[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 28, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H1167]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY ANNIVERSARY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I am proud to join with several of my 
colleagues this evening in celebrating the 185th anniversary of Greek 
independence from the Ottoman Empire.
  In the years since Greek independence, Americans and Greeks have 
grown ever closer, bound by ties of strategic and military alliance, 
common values of democracy, individual freedom, human rights, and close 
personal friendship.
  Madam Speaker, while we celebrate Greek independence this evening, it 
is also important that we recognize that Greece continues to battle 
oppression from present-day Turkey in Cyprus. It is crucial our Nation 
work with the United Nations and the Government of Cyprus to once again 
unify the island. However, I am deeply concerned that our government's 
recent actions will actually make it more difficult to reunify Cyprus. 
The U.S. State Department and Secretary Rice seem much more interested 
in rewarding those who illegally occupied the northern third of the 
nation back in 1974 than actually reunifying the islands. Over the past 
year, our State Department decided to allow Americans to fly into the 
occupied north, something that has not been permitted since the illegal 
occupation took place back in 1974.
  Last year, I joined many of my colleagues from the Congressional 
Hellenic Caucus in sending a letter expressing our deep concern 
regarding the legality of U.S. citizens flying directly from Turkey to 
the airport in northern Cyprus. In response to that letter, the State 
Department responded that it was encouraging the elimination of 
unnecessary restrictions and barriers that isolate and impede the 
economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community.
  Madam Speaker, this new policy must also be responsible for a 
decision earlier this year by the State Department to resume trade with 
the occupied north through ports that were declared closed after the 
invasion in 1974. In order to allow trade, the State Department is 
forced to ignore both Cyprus' domestic law, as well as international 
law that prohibits entering Cyprus through an illegal port in the 
north.
  Madam Speaker, I am deeply concerned that the State Department's new 
policy towards the government and the people of the occupied north will 
only delay reunification of the entire island. If U.S. allows direct 
trade through routes in the north, what incentives do the illegal 
occupiers of northern lands have to make any concessions to the 
rightful inhabitants? It is as if the State Department has completely 
forgotten who is responsible for the division of Cyprus in the first 
place.
  I have repeatedly encouraged Secretary Rice to take an historic look 
at the Cyprus problem over the past 30 years. It is important to look 
at this problem not only through the lens of the nonvote in 2004, but 
also from the perspective of three decades of illegal actions on the 
Turkish side.
  Madam Speaker, I pledge tonight to continue to speak out against a 
State Department that seems more comfortable punishing the victims of 
the Cyprus problem while rewarding the occupiers. I am hopeful that one 
day soon, like Greece, the island of Cyprus will be unified and free. 
And tonight I also applaud the determination that the Greeks showed 185 
years ago to overcome the Ottoman Empire and restore democracy in the 
place of its birth.

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