[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 161 (Tuesday, October 23, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H11909-H11910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     STATEMENT ON JULY 8 AGREEMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend my colleagues for 
passing H. Con. Res. 405, which promotes the United Nations' sponsored 
efforts to bring about a negotiated reunification of Cyprus. The 
division of Cyprus has endured for 33 years, far too long by any 
measure.
  Today, I met with Alexis Galanos, the distinguished mayor of 
Famagusta, Cyprus, which prior to the Turkish invasion was the main 
town of the second largest district of Cyprus, both in terms of its 
population and surface area.
  A few weeks after the initial invasion on August 14, 1974, Turkish 
military forces bombarded Famagusta relentlessly. Greek Cypriots were 
forced to flee their homes in fear and terror, rendering Famagusta a 
ghost city. Turkish forces then sealed off the area with barbed wire 
fences; 45,000 inhabitants of Famagusta became refugees in their own 
country. They lost their land, their properties, their homes and 
businesses and many of their own people.
  The city and the mayor elected by its displaced residents who can't 
go home have now become a symbol of the injustice that persists in the 
occupied region. The two waves of the invasion by

[[Page H11910]]

the Turkish troops forced nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriots, over one-
quarter of the Cypriot population at the time, from their homes, making 
them refugees in their own country. The equivalent in the U.S. would be 
around 80 million people. For the last 33 years, 36.2 percent of the 
island continues to be under occupation by 43,000 Turkish forces.
  The July 8, 2006, agreements reached under the auspices of the United 
Nations Under Secretary General Ibrahim Gambari, by President Tassos 
Papadopoulos and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat establishes a 
set of negotiating principles that will lead to a unified Cyprus.
  The July 8 agreement supports the Greek and Turkish-Cypriot efforts 
to find common ground for the peaceful reunification of their country 
within the framework of a federal bi-zonal and bi-communal nation 
state. These agreements call for the implementation of specific 
confidence-building measures, starting with the practical steps of 
establishing bi-communal working groups and technical communities to 
examine and discuss issues affecting the day-to-day lives of the people 
of Cyprus.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no viable justification for the continued 
division of Cyprus. The people of Cyprus have every reason to seek out 
reconciliation. They aspire to a reunified homeland. In the last 4 
years, there have been more than 13 million peaceful crossings across 
the Green Line by Greek and Turkish-Cypriots, a remarkable achievement 
for an island whose total population is less than 800,000 people. 
Turkish-Cypriots cross into the Republic of Cyprus to go to work every 
day. Approximately 35,000 Turkish-Cypriots have applied for and 
received passports from the Republic of Cyprus. On the ground, there is 
clear momentum for peace and a desire on both sides to work together.
  Today, Cyprus has evolved into a dynamic country, endowed with a 
robust economy and incredible democratic institutions. Its qualitative 
capacities are showcased by its recent entry to the European Union and 
its imminent membership in the Eurozone. Located off the western shores 
of the Middle East, Cyprus has the capacity to be a vigorous 
participant in the wider NATO security architecture.
  For us in the United States, therefore, there is great purpose in 
facilitating peace and unification beyond any moral and altruistic 
imperatives. As expressed by the House last week, the July 8 agreement 
lays the groundwork for accomplishing this goal.
  I commend the House for its passage of H. Con. Res. 405 and implore 
our government to continue its support for the full and immediate 
implementation of the July 8, 2006, agreements.

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