continues 
to live under conditions of oppression, harassment, and deprivation. 
For 29 years, divided by a 113-mile barbed wire fence that runs across 
the island, Greek Cypriots were prohibited from visiting the northern 
Turkish-occupied towns and communities where their families had lived 
for generations.
  Since 1974, the United Nations has been trying to encourage a 
solution to the Cyprus problem. U.N. Secretary Kofi Annan has sponsored 
proximity talks between the President of Cyprus, Glafcos Clerides, and 
Rauf Denktash, the self-proclaimed leader of the occupied area. 
Unfortunately, those talks were suspended due to Denktash's abrupt 
departure from the negotiating table.
  In January 2002, U.N.-sponsored direct negotiations between the Greek 
and Turkish sides finally resumed. Later that year, Secretary-General 
Annan presented a comprehensive new plan aimed at reunifying Cyprus. 
Unfortunately, unlike the Government of Cyprus, which promptly accepted 
the Annan Plan as a basis for negotiations, the Turkish side rejected 
the plan. Furthermore, the newly elected Cypriot President, Tassos 
Papadopoulos, accepted Annan's proposal to submit the U.N. proposal to 
a referendum. Denktash, however, rejected a referendum, thereby denying 
the people in the occupied areas a chance to determine their future.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States has a national interest in fostering 
peace and stability in the eastern Mediterranean region. We as a nation 
cannot continue to pretend our NATO partner is not in clear violation 
of international law for its continued illegal occupation of its 
neighbor.
  We in the United States pride ourselves for our respect for 
fundamental freedoms. Human rights norms are the cornerstone of U.S. 
foreign policy. The war on terrorism and our efforts to restore 
democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq are centered on those principles. As 
we lead international efforts to rout out terrorists and dictators that 
usurp fundamental principles of justice and human rights, we should 
remain committed to finding a just and durable settlement to the Cyprus 
problem. An important first step to that commitment is our strong 
opposition to Turkey's 29-year occupation of Cyprus.

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